I've always considered "An American Prayer" a unique way to get poetry out to the masses and possibly keep the genre alive,but at what cost? I mean we should consider the dead man's intention's shouldn't we? The word man?Jim Morrison. Wasn't his recording of poetry supposed to be a departure from his musical career? Didn't he have plans to have a composer come in to embellish the end product?,channeling his thoughts to his audience,an audience he was creating.If he delivered his end product,would that not have been his vision? I find the raw recordings are more thought evoking than the cheap SFX laden final product that is "An American Prayer",cobbled with music that barely fit's a soap opera let alone a mans body of work.

I always wondered about the intention of this project. First of all, there were VERY few people working at Elektra/Asylum who had any connection to Jim Morrison, and the Doors were not exactly a high-profile band at the time, competing for label attention with acts like Joni Mitchell, the Eagles, Jackson Browne, etc., as a result of the take-over by Geffen. Joe Smith was President at the time American Prayer was released. At the time, and please feel free to dispute this point, Elektra/Asylum was predominantly a label recognized for success with singer/songwriters in the 70s. So, being as Jim was a pretty good songwriter with an intelligent approach, this might have been the motive. To exploit that side of his talent. But, even though I was a publicity director, the first I heard about the release was via a copy of the book being left on my desk. And there was no push to promote it particularly. Obviously, it was not going to be a big hit a radio, and that was where success lay in those days.

An American Prayer may not have been exactly what Morrison had intended but it was better than nothing. & without music added, well very few people would have bought it with just the reading. Poetry albums don't do very well & just end up in libraries, I think the music at least gives, or gave it a little life in getting Jim's poetry out there.

I think American Prayer would have done a lot better if Jim had been alive to go out and support it with some personal appearances, reading the work.

Good Point Jym.

We know that Morrison signed a seperate contract with Elektra for a poetry album which did not include any Doors music. If it had not been for the surviving Doors putting music to Jim's poetry reading then it would not have sold very well back in 1978. I know the album received a lot of attention at time. My original "American Prayer" (radio station copy) album has a warning sticker on it: CAUTION This Album Contains Material That May Not Be Suitable For Broadcast.




The album went on to be nominated for a Grammy award and Jim Ladd played the entire album on the air during his one of his radio shows.

The Three Hours For Magic radio show (1981) included bits and pieces of Jim's poetry reading without Doors music so I knew that the original tapes existed but it would be many years later that a CD called "The Lost Paris Tapes" was released which has "some" of Jim's poetry reading on it.

Frank Lisciandro has been interviewed several times and asked his thoughts about "American Prayer" since he was involved in the making of the album his commentary may answer a few questions.

Frank Lisciandro Interview
(Jim Morrison: A Friend Remembers)
By Gary James
http://www.famousinterview.ca/interviews/f..._lisciandro.htm


JIM MORRISON, A PORTRAIT OF A POET AN INTERVIEW WITH FRANK
LISCIANDRO, MORRISON'S CLOSE FRIEND AND EDITOR OF HIS LOST POETRY.

di Giulio Bianchi

http://www.liverock.it/tuttarec-interv-ingl.php?chiave=10

Frank Lisciandro Interview - The Doors Italian Page
3 Parts
http://www.webalice.it/tonkat/franklisciandro.html

Frank Lisciandro Interview with Steve Wheeler
http://www.lisciandrophotos.com/groups/interview.html


THE LIZARD KING LIVES
The Doors Pay A Dramatic Tribute To Jim Morrison
By: David Fricke
Circus Weekly
January 23, 1979

The world – at least that part of it which remembers the Doors knows the late Jim Morrison primarily as a rock and roll singer. As the band's charismatic singing shaman, James Douglas Morrison
(who died on July 3, 1971 of a heart attack) was and remains a mysterious
neo-reptilian figure with a mesmeric charm of a coiled snake and a
lyrical X-ray vision which appeared to see into and beyond the
psycho-sexual impulses of his audience.

Those closet to Morrison, the surviving Doors themselves – Ray
Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore – knew him better.
They saw him for something deeper and less commercially tangible. Long
before he first sang the lyrics of Moonlight Drive to Manzarek in
September 1965, Jim Morrison was a poet and it was his dark sensual,
volatile way with words that set the Doors apart as startling, even
disturbing wheat amongst the psychedelic chaff of the Acid Age.

