THE DOORS’ “UNIVERSAL MIND”: A JIM MORRISON’S POETIC ROCK SONG

 

'Universal Mind' is one of the dozen or so songs by The Doors that were never used on any of their albums, despite spanning several years of their musical journey. These compositions appear and disappear among outtakes, bootlegs and live performances, and in several cases they deserved greater consideration.

One of the most notable of these is 'Universal Mind', which Morrison conceived in the first half of 1969. At that time, he was navigating the most turbulent and unstable period of his life, largely due to a deep personal crisis and artistic disagreements with the other band members.

Furthermore, the role of rock star had become a mask that no longer suited him, casting a shadow over his individuality.

Emerging from these premises is a rock song with a strong poetic imprint and a sense of suffering, revealing the difficult internal and external contradictions outlined above.

The lyrics lend themselves to various interpretations, all of which share the theme of a twenty-five-year-old man with extraordinary abilities who finds himself in a fatally self-destructive situation.

The disorientation and unhappiness conveyed by the sad line that concludes the verses is representative of his feelings: 'Now I'm so alone / Just looking for a home / In every place I see'.

This sadness is also emphasized by the first part of the verse, which briefly and melancholically evokes a happier past ("I was doing alright").

The bitterly sarcastic chorus describes his existence in 1969: a time of fame and material abundance, yet devoid of meaning compared to the brighter periods of his life, which now seem distant ("I'm the freedom man.... That's how lucky I am").

This mournful lyricism is matched by a musical structure in which Morrison is positioned midway between singing and spoken narrative in both the verse and chorus, supported by a rhythmic instrumental accompaniment designed specifically not to distract the listener from the singer.

Throughout the tune, Manzarek's liquid organ chords engage in a high-pitched dialogue with Krieger's guitar embellishments. Against this backdrop, Densmore's dynamic drumming emerges, beating a broken ostinato rhythm that mirrors the hardships recounted by Morrison's lyrics.

The voice is certainly the most intriguing element of "Universal Mind”. It sails painfully over the instruments, like a ship hopelessly damaged, struggling along without a destination, waiting to sink.

The sound of the vocal line is not only imbued with resigned sorrow. We can also detect in it a nostalgic and sad determination to point out how an event related to the world of music has changed for the worse his personal situation, which, as already mentioned, was initially pleasantly stimulating. A situation, the latter, defined by a term belonging to the "hippie" culture of the time: the "Universal Mind".

The definition of "Universal Mind" probably refers to a state of consciousness enhanced by spiritual communion with other people and the whole environment. Whether induced by LSD use or not, this relational state is portrayed by Morrison as extremely rewarding and ideal for making his talents available to those around him.

The song had been included in The Doors' live performances since the summer of 1969, most notably from the performance at the Aquarius Theatre in Los Angeles in July of that year (link here).

This performance is notable for its instrumental transition in the middle of the song (from min. 2:14 to min. 2:56).

Here, Densmore, Manzarek and Krieger revisit a section of John Coltrane's exceptional 1963 interpretation of the Latin jazz classic “Afro Blue”.

At the time, Coltrane's style was a blend of hard bop jazz and modal jazz, and he inspired many musicians, including rock groups, with his innovative approach. The Doors were among those who listened most attentively to the saxophonist's magical sound evolutions, drawing inspiration from them for the evocative instrumental passages scattered throughout some of their 1966–67 songs.

The quote from “Afro Blue” that we hear in “Universal Mind” at the Aquarius Theatre is developed melodically by the electric organ (with the addition of the Fender Rhodes piano bass, played by Manzarek's left hand) and the electric guitar.

Beneath this tightly coordinated sound, Densmore's drums sweep across the percussive path narrated by Elvin Jones in the original.

This version of "Universal Mind" is the most famous as it was chosen for inclusion on the band's only live album released during their career, "Absolutely Live" (which sold a good number of copies in the U.S. in late 1970).

Anyway, it will be surpassed in quality by the performance included in one of the two concerts The Doors played in New York in January 1970 (link here).

The nod to "Afro Blue" at the Aquarius Theatre in 1969 is replaced here with a more traditional instrumental section, consisting of a short solo played by Manzarek on the electric organ. Despite this change, Morrison's voice was clearer, more incisive, convincing and dramatic at the Felt Forum in New York than at the Aquarius Theatre, making the January 1970 performance slightly better.

As mentioned above, 'Universal Mind' appeared occasionally in The Doors' live performances from the summer of '69 until almost a year later. However, it was never recorded in the studio.

Disappointingly and incomprehensibly, it has been excluded from at least two albums ('Morrison Hotel' and 'L.A. Woman', and possibly 'The Soft Parade') in favor of clearly inferior tracks such as 'Queen Of The Highway' and 'Love Her Madly'. This is a waste of music, to the detriment of the eminent expressiveness of this typically morrisonian rock poetry.  This has been partly compensated for over time by the various live versions that have fortunately become available.

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