Publishers Weekly
08/14/2023
The Doors drummer Densmore (Riders on the Storm) rockets through his tumultuous six-year lawsuit against former bandmates Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger in this no-holds-barred account. Much has changed since the garage band from Venice, Calif., started writing lyrics that came to define a generation, and with lead singer Morrison long dead—and the band broken up in 1973, two years later—its members were left to negotiate their commercial interests in the years to come. Backed by the Morrison estate, Densmore sued guitarist Krieger and keyboardist Manzarek in 2003 over their unauthorized use of the band’s name, logo, and images, to promote their newly formed the Doors of the 21st Century. Manzarek and Krieger countersued, alleging that Densmore owed them an estimated $40 million in lost profits because he’d too often vetoed licensing the band’s songs for promotional purposes—a practice Jim Morrison vehemently opposed. The resulting mud-slinging court fiasco, rife with attacks on Densmore’s “communist” political beliefs and even the opposing counsel’s implication that he was a “supporter of Al Qaeda,” ended with Densmore winning against his former bandmates in 2009. Throughout, the author’s initial question—at what point does money cheapen art’s original message?—remains salient, even if he hammers it home a bit repetitively. Devoted fans will be eager to get their hands on this deep dive. (Nov.)
Pearl “Penny” Courson
"This book is a story about our struggle to keep Jim’s legacy as he wanted it: no selling out to corporate thinking. Jim was an artist who should be remembered for his integrity."
Tom Waits
"There are some of us out there who still have principles and cannot be bought. John Densmore is one of them. He is not for sale and that is his gift to us."
Michael Blake
"John Densmore’s latest book is exceptional. As usual, the writing is excellent but the conflicts he endured in standing up for Jim Morrison long after he left the earth can provide inspiration for all who read the amazing story of what took place behind The Doors."
Michael Connelly
"Part legal thriller and part parable on the line between artistic integrity and compromise, this book never fails to inform and entertain. John Densmore’s journey into the justice system, carrying the ghost of Jim Morrison with him every step of the way, is a perfect postscript on the spirit and promise of the ‘60s."
Tom Robbins
"In his new book, legendary drummer John Densmore hammers a fierce yet never spiteful rat-a-tat on that airless gold coffin of the soul: artistic compromise. The spirit of rock and roll was literally on trial, and Densmore’s account is paced like a courtroom thriller."
Randy Newman
"John is a great man, and he has written a very funny book."
Booklist
"Part courtroom drama, part morality tale, The Doors Unhinged reminds us what happens when greed and deception get in the way of teamwork and the creative process."
Jim Ladd
"Those of us who were on the bus in the sixties and took that magical and dangerous trip came out of that experience with a code that would guide us for the rest of our lives. The lesson was to live your life as if there were something bigger than your own mortality at stake. That art, for example, gifted by the muse, is bigger than the artists who create it. I am forever grateful to John Densmore, not only for enduring the crucible described in this book, but for never wavering from the code that some of us still hold so dear. Because the music that The Doors created is so important to so many people, its worth is much greater than the sum of its parts; and certainly greater than their commercial success. Because John Densmore believes this, we are all in his debt. Not only for renewing our belief in the transcendent magic of The Doors, but for staying true to the best ideals of our generation."
New City Chicago
"The Doors Unhinged is a riveting account of this three-year-long lawsuit and of his fight for Morrison and the Doors’ legacy. Because it contains Densmore’s reflections on the co-opting of 1960s and seventies countercultural music by partnering it with luxury items such as Cadillacs, along with his thoughts on what he calls ‘the greed gene,’ it’s also a compelling personal narrative. Densmore’s telling of the court trial is engrossing and his life becomes an example of how to live with integrity. He never claims to be a hero, and yet at the end of The Doors Unhinged I thought of him as a hero for our times."
Eddie Vedder
"When you read in these pages about the difficulties in communication suffered by and between surviving band members, you become witness to something very similar to the grief and heartbreak felt by parents who have lost a young child. It wasn’t just Jim Morrison that they lost, but their kid, their band, The Doors. Though it’s something I don’t like to think about, there will come a time when I will be a Dead Rock Star. I can only hope that in my inevitable absence there will be someone with the integrity and principled behavior of Mr. Densmore looking after whatever legacy our group may leave behind."
Pop Culture Classics
"This latest book, detailing The Doors coming unhinged is a must-read, thanks to its unsettling account of the ever present war between artistry and commerciality. Densmore has had held onto the utopian viewpoints of the 60s, running contrary to the faceless, corporate rationale of the 21st century music industry. He points out that more and more iconic songwriters, including Dylan and Springsteen, are selling off their catalogues to the highest bidders. So it’s encouraging to see someone like Densmore, still fighting the good fight, against all odds"
Forbes
"[This] fascinating glimpse behind the curtain at the band’s inner workings sits at the heart of Densmore’s latest book The Doors Unhinged: Jim Morrison’s Legacy Goes on Trial."
Rolling Stone - Anthony DeCurtis
"John Densmore has repeatedly protected his band and its legacy under circumstances in which it would have been much easier to simply do nothing—and collect a check in exchange for that passivity. He believes, however, that the continuing meaning of The Doors’s music is more important than money. Or perhaps he believes that the more meaningful The Doors’s music remains, the more successful it will be. In either case, he has shown great courage and a determination to take the long view and the high road—virtues that are important and all too rare both in the world of rock & roll and well beyond it."
