THE DOORS’ “TAKE IT AS IT COMES” DESERVES MORE APPRICIATION, HERE’S WHY

 

Throughout the first half of 1966, as The Doors matured artistically, they developed several songs that would later appear on their first two albums.

Among these compositions, many of which originated from Jim Morrison's ideas and lyrics, was "Take It As It Comes" (link here).

This tune was refined during the band's residency at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles in the summer of 1966, shortly before the recording of their debut album ("The Doors", recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967).

Despite its excellent quality, this rock song with a classic structure (verse–chorus–solo – verse–chorus–solo – verse–chorus) is often not given the musical prominence it deserves.

So, let's examine its main musical features and characteristics.

The bass line is duplicated by two different instruments. The first is Ray Manzarek's Fender Rhodes Piano Bass, a small keyboard which the musician played with his left hand to imitate the sound of the bass.

The second bass line is played by session musician Larry Knechtel on the electric bass. Knechtel contributed to a number of notable and influential recordings in the 1960s. These include The Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man" (single, 1965), The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" (album, 1966), Simon and Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence" (album, 1966), and The Mamas & the Papas' "Deliver" (album, 1967), among others.

The duplicated bass line is clearly audible from min. 1:27 to min. 1:45, during which time the mood of the piece drops in sound intensity for a brief passage corresponding to the final verse.

The two rhythmic instruments overlap for the rest of the song, creating a dark, dense backdrop against which the high notes of Manzarek's electric organ stand out.

This fascinating sound contrast, which remains consistent throughout the composition, significantly defines the profile of the instrumental section.

Robby Krieger's moderately distorted electric guitar, accompanied by a thin reverb, provides a vibrant rhythmic accompaniment.

There are two solos on 'Take It As It Comes', both of equal length and played on the electric organ by Manzarek.

They are brief and fast, conceived in an original way and slightly spiced with a vaguely Indian flavor, which was popular in British and American rock and pop-rock at the time.

Finally, of course, there is the voice of Jim Morrison, who, at this early stage in The Doors' career, had almost reached the peak of his vocal abilities (a peak that would be definitively reached with the next LP: "Strange Days", released in September 1967).

The fascinating vocal part is appropriately doubled in the choruses, creating an even greater and more convincing effect.

The lyrics of "Take It As It Comes" were inspired by the only Transcendental Meditation class Morrison tried at the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Centre in Los Angeles towards the end of 1965.

This happened at the suggestion of Densmore and Krieger, who were unsuccessfully attempting to steer the singer away from his profound metaphysical quest with LSD.

The lyrics of this charming composition succinctly outline a philosophy of life, the initial thrust of which, as mentioned above, comes from Indian meditation, which was practiced by many Californian artists at the time.

The events of our existence cause us to exhibit different moods and behaviors. In this constant flow of change, we should not act with distress and agitation but rather accept things as they come and let go of what might otherwise affect us negatively.

"Take It As It Comes" is an important chapter in the early development of rock music, a genre that was born only a year earlier and found a high-level channel of expression here.

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

Here’s a link:

Amazon – “The Doors Through Strange Days”