I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley. This memoir is a must-read for any Doors fan or even those who are just casually interested in the backstory of this iconic band. I never really thought about Robby Krieger one way or the other before reading this book being a die-hard Morrison fan. However, I found myself falling in love with this man's gentle spirit and sense of humor as the memoir progressed. In his self-effacing, humble way Krieger nonetheless informs the reader of the pivotal role he had in forming the band and writing many of their most popular tunes. There were a number of laugh-out-loud moments in this book as Krieger reflected on his time as a member of the Doors, amongst my favorite being his musing on way Morrison impersonators "never dress like the fat Jim". You just have to love this man! I have read many books about the Doors and its members as well as watched a number of documentaries and movies on the band, but I can still say that I learned many new tidbits from this book. With Krieger's first-hand perspective, the reader walks away from this memoir feeling like they too were present for these amazing events. My only criticism is how choppy the memoir is. It moves back and forth in time with no real clear reason for the jumps in topics and timelines. However, if you just go with it Krieger will take you on a journey that involves humor, sadness, and coming-of-age moments that will be hard to put down. As an added bonus, the reader gets to meet such rock-and-roll royalty as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and even George Harrison. Oh, and the pictures in this book are pretty dang cool too. Suffice it to say, this book is well worth your time to read and you won't be sorry that you got to spend some time with Robby.

When I saw this book was available, written by Robby Krieger himself, I instantly dove. Once you’ve listened to the music and read the fan writings and the books of Jim’s poems, the chance to read all the Doors stories straight from the source is an absolute must and it did not disappoint.

Krieger breaks the stories down from their humble beginnings and that humility carries through the entire book. You never get the sense that these band members are the Rock Gods you see depicted in movies. All of those wild movie moments are dispelled into their small grains of truth and Krieger tells why there are so many Doors rumors around. Jim especially who’s been conceptualized as a drunken sex symbol is finally given the insight into his character that only someone who personally knew him well could give. There are so many cool stories that I urge anyone who’s a Jim fan to pick this one up just for that.

I expected to read a lot more about Robby’s own life, but as the title states he commits this book to mostly all Doors talk. He talks about his beginnings in guitar, his jazz and blues inspirations, and you get to follow his whole journey. After The Doors form and begin recording, he goes into detail about studio sessions spilling all kinds of recording secrets, things he wishes he could’ve changed, instances in the studios, and tidbits about how songs were recorded and overdubbed. You get to pull up tracks and listen to these songs in whole new ways.

The writing style is cool and laid back, even funny and very witty at times. It’s obvious that Robby has a gentle soul because even when there are tensions between the band members he never writes with anything like anger or spite. You can tell he looks back on his life with The Doors fondly. The entire work is a labor of love and if you love music the way I do, this book is an absolute must read.

Massive thank you to the publisher Little, Brown, and Company for providing a copy of this book via Netgalley for review.

Pleased to include this memoir in the pop culture Nostalgia themed holiday gift books guide list for Zoomer magazine's Books section in December. (The listicle is online at related link.)