No One Here Gets Out Alive

Rating:
Summary: Superb Biography!
Review: Other reviewers have written that Jerry Hopkin's biography of Jim Morrison is a good "rock biography", but I believe this book is much more than just a rock bio(when I think of a rock bio, I think of same lame book about a boy band). "No one Here gets out alive" is a story about the greatest poet, and songwriter of the twentieth cetury. It is a story so immensely interesting that no other book that I have read even "rivals" it's quality.

Now many may wonder why a book about "some rock n' roll" guy should be of interest. Well, it should be of interest, because Jim Morrison lived through an era of immense upheaval(mid to late 1960's), and was a true artistical genius. The six studio albums released by "The Doors", is truly not indicative of the genius of Jim Morrison. The only way a person could get a sense of how intellectually and artistically advanced to the rest of us Jim Morrison truly was, they must read "this" book.

By reading this book, you will understand why a relatively educated person such as myself, would claim that Jim Morrison was the preeminent artistical genius of the twentieth cetury(over people such as Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol). The potential reader will come accross Jim Morrison's encounter at the age of four or five, with an automobile accident, where one of the occupants soul's apparently entered his body. Many question the validity of this story, but I feel that it could be true. Why else would he have been such a bizarre person, who comes around maybe once every millenium? He was raised in the same atmosphere as Arizona senator John McCain(McCain and Morrison's fathers were both Admirals in the Navy), and John McCain seems absolutely nothing like Jim Morrison. In addition, the reader will discover the truly strange lifestyle Jim Morrison led in High School. While other students were partying amd going to dances, he was reading the works of Arthur Rimbaud, Jack Kerouac, Friedrich Nietzsche, and James Joyce. Simultaneously, he had very few "real" friends in High School, the people who he did hang out with, said that sometimes, while they were driving around Arlington, Virginia, he would ask to be let out of the car, and would just dissappear thereafter. Now these are just a few of the interesting stories presented in "No One Here Gets Out Alive", there is such a multitude of interesting points in the Lizard King's life(such as Jim's meeting with Ray Manzarek on Venice beach), that I'm absolutely certain Hopkins overlooked many of them in his book. If you must read one book this fall, I would recommend that you read this one, because it is extraordinary, to say the least.

Rating:
Summary: excellent- insightful and interesting
Review: Many who reviewed this book seemed to think that the book was lacking something- I didn't think so at all. While some insist that Sugerman is simply using Morrison's legend to get rich, I think he had been fascinated with Morrison since his youth, and wanted the world to know his story. Besides, they may be unaware that Sugerman IS the Doors' official spokesperson! I actually found this book FULL of insight, I also found it very inspiring. The forward explains the whole philosophy that Jim and the Doors stood behind- how could they not see it? The book is amazing, and Sugerman deserves more credit. He was close to Jim, and deserves to be acknowledged as a skilled writer, not a guy using someone's story to get millions! He simply wished to share Jim's story with others- which he did exceedingly well, with much precision and insight. The book is excellent, and very detailed. Much effort went into the writing of this book, as well as seven years. It was amazing, and left me wanting to learn more about Morrison- very well written.

Rating:
Summary: 10 Stars
Review: This is the ideal rock book. Pure genius. Every troubled youth must read it. He IS the lizard king!

Rating:
Summary: Full of content - lacking vision
Review: While long on details, stories, incidents and daily dramas, there seems to be no overall theme to this otherwise excellent book.

This was a page-turner, and while fascinated with the events around Morrision, I did not get an overall sense of his place in the world he occupied, not even a clue from those closest to him.

Perhaps those he was closest to found him so frustrating as a person although brilliant as a poet, they therefore aren't in a position to gauge his impact on the artistic world. Ultimately, that's what some of those of us - who only grew up with his legend - want to read about in addition to the day to day foibles, heartbreaks and occasional laughs.

Rating:
Summary: Mythologizing Backfires
Review: I liked the Doors a little less after reading this book.

