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Roadhouse Blues
Shrouded in mystery and the swirling psychedelic sounds of the Sixties, the Doors have captivated listeners across seven decades. Jim Morrison—haunted, beautiful, and ultimately doomed—transformed from rock god to American icon. With each successive generation of fans, the Doors become more popular and transcendent. Yet the band’s full significance is buried beneath layers of mythology and folklore. “We’re gonna have a real good time!”
256 pages, Paperback
Published November 8, 2022
20 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Bob Batchelor
38 books71 followersBob Batchelor is a critically-acclaimed cultural historian and biographer. He is the author of Stan Lee: A Life (Rowman & Littlefield, October 2022), Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel, Young Adult Edition (Rowman & Littlefiled, October 2022), and Roadhouse Blues: Morrison, the Doors, and the Death Days of the Sixties (Hamilcar Publications, November 2022).
He has published books on Bob Dylan, The Great Gatsby, Mad Men, and John Updike. His latest, Rookwood: The Rediscovery and Revival of an American Icon, An Illustrated History won the 2021 Independent Publishers Book Award for Fine Art. The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition’s Evil Genius won the 2020 Independent Publishers Book Award for Historical Biography. Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel was a finalist for the 2018 Ohioana Book Award for Nonfiction.
Bob’s books have been translated into a dozen languages and his work has appeared in Time magazine, the New York Times, Cincinnati Enquirer, and Los Angeles Times. Bob is also the creator and host of the podcast John Updike: American Writer, American Life. He has appeared as an on-air commentator for The National Geographic Channel, PBS NewsHour, PBS, and NPR. Bob hosted “TriState True Crime” on WCPO’s Cincy Lifestyle television show.
Bob earned his doctorate in American Literature from the University of South Florida. He has taught at universities in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as Vienna, Austria. Bob lives in North Carolina with his wife Suzette and their teenage daughters.
For more information, visit www.bobbatchelor.com.
He has published books on Bob Dylan, The Great Gatsby, Mad Men, and John Updike. His latest, Rookwood: The Rediscovery and Revival of an American Icon, An Illustrated History won the 2021 Independent Publishers Book Award for Fine Art. The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition’s Evil Genius won the 2020 Independent Publishers Book Award for Historical Biography. Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel was a finalist for the 2018 Ohioana Book Award for Nonfiction.
Bob’s books have been translated into a dozen languages and his work has appeared in Time magazine, the New York Times, Cincinnati Enquirer, and Los Angeles Times. Bob is also the creator and host of the podcast John Updike: American Writer, American Life. He has appeared as an on-air commentator for The National Geographic Channel, PBS NewsHour, PBS, and NPR. Bob hosted “TriState True Crime” on WCPO’s Cincy Lifestyle television show.
Bob earned his doctorate in American Literature from the University of South Florida. He has taught at universities in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as Vienna, Austria. Bob lives in North Carolina with his wife Suzette and their teenage daughters.
For more information, visit www.bobbatchelor.com.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 6, 2023
Bob Batchelor has written the most important and page turning analysis of the Doors. I have read every book that covers the Doors and Jim Morrison, and Bob's is something incredible. I highly recommend to any Doors fan, but I recommend even more to anyone who criticizes Jim Morrison without attempting to understand the man. Thank you Bob for this fantastic work!
December 28, 2024
A well written insider's account of the iconic band. A must read for any fan of The Doors or classic rock. Highly recommended!
December 23, 2024
I've been a huge Doors fan and fascinated with Jim Morrison for a long time now, starting back when I was in high school. I've read a lot about both Morrison and the band over the years, and I'll always take an opportunity to read something new about them.
I think growing up and maturing as a fan of Morrison is going from idolizing him when you're a teenager as this antiauthoritarian shamanistic poetic rock god to realizing that Morrison was a fascinating, complicated, creatively brilliant and ultimately tragic figure who was mired in addiction and had no one to help him.
What I appreciate about this book is Bob Batchelor doesn't try to write a hagiography of Jim Morrison - there's been plenty of those over the years. Instead, Batchelor uses this book to give a sort of broad overview of the arc of the band and tell plenty of interesting stories about Morrison, but to also contextualize The Doors within the late-1960s.
That's a really interesting approach, and it's one I hadn't ever really considered. History is written by the victors, and as a result, we often think of the late-60s as if the whole country was Woodstock - love and peace and mind-expanding drugs, hippie culture dominating. But while that was very much a thing, it was a thing in very limited parts of the country, and it ran contrary to the dominating cultural force at the time of being "proper" and limiting the rights and voices of women and non-white men. Add on multiple high-profile assassinations (including a president) and the Vietnam War and you've got a pretty fraught time in the United States.
