Set the Night on Fire

Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar With the Doors

By: Robby Krieger, Jeff Alulis

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

In his tell-all, legendary Doors guitarist, Robby Krieger, one of Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time," opens up about his band's 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 fifty years, The Doors' notoriously quiet guitarist is finally breaking his silence to set the record straight.

Through a series of vignettes, Robby Krieger takes readers 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-read for Doors fans, but an essential volume of American pop culture history.

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

Beautiful

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

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.

Great Book

If you're a fan of The doors or music biographies then you'll love this. The doors were my favorite classic rock band when I was a teenager. And I couldn't get enough of the stories/legends/myths. This book helps clear everything up as best it can be.