"The Crystal Ship" | ||||
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![]() Side B of the original US single | ||||
Single by the Doors | ||||
from the album The Doors | ||||
A-side | "Light My Fire" | |||
Released | April 1967 | |||
Recorded | August 1966 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:30 | |||
Label | Elektra | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jim Morrison | |||
Producer(s) | Paul A. Rothchild | |||
The Doors singles chronology | ||||
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"The Crystal Ship" is a song by American rock band the Doors, from their 1967 debut album The Doors , and the B-side of the number-one hit single "Light My Fire". It was composed as a love song to Jim Morrison's first serious girlfriend, Mary Werbelow, shortly after their relationship ended.
The song borrows from elements from baroque music. [2] The lyrics in the opening verse resemble a conventional love song, while the later verses are vague in intention and contain more challenging imagery. A music video was later compiled from footage of the band performing on American Bandstand , coupled with film of Morrison and Pamela Courson at Kern River, near Bakersfield, California.
Morrison's lyrics are often deliberately vague, and this, coupled with the song's dreamlike atmosphere, [3] has led to speculation as to the meaning of "The Crystal Ship". According to Greil Marcus, the opening lines "Before you slip into unconsciousness, I'd like to have another kiss" could be about "sleep, it could be an overdose, inflicted by the singer or the person he's addressing; it could be murder suicide, or a suicide pact." [4] Critic James Perone noted that the song's title is open to wide interpretations, and that the crystal ship "could just as easily represent sleep as a drug trip". He conceded that "in 1967 the latter would probably have been the more common interpretation". [3] Authors David Luhrssen and Michael Larson formulate in their book that sex could be expressed as "the lucid dream of 'The Crystal Ship'." [5]
A January 1990 letter to the Los Angeles Times claimed that the song was about crystal methamphetamine, with the ship representing a hypodermic needle, and the kiss the act of drug injection. [6] John Densmore responded by saying that although Morrison was aware that "crystal" is slang for methedrine, he "wrote 'The Crystal Ship' for Mary Werbelow, a girlfriend with whom he was breaking up: it was therefore intended as a goodbye love song." [6] [7] According to Rolling Stone critic Narendra Kusnur, the lines "The days are bright and filled with pain, enclose me in your gentle rain, the time you ran was too insane, we'll meet again, we'll meet again" reflect the breakup. [7]
Inspired by William Blake's poem The Crystal Cabinet, it is one of many of Morrison's songs inspired by Blake's poetry. [8] Portion of the lyrics is suggested that borrows from the 12th-century Irish Lebor na hUidre (Book of the Dun Cow) manuscript. [9] According to local Santa Barbara, California, lore, Morrison wrote the song after taking LSD on an Isla Vista beach one night as he stared at the blinking lights of an offshore oil rig named Platform Holly. [10]
Critics Richie Unterberger, Samb Hicks and Jennifer Dempsey have declared "The Crystal Ship" as one of the great band performances of The Doors. [11] Kusnur considered it one of Morrison's 10 most underrated songs, particularly praising his soulful vocal performance and "[Ray] Manzarek's steady keyboard interlude and the song's gradual build-up." [7] Michael Nelson of PopMatters also wrote that the song "boasts one of Morrison's best vocal performances". [12] Cash Box called it a "slow rocker with an imaginative lyric." [13] BBC Music lauded it one of the "glittering" gems of the album. [14]
Louder Sound ranked "The Crystal Ship" the 14th best Doors track, [15] while The Guardian placed it second on their 2015 list, only behind "Light My Fire". [16]
Per The Doors album liner notes: [17]
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, primarily due to Morrison's lyrics and voice, along with his erratic stage persona and legal issues. The group is widely regarded as an important figure of the era's counterculture.
Strange Days is the second studio album by the American rock band the Doors, released on September 25, 1967, by Elektra Records, arriving eight months after their self-titled debut album. After the latter's successful release, 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".
Waiting for the Sun is the third studio album by the American rock band the Doors, released by Elektra Records on July 3, 1968. The album's 11 tracks were recorded between late 1967 and May 1968 mostly at TTG Studios in Los Angeles. It became the band's only number one album, topping the Billboard 200 for four weeks, while also including their second US number one single, "Hello, I Love You". The first single released off the record was "The Unknown Soldier", which peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also became the band's first hit album in the UK, where it reached number 16.
The Soft Parade is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Doors, released on July 18, 1969, by Elektra Records. Most of the album was recorded following a grueling tour during which the band was left with little time to compose new material. Record producer Paul A. Rothchild recommended a total departure from the Doors' first three albums: develop a fuller sound by incorporating brass and string arrangements provided by Paul Harris. Lead singer Jim Morrison, who was dealing with personal issues and focusing more on his poetry, was less involved in the songwriting process, allowing guitarist Robby Krieger to increase his own creative output.
Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. was an American keyboardist. He is best known as a member of the rock band the Doors, co-founding the group in 1965 with fellow UCLA Film School student Jim Morrison. Manzarek is credited for his innovative playing and abilities on organ-style keyboard instruments.
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 death exactly two months and two weeks following the album's release, though he would posthumously appear on the 1978 album An American Prayer. Even more so than its predecessors, the album is heavily influenced by blues. It was recorded without producer Paul A. Rothchild after he quit the band over the perceived lack of quality in their studio performances. Subsequently, the band co-produced the album with longtime sound engineer Bruce Botnick.
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.
The "Alabama Song"—also known as "Moon of Alabama", "Moon over Alabama", and "Whisky Bar"—is an English version of a song written by Bertolt Brecht and translated from German by his close collaborator Elisabeth Hauptmann in 1925 and set to music by Kurt Weill for the 1927 play Little Mahagonny. It was reused for the 1930 opera Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny and has been recorded by the Doors and David Bowie.
"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.
"Back Door Man" is a blues song written by American musician Willie Dixon and recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1960. The lyrics draw on a Southern U.S. cultural term for an extramarital affair. The song is one of several Dixon-Wolf songs that became popular among rock musicians, including the Doors who recorded it for their 1967 self-titled debut album.
Legacy: The Absolute Best is a two-disc compilation album by American rock band the Doors. Released in 2003, it includes the uncensored versions of both "Break On Through " and "The End". Also included is a previously unreleased studio version of Morrison's epic poetry piece "Celebration of the Lizard," a rehearsal outtake from the band's Waiting for the Sun sessions.
"Love Street" is a song performed by the American rock band the Doors. Sequenced as the second album track on Waiting for the Sun (1968), its lyrics were written by lead singer Jim Morrison and as with other songs, it was dedicated to his girlfriend Pamela Courson.
"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.
"When the Music's Over" is an epic song by the American rock band the Doors, which appears on their second album Strange Days, released in 1967. It is among the band's longer pieces, lasting 11 minutes.
"Roadhouse Blues" is a song by the American rock band the Doors from their 1970 album Morrison Hotel. It was released as the B-side of "You Make Me Real", which peaked at No. 50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 41 in Canada. "Roadhouse Blues" charted in its own right on the Cash Box Top 100, peaking at No. 76. The song became a concert staple for the group and it has been covered by numerous artists.
"Wishful Sinful" is a song by American rock band the Doors. Group guitarist Robby Krieger wrote the tune, which was first released in March 1969 as a single, as well as on the band's fourth album, The Soft Parade, later in July. "Wishful Sinful" follows the general theme of the album by incorporating elements of classical music.
"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".
"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.
"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.
"You Make Me Real" is a song written by Jim Morrison that was first released on the Doors 1970 album Morrison Hotel. It was also released as the only single from the album, reaching No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100, but was ultimately surpassed in popularity by its B-side, "Roadhouse Blues". In France the single was issued with "Peace Frog" as the B-side.
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