To put The Doors and frankly the entire psychedelic rock movement of the late 60s into this context makes for a really interesting piece. You can kind of see the arc of The Doors mirror the arc of the late 60s as it transitioned into the 70s.
On top of that, Batchelor does a good job talking about Jim Morrison from the perspective of someone in the 2020s and trying to contextualize it within the time of the 60s. For example, we may sit here today and say, "wow, Jim's closest friends witnessed his alcoholism firsthand and they never did anything to stop it, what horrible people," but Batchelor does a good job noting that that wasn't really a thing back then. It's important not to exclusively view history through the lenses of today and to instead contextualize things.
A fun book about The Doors and Jim Morrison, Batchelor does a pretty solid job here. It's a fun read if you're a superfan like I am.
4/5
I think growing up and maturing as a fan of Morrison is going from idolizing him when you're a teenager as this antiauthoritarian shamanistic poetic rock god to realizing that Morrison was a fascinating, complicated, creatively brilliant and ultimately tragic figure who was mired in addiction and had no one to help him.
What I appreciate about this book is Bob Batchelor doesn't try to write a hagiography of Jim Morrison - there's been plenty of those over the years. Instead, Batchelor uses this book to give a sort of broad overview of the arc of the band and tell plenty of interesting stories about Morrison, but to also contextualize The Doors within the late-1960s.
That's a really interesting approach, and it's one I hadn't ever really considered. History is written by the victors, and as a result, we often think of the late-60s as if the whole country was Woodstock - love and peace and mind-expanding drugs, hippie culture dominating. But while that was very much a thing, it was a thing in very limited parts of the country, and it ran contrary to the dominating cultural force at the time of being "proper" and limiting the rights and voices of women and non-white men. Add on multiple high-profile assassinations (including a president) and the Vietnam War and you've got a pretty fraught time in the United States.
To put The Doors and frankly the entire psychedelic rock movement of the late 60s into this context makes for a really interesting piece. You can kind of see the arc of The Doors mirror the arc of the late 60s as it transitioned into the 70s.
On top of that, Batchelor does a good job talking about Jim Morrison from the perspective of someone in the 2020s and trying to contextualize it within the time of the 60s. For example, we may sit here today and say, "wow, Jim's closest friends witnessed his alcoholism firsthand and they never did anything to stop it, what horrible people," but Batchelor does a good job noting that that wasn't really a thing back then. It's important not to exclusively view history through the lenses of today and to instead contextualize things.
A fun book about The Doors and Jim Morrison, Batchelor does a pretty solid job here. It's a fun read if you're a superfan like I am.
4/5
November 22, 2022
Great new Doors book, best look at Morrison yet! Gives really interesting insight that I've never gained from any other Doors book I've read. I can definitely see this as a film or series since it shows Morrison as a person instead of the caricature that has been built up repeatedly through the years. True to life yet reads like a novel. Bonus that the photos and cool graphics match the quality of the storytelling. Highly recommend for both rock fans, and those interested in exploring the 60s and 70s.
April 30, 2023
This is a different type of American band history. The subject is the organization, progression, and end of the Doors. I didn't know what to expect at the beginning, but before long, I was enthralled. I was never interested in the Doors when I was a teen (although they were contemporaries), but this isn't just about them. It explains the 1960s - one of the most turbulent in our history. The author sets the scene with the changes of the 1960s, with the end of Eisenhower and the beginning of Kennedy. Bob Denver became the songwriter (and later singer) of the period.
Raymond Manzarek was an American keyboardist with extensive experience in bands who had just finished his master's degree at UCLA. He was walking along a Venice beach when he saw a friend (of two years), James Morrison, who was drifting (because he'd finished his bachelor's at UCLA) and didn't know what to do with himself. Jim was a poet and songwriter. Ray asked him to sing some of his songs. He recognized Jim's specialness, a poet who could write songs. It was July 1965, and they decided to form a band "and make a million dollars."
One critical thing to their success was that two were college-educated and decided to have a four-way decision process. They would give all four credit for the songs they wrote. They immediately got a recording contract with Columbia Records (Bob Dylan's label). However, it didn't work out. The Doors honed their skills at small LA bars (London Fog and Whiskey a Go Go) in 1966. Elektra Records gave them a record contract in late 1966.
LSD (acid) was still legal, and Jim often missed practices or gigs because of his alcohol and acid use. Before long, Jim started concentrating on booze (according to the author, extensive use of LSD would fry the brain). The author brings fascinating insight into Ray and Jim's relationship. Jim was alone (he isolated himself from his autocratic father), and Ray became his elder relative who would emotionally support Jim in expanding his range (poetry, music, and voice).
