The Doors Unhinged: Jim Morrison's Legacy Goes on TrialBy John, Densmore, London: Constable, 2023. 368pp. ISBN: 978‐1408719909

The Doors Unhinged: Jim Morrison's Legacy Goes on Trial is a striking read that values the authenticity of creation and idealism that denies sell out above everything else. It presents readers with the real-life storyline that features the fall out between Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore of the Doors regarding issues of artistic integrity. By highlighting several legal cases involving bandmates Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger, Densmore presents to the readers the disbanding of the Doors that champions wealth accumulation over the authenticity of creation. This central argument taken by Densmore mirrors society's attachment to wealth accumulation. In the middle of these legal battles was the issue of bragging rights to own the brand name and legacy of the Doors. An attempt to organize a musical tour by Manzarek and Krieger was made along with some new age musicians to reproduce a few cult hit tracks under the name of the band. Densmore reacted by saying that, without Morrison, “It shouldn't be called The Doors” (46). Just after this tour was announced, luxury American automaker Cadillac offered 15 million to license the song “Break on Through” for a commercial. Referring to it as “deal with the devil,” Densmore objected, realizing that the above would not justify the vision of Jim Morrison, who was against commercialization of music, to be featured in advertisements. The author believed that this particular idea of Morrison's served as a moral compass for the musical group. He realized that reproducing this classic Doors song for ad jingles and product marketing would strip the lyrics from being explosive expressions of countercultural protest and beauty. However, this decision to resist both Manzarek and Krieger came at a very high personal and commercial cost. Both of his former bandmates retaliated with a countersuit against Densmore when he used his veto power to prevent the commercialization of Doors' music. This led to a legal battle that exposed the fragility of friendships and the brutal commodification of art in the music industry. Though courtroom portrayals might bore some readers, these descriptions testify to Densmore's involvement with corporate jurisprudence. He treats the legal issues with restraint and avoids rhetorical jargon. Breaking the traditional format of biography, the author opts for lyrical prose and creates several paragraphs that would engage readers to oscillate between emotions like anger, resentment, and occasional conciliation. Jim Morrison himself was against a $75,000 deal offered by Buick, an American automobile company interested in licensing the track “Light my Fire” for a car promotion back in 1968. He writes that “Morrison threatened to smash an Opel car on television with a sledgehammer if the commercial wasn't pulled. Buick wanted to use the line 'Come on Buick light my fire.' Due to Morrison's opposition Buick was forced to close the deal” (209). Densmore's ability to mix both personal and philosophical ideas makes the book quite different from other biographies in the market. He mentions several iconic artists, philosophers, and writers who put artistic integrity above wealth creation. References from the lives of Bob Dylan, Arthur Rimbaud (French symbolist), and Jim Morrison contextualize this conflict between idealism and compromise. The constant stress on ethics does not make the book boring or repetitive; rather, it reminds the readers of the importance of morality in a world dominated by deception and materialistic possession. Densmore finally won the lawsuit. The book also documents the aftermath of the trial. The stress of the long legal trial destroyed the alliances with his former bandmates and left psychological and emotional scars on the author in the form of costing him his third marriage. Densmore had to cope with the stress of potential financial loss and threats from Doors fanatics. In his own words, “It wasn't fun. A $40 million countersuit was filed against me” (310). In short, the narrative of the book is an essential historical document that validates the preservation of the principle, idealism, and sacred legacy of Jim Morrison, which is not for sale.