And it is as a linguistic magician that Jim Morrison is remembered
on An American Prayer (Elektra). The remarkable product of three and
a half years work by the Doors, producer John Haeny, and Morrison confidante Frank Lisciandro, An American Prayer is an aural documentary comprised of Morrison verse and stream-of-consciousness
stories framed by music written and performed by Manzarek
(keyboards), Krieger (guitar), and Densmore (drums) with the aid of
a few sessioneers. Though not officially credited to the Doors as a
group (the album title reads An American Prayer, Jim Morrison, Music
by the Doors), this album according to Doors spokesman Danny
Sugerman, is a Doors record in every sense of the word.

"I see this record as the nectar, the essence of the Doors,"
he says. Sugerman should know. As both fan and critic, he has stayed a
close companion of the group from the beginning and currently
manages the solo Manzarek. "They put the focus on Jim for this
record. You see, Jim would always assume the focus of a Doors record
or show rather than take it. But Ray, John and Robby really did this
out of a love for the man and the man's work. The guys who made
this record are the biggest Morrison fans in the world."

That attitude characterizes the conceptual and technical care with
which An American Prayer was scripted and recorded. An impressive
lesson in dramatic segues, the album is a collection of studio
poetry readings, poetry that comprises the unpublished book of poems
set to follow Morrison's first published works, The Lords and The
New Creatures. For example, the records stunning finale, An American
Prayer dates back to 1968 (when Jim printed it in a limited edition
of 500 for friends) but was recorded December 8, 1970, his 27th
birthday. Like the other works here, it abounds with vivid sexual
and violent imagery further colored by the juxtaposition of
pulsating rhythm tracks by the Doors, snippets of songs like Peace
Frog and Riders On The Storm, and an exhilarating live version of
Roadhouse Blues. The total collage is so astonishingly true to the
spirit of Morrison that the Doors are not doing interviews for this
record. They rightly believe it speaks for itself.

Sugerman explains that sessions were eerie enough. "When they
were doing the music, it wasn't much different from he way they worked
with Jim. I don't think anyone even thought of Jim as dead. It
was more of a feeling of someone not quiet at home, kinda gloomy but
kinda hopeful."

In compiling this material, the Doors listened to everything
Morrison recorded on his own – tape recorded tales of an auto
accident from his childhood, a blues tune, a phone call, poetry by
the reel load. Once everything had been transcribed, they started
scripting and in the first nine months, the 40 minute script
underwent nearly 50 dramatic changes. The result is, in
Sugerman's words, "really magical. They're even awed."

Jim Morrison was certainly an awesome figure. As a young rebellious
graduate of UCLA in cinematography, Morrison's eschewed his
family's history as military careerists (his father was a rear
admiral), applying for his poetic license by adopting the lifestyle
of a romantic wanderer until he accepted Manzarek's invitation to
join a group that, with the eventual addition of Krieger and
Densmore, became the Doors.

No matter that Columbia rejected the first Doors LP because it was
too poetic. On stage, Morrison was the Lizard King, enacting Oedipal
drama (The End), while enticing young nubiles to tear at his leather
drawers. The sensual excitement was as attractive to males for its
clenched fist intensity as it was to females for its moody machismo.

END.

From: U-Tube - The Lost Paris Tapes - Jim Morrison's Poetry Reading

Jim Morrison 27th birthday poetry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkdWv-2vEEI

Jim Morrison The Lost Paris Tapes Part 2 of 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWpu5Q6opgQ

Jim Morrison The Lost Paris Tapes Part 3 of 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIGsqIvUjRI

Jim Morrison: The Lost Paris Tapes Part 4 of 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osgqx4RPnms

I love that article,"A neo-reptilian figure" thats wonderful. Morrison's readings are thoughtful with or without music,he could read a telephone book and draw me in,he had a unique talent with words and dialouge and his delivery.In this case we take what we can get and it's better than the material being misplaced or buried forever. When An American Prayer first came out it was like gas on a fire for me,it ignited thoughts and pushed my reading and journaling skills to a new level and that has been a constant in my life ever since. Only recently did I consider Morrison's idea of having the composer Lalo Schifrin do a score for the poetry and this is why I presented this subject.Thanks for the help.TS

I've listened to a few poetry albums in my day Dylan Thomas reading his own work, somebody reading Leaves of Grass, Ginsburg, they seem a little dry, but I heard the Paris Tapes of Morrison reading his own works, he certainly developed a compelling style, it never left you feeling bored. I quess he learned a few tricks at holding people's attention.

