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He did live a full life and is most certain one of the most influential keyboardplayer in the last 50 years.
To this day I remember exactly when and where I first heard his beautiful sound. It was Light My Fire playing, I just froze and ran to the radio and put my ear to it, trying to grasp THE SOUND.
- Ray´s organ sound got me hooked to The Doors. And the fact that the bass in concerts was handled by Ray´s left hand is TOO much to understand.
That alone places him at the front table in the rock pantheon. Forever!
For Ray, less is more.
He always has great taste in the arranging of his playing, whether it is an organ, an electric piano or piano.
My favourite Manzarek playing is Yes, The River Knows. The piano is orchestrated in such a hush and quiet manner, that it evaporates like mist on a morning field. Beautiful, but not there!
His pièce de résistance will always be his recording of Carl Orff´s Carmina Burana. It is THE rock-opera set in rock and roll.
And in many ways the successor to The Celebration of The Lizard.
Ray tells in his book, that his father wanted the haunting song Olim Lacus Colueram- Once I swam the waters, played at his funeral.
I will be sure to play that piece in the time to come and think of Ray -
