My Personal Opinion Of John Densmore

The drummer for The Doors, John Densmore, was the perfect drummer for The Doors and their music. His style of drumming was born through years of jazz training, and eventually into blues. By the time The Doors had formed in 1965, Densmore could easily play a rock beat that could swing too, as heard best in the organ and guitar solos in "Light My Fire." His jazz-inflected style was very unique, as he also hit the snare and toms with plenty of power. There was a certain snap and tightness to his playing that isn't heard from other premier drummers of the time like Keith Moon or John Bonham, both more rock-oriented players. Densmore is more comparable with Charlie Watts, Ginger Baker, and Mitch Mitchell, all jazz-oriented drummers who adapted to the more physical rock style.

Aside from having great strength in his playing, he could feel the song well. Live, he could either quell the madness or ignite Morrison and the band to explode into a part, or invite theatrics which Morrison did so well. "When The Music's Over" is an awesome example of this kind of ebb and flow, where he plays around Morrison's poetry and sets the attitude of the song. The ability to lay back and lurk in the weeds, and then burst out with salvos of fire was a specialty of Densmore's, a necessity too, when often times playing live, improvisation was necessary to keep things fresh and spur on Morrison.

Densmore seems to never get the respect he deserves. He doesn't have the notoriety of John Bonham or Keith Moon, yet is respected by drummers who know who's good. He quietly went about his business in The Doors, letting Morrison garner all the attention. I believe him to be an upper-echelon drummer, more diverse in skill than Bonham, more in control than Moon, and more soul-driven than Neil Peart. Yet you'll never hear any one admit this is right. Can you imagine The Doors without the jazzy, snare-rattling bluesy drumming of Densmore?