I like writers who read their own stuff and can sort of look up from their navel and deliver. I was looking for Corso on YouTube and then found this Bukowski clip instead. He doesn't bore you either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCrn1LDDoRc...feature=related

Dylan has that Welsh accent to get accustomed to, which is a bit tricky. I have a recording of him reading A Child's Christmas In Wales, which is one of his prose pieces. His short stories are very good, and funny too.

Yeah Jym, for sure Morrson had learned the power of his voice and his charisma is mixed strangely with his spoken words,he honed this but I think it's an innate ability one is born with.TS

I just listened to Morrison's poetry recordings and have concluded "An American Prayer" is an abortion of an artists words.Listen to the original tape and hear Morrison say 'American night" then he strikes the piano and dives in to verses of poetry far greater than anything included in the final product of"An American Prayer" by Jim Morrison,music By the Doors. Major difference,can't compare his spoken word and piano with the polished over shined album that was released,sorry Frank,Robby,Ray and John but this was an injustice to an artist dead in his prime. Your efforts were sincere so thank you.

I thought it was a fair attempt to get something out to the public which wouldn't have otherwise probably seen the light of day (except collectors). Better to see a half painted Picasso than none at all...no???

I agree Jim. I also think the 'motive' behind "American Prayer" was a pure one... a 'tribute' to Jim... but instead of writing some cheesy song about him... they used his own voice and words... adding their music. Kind of a labor of love perhaps. John writes in his book:

"To me, the poetry album was one of the few valid post-Morrison projects. We were honoring your words rather than exploiting them".

For me it may just be a case of having the raw material to listen now,so it seems fresh and more potent.An American Prayer was a staple of my diet when it came out but I don't listen to it anymore.Regardless the poetry is powerful in any form it's listened to.CheersTS

one sentence
passion for the art
that was it

Whatever the immediate intentions were for releasing his poetry, i'm not sure of, but perhaps it was done to show the general public that Jim Morrison was not simply some wild and angry guy, but also a very intelligent and sensitive soul who was capable of being gentle.

I wasn't around in the 60's obviously, but i think its a plausible, if partial reason.

Yes Violentblossom,
I didn't know Jim Morrison was wild and angry,maybe drunk and crazy, but those are different things all together. Morrison historically is recorded in a very gentle,good and forward manner,even when he was tipsy he remained playful,until he didn't. His poetry speaks for itself,I bought his book in 1976,high school and the words cooked,they connected as well or better than the spoken word or the Doors augmented "An American Prayer". Jim Morrison got his DNA in the poetry,art world real good.TS

Yeah, i could be way off, i just assumed what i did because, at that point, after Miami and all that, Jim was not exactly the All-American hero and i'm sure many people had false pretenses about Jim.

I've been on the fence about An American Prayer for a couple years now, but in the end I think it was a nice tribute to Jim from the 3 other guys. No mal intent.

I agree with this. It is a nice tribute from the guys.
But I do not see it as a Doors album.
American prayer impresses me more without the music. Just Jim's voice reading his poetry.

I've always enjoyed it.

I like the timbre of his speaking voice, it's very relaxing. Sure, it's very vague but there are quite a few good one liners in there, he has a nice feel for the English language, which has always been primarily a spoken word, poetic language. The dude had a way with words.

Huh?

Except for the excessive talk about his cock... which I am sure he had some symbolic meaning for... I think that is some of his best stuff: period. Bar none.

I like it, but like the written poetry better.

(I actually like that stuff more then the music, hate to admit.)


On his voice and manner and such, people really missed out from the video I have seen. The guy just walked on water. All the video footage and audio - saw posts here about the audio - great stuff.

I hate to say it, though, but thinking on what he would be like today, with so much video... the guy would be too much. He changed the face of music as it was and led the way for the more down to earth counter-cultures. Which maybe he would have hated, but growing up in that stuff, I found it awesome.

It seemed like anytime the guy was caught on video or tape he just had some wowism to say. It goes over people's heads in such a way... they would just enjoy it and wonder at it.

I am just glad he went out like a star when he did. Who could stand those heartless idiots for any longer? They clapped when he wore leather, but they never understood what the hell he was talking about.