The late 1960s saw a surge in artistic and musical expression in America. Political upheaval and the introduction of mind-altering drugs ushered in a period of counterculture revolution and incredible psychedelic rock. Few of the new roster of rebellious young groups received the same level of respect as The Doors. The masses loved the Jim Morrison-fronted band. But Grateful Dead songwriter Jerry Garcia never understood the appeal.
Garcia has his claim to the psychedelic throne as the primary songwriter for the Grateful Dead’s acid-fueled rock and roll. A somewhat divisive act among rock fans, the Dead quickly endeared themselves to a dedicated following. While those without a penchant for LSD were left largely confused by the strange melodies of the Grateful Dead. In contrast, The Doors had a much more universal appeal, incorporating more obvious blues influences into their psych style.
Morrison and company pioneered a distinct psychedelic sound during their admittedly brief tenure, drawing on influences ranging from jazz to acid rock. The Doors are without a doubt one of the most iconic and influential bands to emerge from the late 1960s hippie movement. Morrison rose above the psychedelic scene to become a de facto rock and roll star. He expresses everything that a good rock icon should.
Even today, more than 50 years after his untimely death, Morrison maintains a reputation that few rock stars can match. However, Jerry Garcia remained unconvinced. In an interview from 1974, the Grateful Dead songwriter spoke out against The Doors’ frontman, saying, “I never liked The Doors. I found them very offensive. When we played with them, it was back when Jim Morrison was just a pure Mick Jagger copy”.
Of course, Garcia’s point of view is fairly contentious. Especially since Jagger spent much of his early career making bad impressions of Black blues singers. Still, he continued, “That was his whole thing, that he was imitating Mick Jagger – not vocally, but in his moves.” He stole his entire physical appearance from Mick Jagger’s 1965 tour of the States.
The songwriter’s dislike for Morrison was not just because of his Jagger-esque persona; he also took offense at the popularity of The Doors.” I thought the reputation he gained as a poet was completely undeserved. And he added, “There was nothing there that I wanted to know about. He was such an obvious imitation of Mick Jagger that it was offensive.”
As mutual members of the American psych scene, the two bands did cross paths on more than one occasion. Often playing gigs on the same bill, Garcia recalls that The Dead somewhat overshadowed the Doors. He said, “When they were the headliners, it was sort of embarrassing for us to open for them because we sort of blew them off the stand with just sheer power.” Admittedly, though, we only have Garcia’s word to take for that bold claim.
