THE DOORS' "GO INSANE" / "A LITTLE GAME": AN ARTISTIC JOURNEY

 

In August 1965, Ray Manzarek’s band, Rick And The Ravens, added a new 21-year-old singer: Jim Morrison.

A few weeks later, on September 2, '65, they had a good opportunity to make themselves known by recording five songs in the form of demos to submit to various record companies.

The line-up of this group consisted of Jim Morrison (vocals); Ray Manzarek (piano and vocals); John Densmore (drums); Rick Manzarek (Ray's brother, electric guitar); Jim Manzarek (Ray's other brother, harmonica); and possibly Patty Sullivan (electric bass).

It would be about a month later that Robby Krieger would join the band (finally called The Doors), while Ray Manzarek's two brothers and Sullivan would leave.

Among the demos recorded on September 2, '65, we find "Go Insane" (link to the demo here), in which Jim Manzarek's harmonica doesn't appear.

This juvenile composition by Morrison reveals from its title the original and innovative nature of the singer's poetic and musical thinking.

The lyrics urge the listener to isolate himself from external reality and society, to take refuge in an imaginary world. In this way we will be called “Insane”, but in return our authenticity and spontaneity will be preserved.

This theme, hardly fit for an unknown band in mid-1965 U.S., will be reworked in different ways in some Morrison songs as well.

“Go Insane”, a Rhythm and Blues, is characterized by the simple combination of verse and chorus, which, by the way, are almost the same. Every verse-chorus is separated from the next one by short, wild instrumental parts.

Moreover, the verse and chorus are supported by a single high note played simultaneously by electric guitar and piano and repeated obsessively. Drums and electric bass are added as a background.

It is a rather effective arrangement that would remain in The Doors' repertoire for years to come. In fact, it will echo, with appropriate modifications, in the verses of "Back Door Man" and "Five To One”.

During the instrumental breaks, the sound expands into a swirling, piano-driven Rock'n'Roll rhythm. It closely resembles that of Little Richard's "Lucille" (a great Rock'n'Roll classic released in 1957 and recorded the year before).

In these breaks, intended to represent the supposed madness of those who withdraw themselves from society and the masses, the downward trajectory traced by the piano notes emerges.

It ironically and moodily corrects Little Richard's pressing and tight piano line, winking at the meaning of the lyrics with flair and imagination.

Perhaps the most interesting element of this track is Morrison's voice, as high as it will ever be heard again and irreverent in its youthful exuberance.

It is a vocal performance that is still immature, but in the finale gives an early taste of the transgressive and subversive screams that will be one of the main characteristics of his singing.

After being put aside for two and a half years, "Go Insane" was resurrected in 1968 with a new title that was both creative and evocative: "A Little Game".

The context is that of a long composition conceived by Morrison, shot through with poetry and music, called "The Celebration Of The Lizard". It should have occupied the entire B side of the album "Waiting For The Sun".

This project was not completed, but a substantial part of “The Celebration Of The Lizard” would be played live by The Doors on several occasions both in 1968 and later.

The most famous concert in which it appeared was held at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in early July '68 (link here to the moment when The Doors start "A Little Game" at the Hollywood Bowl).

There are four main modifications that distinguish this version from the demo.

The first is Morrison's voice, which is much more mature and expressive in this live version.

The second is the shortened length compared to the demo: only the first three verse-chorus sequences (of the original's four) are extracted. They are also not divided by the instrumental breaks mentioned above.

The third change is in the arrangement. At the Hollywood Bowl, Morrison's words are set against an experimental soundscape that includes elements of avant-garde music.

The dissonant notes of the electric guitar and the regular beat of the electric organ intertwine, defying each other in a haughty way, while the abstract rhythm provided by Densmore on drums is reminiscent of the noise of a clock mechanism heard in a dream.

The fourth innovation is the inclusion of "Go Insane", a track originally conceived as a stand-alone, in a larger and more complex composition (with another title).

This is the reverse of the path taken by "Not To Touch The Earth", which was created as a section of "The Celebration Of The Lizard" and later extrapolated as a single track within the LP "Waiting For The Sun".

"A Little Game" would also appear, again as part of the poetic-musical work "The Celebration Of The Lizard," on The Doors' only live record released with Morrison alive: "Absolutely Live" (compiled from performances held at various dates between '69 and '70).

The version we are talking about comes from the concert the band played in New York in January 1970 (at the Felt Forum), the first city on the promotional tour for the LP "Morrison Hotel".

"Go Insane", later known as "A Little Game", reflects Morrison's evolution as a musician, developing his qualities along with the other members of The Doors.

From the LSD-soaked insights of 1965 (in this case, "Go Insane") all the way to the achievements of artistic maturity (as "A Little Game" inserted in live performances), where the group expresses an unprecedented fusion of song form, poetry and theatrical performance.

P.S.: My book "The Doors Through Strange Days"- The most comprehensive journey ever made through The Doors' second LP, is out and available on Amazon.com!

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