John Densmore
Riders on the storm. La mia vita con Jim Morrison e i Doors

"This book is my truth. Perhaps not the whole truth, but it's how I saw it. From the drum seat." John Densmore, drummer, managed to create his own unique and brilliant style; centered on jazz and crazy tribal rhythms with an incredible and total telepathy with Morrison's improvisations. It certainly wasn’t easy to adjust the timing of your drums to someone whose actions and words were always unpredictable; but he was always there, in perfect sync with the Lizard King. His bossa nova-style rhythms were fabulous for the era. John Densmore, the man, always had to contend with his own insecurities and frustrations and especially with the charismatic and overwhelming figure of the singer. He admired and detested him at the same time. He wanted the band's success, and Jim often ruined everything. At that time, he was unable to understand Morrison's need to go beyond, to not yield to easy compromises. This book is a splendid account by John of those sixties years when everything seemed possible, a biography of the Doors from someone who experienced every moment firsthand, but above all, a portrait of his friend Jim and their difficult relationship. It is this latter aspect that is, in my opinion, the most interesting topic of the book. John, in these decades after Jim's death, has done a lot of analysis work, with a good dose of self-criticism, on the internal situation of the group in those years, realizing only now the greatness of his friend and why he behaved the way he did. "I wish I'd had the balls to tell you some things in the sixties, but you were so strong and intimidated me." An intimate story, describing to us from inside the band, the situations, the roles of its members beyond legends and false myths. I knew it, I felt it, ever since as a kid I read the first related books, that John would write something like this because his love/hate for Jim was visceral; different from an overly devoted Manzarek and a more detached Krieger. As often happens, the only one who contradicts you is the one who cares the most about you. In hindsight, it was only seemingly strange that the only phone call Morrison made from Paris was precisely to an incredulous Densmore.

John is a man anchored to a certain type of ideas and coherence. He never took advantage of being part of a monument like the Doors; on the contrary, he got embroiled in a legal case against the two former colleagues, winning it and obligating them not to use the name Doors for records and concerts, not to profit off past glories. He is the one who placed the veto on the sale of rights of "Break on Through" for a Cadillac ad campaign (which would have yielded 15 million dollars!); just as Jim did in '67 with "Light My Fire". An ugly page of legal controversies that nevertheless earned him the support of numerous colleagues; to name one, Eddie Vedder "When I'm dead, I hope there's someone with John's integrity to carry on the legacy of our band with the same coherence he demonstrated."

John is a great person and, as such, holds no grudges. "I hope my love letter to Ray, Robby, and Jim pleases you," he concludes.

Thank you, John, finally a real book about our beloved band and our friend James Douglas Morrison.

Happy reading.