He was a major character, but Jim kind of kept him in his place. I remember it well, because he had them in the palm of his hand. Afterwards Ray got up in front of an auditorium full of people and gave a speech. In fact, our first gig as a band was to provide music for one of his student films. When I first met him, he was the “big man on campus” at the UCLA film school. What were your impressions of Ray Manzarek?

I thought, Jesus Christ, this guy’s not normal. Something had gone wrong with a dope deal, and Jim just went nuts. I didn’t really get a sense that there was anything unusual about him until the end of our first rehearsal. I first met him when he came to my house with John Densmore and he seemed pretty normal. GUITAR WORLD: What was your first impression of Jim Morrison? What follows are Krieger’s recollections of the Doors’ career, from their 1967 self-titled debut to 1971’s brilliant swan song, L.A.

Most people would say: Robby Krieger, Doors guitarist.

It’s what I do and how I identify myself: I’m Robby Krieger, guitarist.” Music has become more of a fun thing for me, much like painting is - something that’s personally rewarding. Although he has remained active, touring regularly and recording seven solo albums dominated by instrumental music, Krieger says, “I realized pretty quickly that I would never again have another band like the Doors. Robby Krieger cannot escape his past with the Doors, even though the band essentially died with Morrison in 1971. And, most of all, good enough to enthrall three decades of rock fans with music that remains as powerful and profound in the Nineties as it was in the Sixties. Good enough to have gotten the Doors inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last January and to have inspired Oliver Stone’s reverential 1991 biopic. “I think we came up with a pretty good body of work.” I tried to come up with the right part for the song and play something that would complement Jim’s singing. King because that’s what everyone was doing. “I just tried to sound like myself-I consciously avoided copying Chuck Berry or B.B. “I really learned to play as a member of the Doors,” he asserts. Remarkably, when Krieger joined the Doors in 1965 he was only 18 years old and had been playing guitar for just two years-electric guitar a mere six months. And it was actually Krieger who penned many of the Doors’ greatest songs and biggest hits, including “Light My Fire,” “Love Me Two Times” and “Touch Me.” The blues-based, often hypnotic music created by Krieger, organist Ray Manzarek and drummer John Densmore perfectly complemented Morrison’s commanding, sensual vocals and mesmerizing lyrics.

Doors band