Guitar heroes continued – Robbie Krieger

No particular order here so I’m just working through my own guitar heroes and influences as they occur – don’t worry I’m sure yours will be along soon! : )

So – Robbie Krieger (Doors)

As one of my personal all time favourite bands The Doors or more correctly just – Doors – had a kind of deep, slightly dark vibe that I just loved and still do to this day. This was due in no small part obviously to the enigmatic Mr Morrison, the superb and artful drumming of John Densmore, the fab signature keyboard sound of Ray Manzarek  and the extremely creative playing of Robbie.

Whilst no one could accuse Robbie of fast and furious fret board mashing, his use of scales, alt tunings and slide made his playing miles ahead of his time and the stoned out, hippy noodlings of many other players of the day.

Blues Guitar Playing Influences

Like most of my favourite players there is a strong blues ethos in the background of Doors music but what Robbie did with that is to a whole new, other-worldly element all his own.

Key moments for me are the slide playing in “moonlight Drive”, the DADGAD figures he plays in “This is the end” and the extended soloing in “Light my Fire”. There is nothing particularly flash about the playing per se but oftentimes simplicity and imagination are the key.

Another nice example (that took me a while to work out) is the repeated riff Robbie plays in “Land Ho” from Morrison Hotel – it’s a deceptively simple riff but impossible to get right until you realize that he had drop the bottom E string’s tuning a full step – to D

I can listen to Doors music till the cows come home and love every part of their sound. Robbie’s guitar playing just fits the feel of the music perfectly – a great example of creative playing if ever their was one.  Here is a classically trained musician playing just what’s right for the song – restrained, un egotistical playing that captures a unique time in music – and helps create one of the most unique band sounds of all time.