It is essential to listen to the skills the band members brought to the Doors (the summary is at the beginning). There's a good reason that all four band members were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. John Densmore used samba and bosa nova sounds in his drumbeats.
Ray Manzarek was an organ virtuoso. Robert Krieger (the youngest member) and guitarist helped write songs. They each brought essential skills that helped create the Door's unique sound.
The last few chapters discuss Jim's death in Paris and its effect on the band. Then, the author ties the era together with the number of drug deaths (Jimmi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, etc.). He states there was no such thing as interventions or even assistance for drug and alcohol abuse at the time. However, soon after that rash of deaths, things changed.
Jim published two books of his poetry before his death, and others were published after his death. He always had a notebook with him, and when Jim was too drunk to contribute, the band members culled through his notebooks for inspiration while writing songs. I didn't agree with all the views the author offered to explain the late 1960s, but it opened my eyes to how others might see this difficult time.
The author avers that the Doors are as popular as in the 1960s. They have sold over 100 million records and still counting.
Raymond Manzarek was an American keyboardist with extensive experience in bands who had just finished his master's degree at UCLA. He was walking along a Venice beach when he saw a friend (of two years), James Morrison, who was drifting (because he'd finished his bachelor's at UCLA) and didn't know what to do with himself. Jim was a poet and songwriter. Ray asked him to sing some of his songs. He recognized Jim's specialness, a poet who could write songs. It was July 1965, and they decided to form a band "and make a million dollars."
One critical thing to their success was that two were college-educated and decided to have a four-way decision process. They would give all four credit for the songs they wrote. They immediately got a recording contract with Columbia Records (Bob Dylan's label). However, it didn't work out. The Doors honed their skills at small LA bars (London Fog and Whiskey a Go Go) in 1966. Elektra Records gave them a record contract in late 1966.
LSD (acid) was still legal, and Jim often missed practices or gigs because of his alcohol and acid use. Before long, Jim started concentrating on booze (according to the author, extensive use of LSD would fry the brain). The author brings fascinating insight into Ray and Jim's relationship. Jim was alone (he isolated himself from his autocratic father), and Ray became his elder relative who would emotionally support Jim in expanding his range (poetry, music, and voice).
It is essential to listen to the skills the band members brought to the Doors (the summary is at the beginning). There's a good reason that all four band members were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. John Densmore used samba and bosa nova sounds in his drumbeats.
Ray Manzarek was an organ virtuoso. Robert Krieger (the youngest member) and guitarist helped write songs. They each brought essential skills that helped create the Door's unique sound.
The last few chapters discuss Jim's death in Paris and its effect on the band. Then, the author ties the era together with the number of drug deaths (Jimmi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, etc.). He states there was no such thing as interventions or even assistance for drug and alcohol abuse at the time. However, soon after that rash of deaths, things changed.
Jim published two books of his poetry before his death, and others were published after his death. He always had a notebook with him, and when Jim was too drunk to contribute, the band members culled through his notebooks for inspiration while writing songs. I didn't agree with all the views the author offered to explain the late 1960s, but it opened my eyes to how others might see this difficult time.
The author avers that the Doors are as popular as in the 1960s. They have sold over 100 million records and still counting.
May 2, 2023
I have to admit that what first attracted me to Bob Batchelor’s Roadhouse Blues: Morrison, The Doors, and the Death Days of the Sixties was that it expanded on ideas I’ve had on The Doors, but what I found was much more than that.
Roadhouse Blues uses historical sources (and some rare ones to boot) to provide a context of the times, from the general socio-political environment of the times that influenced the world of The Doors, to what was being reported in the media of the times and where the divide was in America and why it was. While other books on The Doors (and other bands) have done this, Roadhouse succeeds because Batchelor crosses over the lines of verisimilitude into feeling and understanding of who The Doors were and are as people.
Roadhouse Blues reminds us that nothing happens in a vacuum and provides a context of the times, what the culture of the 60’s was and what influenced the individual members of the band, to give us, The Doors.
Roadhouse Blues uses historical sources (and some rare ones to boot) to provide a context of the times, from the general socio-political environment of the times that influenced the world of The Doors, to what was being reported in the media of the times and where the divide was in America and why it was. While other books on The Doors (and other bands) have done this, Roadhouse succeeds because Batchelor crosses over the lines of verisimilitude into feeling and understanding of who The Doors were and are as people.
Roadhouse Blues reminds us that nothing happens in a vacuum and provides a context of the times, what the culture of the 60’s was and what influenced the individual members of the band, to give us, The Doors.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews