# The Doors: The End vs. When the Music's Over



## bz3 (Oct 15, 2015)

Each song provided an extended finale to the first two Doors albums released in the same year. Which do you prefer?


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

They are both great songs. For a time after I first discovered The Doors in the '90's _When The Music's Over_ was my all time favorite Doors song, but for me _The End_ has aged better. I also prefer _LA Woman _and _Riders on the Storm_ to WTMO at this point. The debut album and LA Woman are my favorite Doors albums. The second album probably comes in third place for me.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

The lyrics and dynamics are great on WTMO, but it goes on a little too long chord progression-wise on just Em-A I think.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

tdc said:


> The second album probably comes in third place for me.


But maybe I like _Morrison Hotel_ better? The second Doors album is amazing but not my favorite somehow in its totality. It seems less varied perhaps emotions wise? Its pretty dark. _Morrison Hotel_ has some darkness too but over all its a happier album.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

_The End_ is possibly the Doors' crowning glory in my eyes, but the _Absolutely Live_ version of _WtMO_ would still be on a self-compiled 'best of...'


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

I remember seeing/hearing the Doors live at Eastman Theater, Rochester, NY....
They did WTMO, which was really cool....in the silences, tho, some drunken idiots started making noise, hooting, hollering, etc...
Morris got really pissed - yelled at them to STFU....when they persisted, he took the mike stand, whirled it around over his head, then threw into the audience at the hecklers....they did STFU!!


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Heck148 said:


> I remember seeing/hearing the Doors live at Eastman Theater, Rochester, NY....
> They did WTMO, which was really cool....in the silences, tho, some drunken idiots started making noise, hooting, hollering, etc...
> Morris got really pissed - yelled at them to STFU....when they persisted, he took the mike stand, whirled it around over his head, then threw into the audience at the hecklers....they did STFU!!


I agree that in a live environment the quiet section of _WtMO_ would benefit from an equally quiet crowd, but this is a rock and roll gig after all and the testosterone flows like the beer - it's a bit like a Rolling Stones audience being expected to collectively shut up during Jagger's "Have you heard about the Boston Strangler?" declamation section of _Midnight Rambler_. I think this is also a classical case of Jim Morrison wanting his cake _and_ eating it - never mind the gigs he screwed up by being drunk or ripped on drugs himself, or turning up late, or simply not being interested. Plus he used to like whipping up the crowd anyway, so perhaps it's a bit rich expecting them to clam up at a moment's notice just because he wanted them to.

P.S. What year did you see them? Were they on form?


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

elgars ghost said:


> I agree that in a live environment the quiet section of _WtMO_ would benefit from an equally quiet crowd, but this is a rock and roll gig after all and the testosterone flows like the beer ......I think this is also a classical case of Jim Morrison wanting his cake _and_ eating it -


Oh, yeh, he was known to carry on onstage, for sure....didn't he get arrested for obscenity?? he started humping the mike stand while onstage?? or something like that....



> P.S. What year did you see them? Were they on form?


iirc, c 1968 or so...can't remember precisely, a long time ago....yes, they sounded great...very memorable....


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Heck148 said:


> Oh, yeh, he was known to carry on onstage, for sure....didn't he get arrested for obscenity?? he started humping the mike stand while onstage?? or something like that....
> 
> iirc, c 1968 or so...can't remember precisely, a long time ago....yes, they sounded great...very memorable....


They played there on March 16th 1968 - with Linda Ronstadt as support act.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Heck148 said:


> Oh, yeh, he was known to carry on onstage, for sure....didn't he get arrested for obscenity?? he started humping the mike stand while onstage?? or something like that....
> 
> iirc, c 1968 or so...can't remember precisely, a long time ago....yes, they sounded great...very memorable....


Oh, no, he got a bit full of himself and "knew what they wanted to see", and whipped "it" out, leaving nothing to the imagination.



As for the two "epic" songs that closed out their first two albums, they are two different songs, linked mostly by both being lengthy tracks.


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## fbjim (Mar 8, 2021)

Heck148 said:


> Oh, yeh, he was known to carry on onstage, for sure....didn't he get arrested for obscenity?? he started humping the mike stand while onstage?? or something like that....
> 
> iirc, c 1968 or so...can't remember precisely, a long time ago....yes, they sounded great...very memorable....


A story I heard from the wonderful "500 worst rolling stones reviews" page -



> As it happens, a month before this review came to print, a young James Osterberg (soon to be rechristened Iggy Pop) had the chance to witness first-hand Jim Morrison's '3000-years old fashioned'/'very contemporary' stage theatrics. Osterberg saw the Doors' October 20, 1967 performance at the University of Michigan, which he later recalled in Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain's 1997 'oral history' of punk rock, Please Kill Me:
> 
> "I went to see them at this gymnasium, and the concert was the homecoming dance for all these big, butch American clods and their girls. They were going there to see the band that did 'Light My Fire'.
> 
> ...


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I voted for When The Music's Over. I usually turn off the first album before The End. Favorite albums are the first two, and Morrison Hotel. But all six original albums have a number of gems. The title track to LA Woman is one of the greatest driving tunes of all time. As is the moody and mysterious, Riders On The Storm.


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## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

I can't get past Jim's vacuous lyrics.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Red Terror said:


> I can't get past Jim's vacuous lyrics.


I'd call that a sweeping generalization. But I don't look for great depth or philosophy in his lyrics. Morrison was about passion.


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## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

starthrower said:


> I'd call that a sweeping generalization. But I don't look for great depth or philosophy in his lyrics. Morrison was about passion.


A sweeping generalization-are you kidding, Star? Here's one his crown jewels...

_Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain
And all the children are insane
All the children are insane
Waiting for the summer rain
There's danger on the edge of town
Ride the king's highway
Weird scenes inside the goldmine
Ride the highway West baby

Ride the snake
Ride the snake
To the lake
To the lake..._

Now if you'll excuse me, I am gonna go ride my snake ... to the lake.

:lol: :lol:


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

The End for me but both great songs.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Red Terror said:


> A sweeping generalization-are you kidding, Star? Here's one his crown jewels...
> 
> _Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain
> And all the children are insane
> ...


I don't think some of the lyrics are supposed to make sense. They're like a dream. But aside from that I like his voice, the music, and the band.


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## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

starthrower said:


> I don't think some of the lyrics are supposed to make sense. They're like a dream. But aside from that I like his voice, the music, and the band.


He was a great front man, no doubt. But I think competent lyrics would have elevated his band's legacy.


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## HenryPenfold (Apr 29, 2018)

Very difficult one, this.

I voted when the music's over because I've OD'd on the end and went overboard on Nico etc, so it's the WTMO that I think I prefer these days ..........


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I love Jim's lyrics. His lyrical approach was quite poetic, and often profound. His style was a little 'stream of consciousness', and could be rough around the edges at times but that provided an excitement to his approach that wouldn't be there if he was trying to be another Dylan or something. His style was very unique and worked well with the band.


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