From the Publisher
More Praise for The Doors: Unhinged
“The Doors drummer Densmore rockets through his tumultuous six-year lawsuit against former bandmates Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger in this no-holds-barred account . . . Throughout, the author’s initial question—at what point does money cheapen art’s original message?—remains salient, even if he hammers it home a bit repetitively. Devoted fans will be eager to get their hands on this deep dive.”
—Publishers Weekly
"Densmore's concerns about his band's legacy and its meaning in today's society are thought-provoking and worth pondering. Also impressive is his continued respect for his former bandmates' creativity and musicianship, despite the in-fighting, philosophical differences, and court battles. Not a typical rock memoir, but something more interesting to those who want to look past the hit songs and off-stage antics."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Part courtroom drama, part morality tale, The Doors Unhinged reminds us what
happens when greed and deception get in the way of teamwork and the creative process."
—Booklist
“Densmore’s commitment to his principles is evident on every page, and he is unafraid to share the complex emotions he experienced and the painful encounters he had with his longtime bandmate friends. VERDICT Music-fan readers are given a true warts-and-all look inside a legendary band and their shortcomings.”
—Library Journal
"John Densmore's latest book is exceptional. As usual, the writing is excellent but the conflicts he endured in standing up for Jim Morrison long after he left the earth can provide inspiration for all who read the amazing story of what took place behind The Doors."
—Michael Blake, Oscar Award–winning author of Dances with Wolves
"John Densmore has repeatedly protected his band and its legacy under circumstances in which it would have been much easier to simply do nothing—and collect a check in exchange for that passivity. He believes, however, that the continuing meaning of The Doors' music is more important than money. Or perhaps he believes that the more meaningful The Doors' music remains, the more successful it will be. In either case, he has shown great courage and a determination to take the long view and the high road—virtues that are important and all too rare both in the world of rock & roll and well beyond it."
—Anthony DeCurtis, Rolling Stone
"Those of us who were on the bus in the sixties and took that magical and dangerous trip came out of that experience with a code that would guide us for the rest of our lives. The lesson was to live your life as if there were something bigger than your own mortality at stake. That art, for example, gifted by the muse, is bigger than the artists who create it. I am forever grateful to John Densmore, not only for enduring the crucible described in this book, but for never wavering from the code that some of us still hold so dear. Because the music that The Doors created is so important to so many people, its worth is much greater than the sum of its parts; and certainly greater than their commercial success. Because John Densmore believes this, we are all in his debt. Not only for renewing our belief in the transcendent magic of The Doors, but for staying true to the best ideals of our generation."
—Jim Ladd, author of Radio Waves: Life and Revolution on the FM Dial
Library Journal
11/01/2023
The Doors existed only for seven years, but their musical output was prolific—nine studio albums, five live albums, 21 singles, and several best-selling compilations after the band's dissolution. Their command of different styles—from blues and jazz to flamenco, pop, and hard rock—made their music thrilling and full of wonder. Lead singer Jim Morrison's Dionysian poetry tied everything together. So what went wrong? After Morrison's tragic death in 1971 at age 27, the band's popularity only grew, putting the surviving band members in charge of how their legacy would be used. The Doors drummer Densmore (author of Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison & the Doors) opposed his fellow bandmates in 2004 when they wanted to use the Doors' music in a car commercial. That resulted in competing lawsuits. This book recounts the whole sad courtroom affair and its aftermath, but some readers may find the minutiae of the court proceedings drag the pace down a bit. But Densmore's commitment to his principles is evident on every page, and he is unafraid to share the complex emotions he experienced and the painful encounters he had with his longtime bandmate friends. VERDICT Music-fan readers are given a true warts-and-all look inside a legendary band and their shortcomings.—Brett Rohlwing
Kirkus Reviews
2023-09-28
The drummer for the Doors recounts his legal battle to preserve the band’s legacy.
Densmore, along with singer and lyricist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, and guitarist Robby Krieger, founded the Doors in Los Angeles in 1965. During the group’s early days, Morrison proposed that the four members would be equal partners, sharing in all proceeds, and each member would have a veto over any decision affecting the band. That clause came into play when they wanted to let Buick use “Light My Fire” for a commercial in 1968, and Morrison vigorously objected (“Tell them I’m gonna smash a Buick with a sledgehammer onstage!”). This led to a policy of refusing to license the Doors’ music for advertising purposes. Also, recognizing Morrison’s central role, the remaining members stopped calling themselves “The Doors”—until 2002, when Manzarek and Krieger began touring with a different drummer and singer, calling themselves “The Doors of the 21st Century,” with ads featuring the band’s original logo. They asked Densmore to approve a lucrative deal with Cadillac to use “Break on Through” for a commercial. When he took them to court to stop them from using the old band name, they countersued him for blocking the deal. Densmore’s text is mainly a blow-by-blow account of the court proceedings on the two issues, spiced with the drummer’s insightful reflections on the Doors’ history and his encounters with other musicians. Fans looking for anecdotes about the band’s glory days will be disappointed, but Densmore’s concerns about his band’s legacy and its meaning in today’s society are thought-provoking and worth pondering. Also impressive is his continued respect for his former bandmates’ creativity and musicianship, despite the in-fighting, philosophical differences, and court battles.
Not a typical rock memoir, but something more interesting to those who want to look past the hit songs and off-stage antics.
