Light My Fire

In high school I was a huge fan of The Doors and Jim Morrison's poetry, but I never really knew much about them. I knew that Morrison died young under mysterious circumstances and I liked the psychedelic beat they had, but I had never even seen the Oliver Stone movie version. Reading this book was enlightening. It's a memoir from the drummer of The Doors, Ray. He recounts his childhood, the forming of the band, and it's fast road to success. It's mainly about his relationship with Jim, the iconic front leader and superstar. It's well written, flows nicely, and tells of the group dynamics (or lack thereof sometimes) and only occasionally goes into bitter rants about Oliver Stone (he portrays Morrison as a raging selfish drink in his movie and Ray takes offense). Included are some pictures, some funny stories, behind the scenes on some of their most popular songs, and some truly deep insight. All around good music biography. It's honest, heartfelt, and got some serious groove.

So Many Roads

When it comes to the Grateful Dead, I am a novice and a half. I know maybe four songs, their artwork, Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia, and stories of their rampant drug abuse. That was about the sum total of Dead knowledge I had before listening to this audiobook. I am happy to say that this book was a crash course in understanding the Dead lore, history, music, and legend. I will never be the world's biggest fan, but I most definitely appreciate the Grateful Dead more than ever before. This book pieces together the band's 50 year history and sheds light on all the members, the music, and the drama. Confusing at times (it's not always told in the most linear fashion), but worthwhile, this book is a must read for any Deadhead and a great introduction for newbies like me. It was comprehensive, but not overwhelming, and has definitely converted me to the dark side :)

I received this book for free from Library Thing in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.