First Look: Watch a Clip From New Doors Doc "When You're Strange"

A new documentary on the Doors called When You're Strange is hitting theaters April 9th after opening to acclaimed reviews at Sundance 2009. Since its debut last year, director Tom DiCillo has added a megastar to narrate the film — Johnny Depp — plus tightened up the film's editing to better tell the story of the psych-rock legends. In Rolling Stone's exclusive clip from When You're Strange, check out footage of Jim Morrison and Co. taking the stage in 1968, flanked by police officers prepared for a crowd riot.

"Watching the hypnotic, hitherto unreleased footage of Jim, John, Ray and Robby, I felt like I experienced it all through their eyes," Depp said in a statement. "As a rock & roll documentary, or any kind of documentary for that matter, it simply doesn't get any better than this. What an honor to have been involved. I am as proud of this as anything I have ever done."

Break on Through: a gallery of Doors artifacts.

In the new issue of Rolling Stone, Peter Travers gives When You're Strange a three-star review, writing, "Clips from a film Morrison made himself in the desert are alone worth the price of admission… New fans and old will find the experience hypnotic." The documentary was produced by Law & Order honcho Dick Wolf, a huge fan of the Doors who was eager to share their story again on the big screen.

"They say if you remember the '60s you weren't there. I can state definitively that one of the things I do remember is buying the Doors first album the day it came out and then listening to it about 10 or 12 times in a row. Both sides. Every song. I've been a fan ever since," said Wolf in a statement. "This movie is the story of the band but it is also an insight into a moment in time that will never be repeated."

The doc's soundtrack, which includes live tracks and studio cuts, arrived in stores yesterday.

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Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

More Song Stories entries »

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