The Doors - An Interview with Greil Marcus

Let me just say this right up front – Greil Marcus is probably the reason I’m writing for this website.  Reading his book, Mystery Train, about 20 years ago I was not only thrilled by his unique approach to his subjects, but also inspired to think that maybe I could communicate the power music had over me as well.  I gradually made my way through his back catalog and eagerly awaited each new book from In the Fascist Bathroom from 1993 to The Bob Dylan Reader released last year.  Recently, Marcus has sharpened his focus, writing smaller books on the highlights of Van Morrison’s career, Dylan’s epic Like a Rolling Stone and now on the enduring legacy of the Doors.  In the book, he applies his signature approach of taking selected performances, either live or in the studio, as jumping off points to make connections with books, movies or other cultural artifacts.  The reader is left with a greater appreciation of the Doors music and why it lingers in the air, why it won’t go away. 

I talked to Greil Marcus recently about Doors, among others, and he was as illuminating and thought-provoking as ever.  Here is audio of the full interview as broadcast on the High and Low Podcast (the interview itself is around 15 minutes in, and lasts for 50 minutes):

The Doors is available in all good bookshops now. For more information regarding the High and Low Podcast, which Alan Shulman co-hosts, please visit this website.