Jim Morrison died at the young age of 27 the exact same age that Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix were when they also died within a year of each other. I have no idea what was in the water that these young rock stars were drinking... Wait! Yes I do know what was in their water: alcohol, pills and a dash of reckless abandon that not only ended their lives as creative caring members of society but also robbed the musical world of music that was yet to come.
It's been a little over 40 years since The Doors recorded their last studio album with Jim Morrison. The making of that swan song LP is now documented in the brand new home video "Mr. Mojo Risin': The Story Of L.A. Woman."
"L.A. Woman" would not only be the last Doors album with Morrison, it would be the now iconic singers last album period. After the record the singer's vocal were completed he went off to Paris with his girlfriend Pam and never returned.
"Mr. Mojo Risin': The Story Of L.A. Woman" is told through new interviews with all the key people who were there during the making of "L.A. Woman:"
Keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, drummer John Densmore along with producer Bruce Botnick and Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman discuss all aspects of the creative process from songwriting, recording and the decision to bring in a new producer (Botnick replacing longtime producer Paul A. Rothchild) as well as adding studio musicians Jerry Scheff and guitarist Marc Benno to expand the bands sound in the studio. These decisions obviously paid off as "L.A. Woman" features classics tracks like "Love Her Madly," "Riders On The Storm," and the title track "L.A. Woman."
"Mr. Mojo Risin': The Story Of L.A. Woman" is not perfect and unfortunately misses on many levels. It doesn't enthrall the viewer the way the "Classic Albums" DVD series does nor does it reach the dramatic story telling feel of VH-1's "Behind The Music" series.
The doc does have a few cool things going for it such as the faux movie billboards that are shown before each specific track is discussed. Example: Elektra Presents "Riders On The Storm" Starring Jim Morrison etc, etc etc... My one big problem with "Mr. Mojo Risin': The Story Of L.A. Woman" is the inclusion of strip club footage during the discussion of the title song "L.A. Woman." If the song was about strippers then, okay, I guess it would make sense to show strippers swinging and dancing on a pole. The song however is NOT about strippers. The band members even discuss how the song is about the city of Los Angeles and how Morrison was using the word "woman" as a metaphor for the city itself. The city like a woman needs to be protected, embraced and nurtured. Using shots of naked women dancing seems to be the exact opposite of what Morrison was trying to convey and therefore seems ultra-gratuitous to me.
In the end "Mr. Mojo Risin': The Story Of L.A. Woman" is a cool documentary to watch but misses the mark at being something really special. Fans of The Doors will no doubt love it but music fans looking for something more definitive might not be satisfied.
Drumroll please... 7 out of 10 drumsticks!!!
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