This book inadvertantly reveals how merely lucky Jim Morisson was. He was certainly a charismatic singer and performer, blessed with good looks. But a great poet? At UCLA, he discovered Kurt Weill and other college-boys' idols, was smart enough to put it all together into rock n roll songs.

After reading this biography, and paying more attention to Morisson's lyrics, it seems that the Doors' success may be due just as much to Ray Manzarek's original organ sounds as to Morisson's poetry. A decent lyricist who had Ray to work out the music, Morisson perhaps relied more on his considerable bad-boy sex appeal than on any poetic genius. At times, author gives Morrison so much praise, it is embarrassing.

There is plenty of detail about Morisson's boyhood, and by ignoring the author's superlatives (which is fairly easy), reader learns about the life of a selfish man who happened to be a dynamic performer.

Probably a "must" for Doors fans, or anyone very interested in the LA music scene of the sixties.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Book About A legend Named Jim Morrison
Review: I recommed this book to anybody who would like to know what went thru the mind of Jim Morrison.I had read this book three times and every time i read this i understand it more and more.Jim died to young,but he wasn't afraid to die.He believed that when he was a little boy when he saw a indian dying that the indians soul has gone inside of him.He strongly believed this, he also had dreams or visions of the Indian while he was drunk of whiskey or if he was on Acid(LSD).This man was a really smart person.He was an straight A student and was really energetic.He read books from the 19th century sometimes the teachers would go to librarys to find out the titles of the books just to see if he was telling the truth.He was also a poet.His music lyrics weren't really ment to be his lyrics to his music they were actually his thoughts and made them into poems.Those thoughts of his is what made him really famous. It was that he had long hair and knew how to sing.It was all about how he gave people the chance to feel what he feels thru his lyrics.I could go on forever about Jim, but i'd rather you read this book I geranty you would love it.

Rating:
Summary: the lizard king!
Review: although this is the only autobiography of jim morrison that ive read,i think it does a good job of detailing his life from a young boy to a musician and finally to a burnt out musician.it tells his life how he lived it.not glamarous but tragic.it should of been called "the rise and fall of jim morrison".even though he would be drunk or high most of the time,he convinced you that he was a genius and that he was right about everything no matter what people said.it also tells you of all his girlfriends he had and how he treated them.on one occasion,it tells you how in the studio his girlfriend performed fellatio on him while he was recording a track.jim morrison lived a fast life and many people criticized him all the time for what he did on his shows and how he acted.no matter what people say about him he still rocks!

Rating:
Summary: Any book on Jim Morrison is instantly interesting..
Review: except if it is by John Densmore.

I found this book to, as almost any Jim Morrison biography is, to be interesting and well written, passionate and vivid. Perhaps I did not enjoy it quite as much as Break on Through; the life and death of Jim Morrison, however the two were so simliar at times, it felt like entire pages were extracted out of this book to fit the latter. Somehow in the transition though, Break on Through became the more entertaining.

I found this book, however interesting, to be remotely biased. I also agree that Jim Morrison would be less than impressed that a mailboy, a man whom he once gave Rolling Stones tickets, would become rich as a result of his life. Although, I doubt Jim would be impressed that any book about him mentioned his career as a singer. It seemed to be poet or nothing.

Ultimately a very interesting acount of a poetic genius, who has long lived his 27 years. The literary quotations are impressive and researched, but the book strikes me as somewhat shallow at times.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Interesting!
Review: After reading this book, I felt i knew every drug invented:) ..including his music. I was so addicted to this book i read it twice. It's excellent!

Rating:
Summary: Okay...If You Like Fiction
Review: First Of All, This Book Was Good. It Provided InSight InTo The Life Of Jim Morrison...But It Didn't Have Depth. These Guys Knew Jim...You'd Think The Book Would Be More Personal! I Suggest Reading Patricia's Book...It'll Probably Be Better....Oh! And "The Doors" Was Not A BioPic! It Was A Sick, Twisted View Of Jim's Life.