Set the Night on Fire

Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar with the Doors

By: Robby Krieger, Jeff Alulis

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

In his first book ever, legendary Doors guitarist Robby Krieger, one of Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”, opens up about The Doors’ meteoric career, his own darkest moments, and the most famous black eye in rock ‘n’ roll.

Few bands are as shrouded in the murky haze of rock mythology as The Doors, and parsing fact from fiction has been a virtually impossible task. But now, after 50 years, The Doors’ notoriously quiet guitarist is finally breaking his silence to set the record straight.

Through a series of vignettes, Robby Krieger takes listeners back to where it all happened: the pawn shop where he bought his first guitar; the jail cell he was tossed into after a teenage drug bust; his parents’ living room where his first songwriting sessions with Jim Morrison took place; the empty bars and backyard parties where The Doors played their first awkward gigs; the studios where their iconic songs were recorded; and the many concert venues that erupted into historic riots. Set the Night on Fire is packed with never-before-told stories from The Doors’ most vital years, and offers a fresh perspective on the most infamous moments of the band’s career.

Krieger also goes into heartbreaking detail about his life’s most difficult struggles, ranging from drug addiction to cancer, but he balances out the sorrow with humorous anecdotes about run-ins with unstable fans, famous musicians, and one really angry monk. Set the Night on Fire is at once an insightful time capsule of the ‘60s counterculture, a moving reflection on what it means to find oneself as a musician, and a touching tale of a life lived non-traditionally. It’s not only a must-listen for Doors fans, but an essential volume of American pop culture history.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Robby Krieger (P)2021 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

“Doors guitarist Krieger riffs melodiously through the discordant and harmonious measures of his life and times with the band in this galloping, episodic debut.” (Publishers Weekly)

Loved every minute of it!

The narrator was fab. The story was great!
it had a Doors music flow to it.

How Does Thus Happen?

Robby impressed with searing descriptions of his (and his wife's) descent into drug addiction after Morrison's death. Details were included that didn't have to be, but as a result made the narrative all the more real, painful, and even embarrassing for Robby to reveal. Yet while The Doors were still recording and touring Robby appeared to be the calming center and glue that held the band together, especially given Morrison's constant craziness.

Beautiful

Thank you Robby for sharing your life and music with us. We the fans will never forget.

Beautiful

Robby seems like a pretty cool and legit guy. His book is heartfelt and sincere and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Honest And Interesting

Robby leaves nothing out, but admits he does not remember everything. His running joke is; "Hey, it was the 60s..." I have a new appreciation for Robby's contribution to this amazing band.

I had no idea Robby was a heroine addict and well could have died from an overdose. Keep in mind this was largely AFTER The Doors and after he had basically said he would never do THAT, but he did that and then some. We get a portrait of Jim Morrison that was "nice, intelligent, and gentle" while sober and crazy while drunk. We also realize that Jim was totally unmotivated by money, insisting that the doors split all money four ways. We hear about the awful court battles between Robby, Ray, and John that were so unfortunate. Anyway, great listen.

A must read for any Doors fan!!

I’ve read a lot of books about the Doors and in particular Jim Morrison but this was a different perspective on the subject. I truly enjoyed it!

Must For Any Doors Fan

If you’re a Doors fan this is a must. I really enjoyed listening to the Audio book.

Wow!!

I thought the narrator was Robby Krueger which made this book even more entertaining. Nice to have the rest of the story told truthfully.

Great Book

This is a great birds-eye view of an iconic band written by someone who is certainly well qualified to tell the story. Having grown up in Los Angeles as a teenager in the 60s, everything resonated with me. I think that Robby’s recollection and characterization of the band members was honest, and provided much insight into the inner workings of the band, their experiences, frustrations and successes. A very interesting and enjoyable read.

A must-read for Doors fans.

Every second of this book had me listening intently. I can’t recommend this enough. 10/10.