Late Monday afternoon, the world community of music lost one of its finest members, when the great Ray Manzarek passed away at the age of 74 after his long battle with cancer. While the news itself is something beyond a term like “sorrowful,” the reality remains that Manzarek lives on in the music history books as one of the most accomplished and yet perhaps underappreciated musical minds of the past century.
Many of the progressions and hooks that he created as the co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors remain today absolutely legendary musical moments; the type that aspiring musicians seek to master to prove their worth and talent. Whether it was the jazzy-funk of “When The Music’s Over,” the almost saloon-style sound he brought to “Love Her Madly,” or the iconic, bright riff and bounce of “Light My Fire,” it was the emotion that came through in every note he played that enabled the music of The Doors to rise so far beyond that of any of their peers. Try as critics might over the decades to find a proper way to categorize the music of The Doors, but it remains an impossible task, as the way Manzarek led the band in their fusion of blues, jazz, rock, and so many other styles forces one to define their music simply by the name of the band.
However, what many people fail to realize is the fact that after the formal lineup of The Doors ended in 1971, Manzarek remained one of the most vital, versatile, and outright visionary performers one can find in history, as his talents touched nearly every genre of music conceivable. It was during the four decades since that band dissolved that the extraordinary and seemingly endless amount of talent and creativity that lived within Manzarek was able to manifest itself unhindered, and those who followed him closely were rewarded with some of the most superb music ever created.
Following his time with The Doors, as a musician, he worked alongside the great Philip Glass on a rock adaptation of the opera Carmina Burana, and also played on a number of film scores and spoken word pieces over the decades. In recent years, he found his way to working with everyone from electronic artists to Weird Al Yankovic, as well as lending his talents to the brilliant 2010 roots record Translucent Blues.
Yet it may be his work within the world of punk rock that remains tragically overlooked, as he was both an influence and co-conspirator on a number of massively important albums within that genre. It was in fact Manzarek who handled production duties for bands like X and Echo & The Bunnymen, as well as playing a number of dates on the solo tours of Iggy Pop in the 1970’s. The fact that Manzarek was able to work in quite literally every genre one can think of showed not only his adaptability as a musician, but just how much the man loved to play and create music.
Looking back at the various projects he was a part of throughout his career, the fact that The Doors had a sound that remains impossible to replicate becomes easier to understand, as with a man the caliber of Manzarek involved, no musical rules applied. Whether it was with The Doors or any of the later projects of which he was a part, it was clearly about the feeling of the music, the tone and the mood needed to properly convey the notes. This commitment to allowing a song to become fully realized, regardless of what musical rules it may have broken, was a promise Manzarek clearly took very seriously, and it is the reason why his projects remain so musically rewarding and truly timeless, even as some of them push toward their fifth decade of existence.
Ray Manzarek defined the idea of being a silent torch-bearer, standing just to the side of the spotlight, allowing his sounds and skills to inspire those around him to seek higher musical grounds. In short, Ray Manzarek was an artist in the truest sense possible. He allowed his passions and emotions to flow through him unhindered, and due to this, as well as his unparalleled musicianship, he will remain a massive source of influence for music lovers and musicians of every level from every genre as long as there are still people listening to music.
Many of the progressions and hooks that he created as the co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors remain today absolutely legendary musical moments; the type that aspiring musicians seek to master to prove their worth and talent. Whether it was the jazzy-funk of “When The Music’s Over,” the almost saloon-style sound he brought to “Love Her Madly,” or the iconic, bright riff and bounce of “Light My Fire,” it was the emotion that came through in every note he played that enabled the music of The Doors to rise so far beyond that of any of their peers. Try as critics might over the decades to find a proper way to categorize the music of The Doors, but it remains an impossible task, as the way Manzarek led the band in their fusion of blues, jazz, rock, and so many other styles forces one to define their music simply by the name of the band.
However, what many people fail to realize is the fact that after the formal lineup of The Doors ended in 1971, Manzarek remained one of the most vital, versatile, and outright visionary performers one can find in history, as his talents touched nearly every genre of music conceivable. It was during the four decades since that band dissolved that the extraordinary and seemingly endless amount of talent and creativity that lived within Manzarek was able to manifest itself unhindered, and those who followed him closely were rewarded with some of the most superb music ever created.
Following his time with The Doors, as a musician, he worked alongside the great Philip Glass on a rock adaptation of the opera Carmina Burana, and also played on a number of film scores and spoken word pieces over the decades. In recent years, he found his way to working with everyone from electronic artists to Weird Al Yankovic, as well as lending his talents to the brilliant 2010 roots record Translucent Blues.
Yet it may be his work within the world of punk rock that remains tragically overlooked, as he was both an influence and co-conspirator on a number of massively important albums within that genre. It was in fact Manzarek who handled production duties for bands like X and Echo & The Bunnymen, as well as playing a number of dates on the solo tours of Iggy Pop in the 1970’s. The fact that Manzarek was able to work in quite literally every genre one can think of showed not only his adaptability as a musician, but just how much the man loved to play and create music.
Looking back at the various projects he was a part of throughout his career, the fact that The Doors had a sound that remains impossible to replicate becomes easier to understand, as with a man the caliber of Manzarek involved, no musical rules applied. Whether it was with The Doors or any of the later projects of which he was a part, it was clearly about the feeling of the music, the tone and the mood needed to properly convey the notes. This commitment to allowing a song to become fully realized, regardless of what musical rules it may have broken, was a promise Manzarek clearly took very seriously, and it is the reason why his projects remain so musically rewarding and truly timeless, even as some of them push toward their fifth decade of existence.
Ray Manzarek defined the idea of being a silent torch-bearer, standing just to the side of the spotlight, allowing his sounds and skills to inspire those around him to seek higher musical grounds. In short, Ray Manzarek was an artist in the truest sense possible. He allowed his passions and emotions to flow through him unhindered, and due to this, as well as his unparalleled musicianship, he will remain a massive source of influence for music lovers and musicians of every level from every genre as long as there are still people listening to music.