"Been Down So Long" | |
---|---|
Song by the Doors | |
from the album L.A. Woman | |
Released | April 19, 1971 |
Recorded | December 1970 –January 1971 |
Studio | The Doors Workshop, Los Angeles |
Genre | Blues [1] |
Length | 4:40 |
Label | Elektra |
Songwriter(s) | The Doors |
Producer(s) |
|
"Been Down So Long" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. It appears as the third track on L.A. Woman , the last studio album that lead singer Jim Morrison recorded with the group. It has been called, notably by critic Robert Christgau, as a "take-off" on the album. [2]
A live version recorded on May 8, 1970, at Cobo Arena in Detroit, appears on the 2000 compilation album The Bright Midnight Sampler . [3]
The song's lyrics were written by lead singer and frontman Jim Morrison, [5] though the performance rights organization ASCAP, along with the actual album liner notes, has given the songwriting credit to all members of the group evenly. [6] [7]
[Morrison] took the title of a Richard Farina novel. It's another retrospectively prophetic song. He was tired and worn out. He needed to be in a quieter, calmer place. [8]
– Ray Manzarek, assaying the song's lyrics
Morrison's lyrics draws upon themes of depression, liberation, and sexuality, referring to his imprisonments during live performances. [9] The title makes reference to Richard Fariña's book Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me , [10] [11] and was influenced by the lyrics of Furry Lewis's 1928 song, "I Will Turn Your Money Green": "I been down so long/It seem like up to me." [5] It is also considered to be Morrison at his most "mock tough", [12] and his disapproval of the judicial system in the US. [4]
Session musician Jerry Scheff contributed on bass guitar, while the rhythm guitars were played by Marc Benno and keyboardist Ray Manzarek. [13] [14] Musically, "Been Down So Long" is a conventional blues song, [1] [15] with rambunctious aggression, and having the "old Doors, slow blues" style. [12] It features a distinct slide guitar by Robby Krieger, [13] a rough sound, and a stomping beat. [16] [17] In response to Morrison's bluesy interpretation in an interview with L.A. Weekly , Elektra Records president Jac Holzman said about Morrison's general enthusiasm for the blues during that time:
Jim always thought he was the world's best blues singer. He'd see somebody up on the stage and say, "You can't sing the blues worth shit," and nearly get into a fight with them. He was generally drunk by then. Jim had a preponderance of wonderful qualities, a great gentleness. [8]
In his music reference book Rock Albums of the '70s: A Critical Guide , published in 1981, Robert Christgau considered L.A. Woman to be the Doors' greatest effort; however he also deemed "Been Down So Long" along with "L'America" as one of the few "disappointing" tracks of the album. [2] Will Hermes of Rolling Stone rating L.A. Woman with four-and-a-half stars out five, he characterized the song as a "garage-style classic". [18] PopMatters critic Nathan Wisnicki wrote in his review that with "Been Down So Long" the Doors "overestimated their jaming abilities", adding that the song "could've been tightened-up without losing any fire". [19] Music journalist James Perone declared it one of the "must-hear blues songs" of the band. [1]
The Doors
Additional musicians
The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts of the 1960s, partly due to Morrison's lyrics and voice, along with his erratic stage persona. The group is widely regarded as an important figure of the era's counterculture.
The Doors is the debut studio album by American rock band the Doors, released on January 4, 1967, by Elektra Records. It was recorded in August 1966 at Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California, under the production of Paul A. Rothchild. The album features the extended version of the breakthrough single "Light My Fire" and the lengthy closer "The End" with its Oedipal spoken word section. Publications including BBC and Rolling Stone, have ranked it as one of the greatest debut albums of all time.
Strange Days is the second studio album by the American rock band the Doors, released on September 25, 1967, by Elektra Records. After the successful release of The Doors, the band started experimenting with new and old material as well in early 1967 for this second record. Upon release, Strange Days reached number three on the US Billboard 200, and eventually earned RIAA platinum certification. It contains the two Top 30 hit singles, "People Are Strange" and "Love Me Two Times".
Robert Alan Krieger is an American guitarist and founding member of the rock band the Doors. Krieger wrote or co-wrote many of the Doors' songs, including the hits "Light My Fire", "Love Me Two Times", "Touch Me", and "Love Her Madly". When the Doors disbanded following the death of lead singer Jim Morrison, Krieger continued to perform and record with other musicians including former Doors bandmates John Densmore and Ray Manzarek. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Doors and is listed by Rolling Stone as one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. In 2023, Krieger was listed as the 248th greatest guitarist by Rolling Stone.
Morrison Hotel is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Doors, released on February 9, 1970, by Elektra Records. After the use of brass and string arrangements recommended by producer Paul A. Rothchild on their previous album, The Soft Parade (1969), the Doors returned to their blues rock style and this album was largely seen as a return to form for the band. The group entered Elektra Sound Recorders in Los Angeles in November 1969 to record the album which is divided into two separately titled sides, namely: "Hard Rock Café" and "Morrison Hotel". Blues rock guitar pioneer Lonnie Mack and Ray Neapolitan also contributed to the album as session bassists.
L.A. Woman is the sixth studio album by the American rock band the Doors, released on April 19, 1971, by Elektra Records. It is the last to feature lead singer Jim Morrison during his lifetime, due to his sudden death exactly two months and two weeks following the album's release. Even more so than its predecessors, the album is heavily influenced by blues. It was recorded without record producer Paul A. Rothchild after he quit the band over a perceived lack of quality in their studio performances. Subsequently, the band co-produced the album with longtime sound engineer Bruce Botnick.
Other Voices is the seventh studio album by the Doors, released by Elektra Records in October 1971. It was the first album released by the band following the death of lead singer Jim Morrison in July 1971 with keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger sharing lead vocals. Tracks for the album had begun before Morrison's death and the band hoped that Morrison would return from Paris to finish them.
An American Prayer is the ninth and final studio album by the American rock band the Doors. Following the death of Jim Morrison and the band's breakup, the surviving members of the Doors reconvened to set several of Morrison's spoken word recordings to music. It was the only album by the Doors to be nominated for a Grammy Award in the "Spoken Word" category.
Full Circle is the eighth studio album by the American rock band the Doors, released in August 1972. It is the second album after Jim Morrison's death, and their last until the 1978 album An American Prayer. The album includes "The Mosquito", the last Doors single to chart.
"Peace Frog" is a song by the Doors, which was released on their fifth studio album Morrison Hotel in 1970. Guitarist Robby Krieger explained that the music was written and recorded first, with the lyrics later coming from poems by singer Jim Morrison. Although the song was never released as a single in the US, it was issued as the B-side of "You Make Me Real" in France.
"Riders on the Storm" is a song by American rock band the Doors, released in June 1971 by Elektra Records as the second single from the band's sixth studio album, L.A. Woman. It is famous for being the last song that Jim Morrison recorded prior to his sudden death in Paris on July 3, 1971.
"Love Me Two Times" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. First appearing on their second studio album Strange Days, it was later edited to a 2:37 length and released as the second single from that album. The single reached number 25 on the charts in the United States.
"Hyacinth House" is a song written and performed by the Doors. It appears on the band's final album with frontman Jim Morrison, L.A. Woman (1971). Its lyrics were written by Morrison, while the music was composed by keyboardist Ray Manzarek.
"People Are Strange" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. It appears on the band's second studio album, Strange Days, released in September 1967. The song was written by the Doors' vocalist Jim Morrison and guitarist Robby Krieger, although all of the band are credited on the sleeve notes.
"Love Her Madly" is a song by American rock band the Doors. It was released in March 1971 and was the first single from L.A. Woman, their final album with singer Jim Morrison. "Love Her Madly" became one of the highest-charting hits for the Doors; it peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and reached number three in Canada. Session musician Jerry Scheff played bass guitar on the song.
Live in Detroit is a double CD live album by the American rock band the Doors. It was recorded at the Cobo Arena in Detroit on May 8, 1970 during the band's 1970 Roadhouse Blues Tour. It was released on October 23, 2000 on Rhino Records.
Perception is a 12-disc box set by American rock band the Doors. The CDs contain the six 1999 remastered versions of the Doors' six studio albums plus DVD-Audio discs containing the 2007 40th anniversary stereo and surround remixes of those albums as well as visual extras. Each album includes extra tracks consisting of previously unreleased session outtakes. Exclusive to the box set is a DVD with several live performances and other extras. The title is derived from Aldous Huxley's book The Doors of Perception, which inspired the band's name.
The Very Best of The Doors is a compilation album by The Doors, released in the USA in 2001. It features the same cover art as The Best of The Doors compilation released the previous year, and a similar track listing to the single CD version of that album.
"Soul Kitchen" is a song by the Doors from their self-titled debut album The Doors. Singer Jim Morrison wrote the lyrics as a tribute to the soul food restaurant Olivia's in Venice Beach, California. Because he often stayed too late, the staff had to kick him out, thus the lines "let me sleep all night, in your soul kitchen".
"The Changeling" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. It appears as the opening track on their sixth album and final with Jim Morrison, L.A. Woman. Released in April 1971, as the B-side of "Riders on the Storm", the single peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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