219. The Doors | L.A. Woman

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Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. The Changeling
2. Love Her Madly
3. Been Down So Long
4. Cars Hiss by My Window
5. L.A. Woman
6. L'America
7. Hyacinth House
8. Crawling King Snake
9. The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)
10. Riders on the Storm

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L.A. Woman is a confident album. The music is blues rock. The band gets a bass player and decides to get serious with the blues. The album is more grounded. It's not overwhelmed by Ray Manzarek's organ playing or by Jim Morrison's self-absorbed bombast.

This is a great album. The bass guitar is a welcome addition. The Doors interpret the blues well. Of course, pure blues rock has been done to death and is on the wane. So, while this album is worth listening to, it doesn't need to be on the 1001 Albums list.

All the songs are good. The stand outs are: Love Her Madly, Been Down So Long, L.A. Woman, L'America, Hyacinth House, Crawling King Snake and Riders on the Storm.

★★★★★★★★★☆

180. The Doors | Morrison Hotel (1970)

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Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. Roadhouse Blues
2. Waiting for the Sun
3. You Make Me Real
4. Peace Frog
5. Blue Sunday
6. Ship of Fools
7. Land Ho!
8. The Spy
9. Queen of the Highway
10. Indian Summer
11. Maggie M'Gill

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Morrison Hotel is a melodramatic album. Jim Morrison is the lyrical master of absolutes and superlatives. The music is straightforward blues rock; however, Ray Manzarek's keyboards are playful and enable Morrison's fatalistic theatrics.

This album is really catchy and, despite himself and his lyrics, Jim Morrison is charismatic on each song. However, with the exception of Peace Frog, this album is rather tame and uninspiring.

This album is good, but it isn't groundbreaking, and so it doesn't belong on the 1001 Albums list.

The stand out songs are Roadhouse Blues, Waiting for the Sun, Peace Frog, Ship of Fools and Indian Summer.

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

93. The Doors | The Doors (1967)

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Wikipedia Entry

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1. Break on Through (To the Other Side)
2. Soul Kitchen
3. The Crystal Ship
4. Twentieth Century Fox
5. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
6. Light My Fire
7. Back Door Man
8. I Looked at You
9. End of the Night
10. Take It as It Comes
11. The End

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The Doors is an aggressive album. The music is loud, heavy and droning. Jim Morrison is loud, confrontational and out for blood.

The lyrics are as deep as an Introduction to Philosophy course or an English Literature course, but for rock and roll that's deep enough. And with Morrison singing the lyrics, the songs become mystical and deep, eternal truths.

There is a lot of texture in the music. The bass is deep and rough. The keyboard and organ drone and create eerie moods. The guitar jangles and wails. All together, the music paints some surreal soundscapes. 

Combine that with Morrison's vocals and the songs become self-aware and transcendent. To say this is new is an understatement. This is getting into Beatles territory.

This is not just an album to listen to; it's an album to own. Every song is worthwhile, but the real stand outs are Break on Through (To the Other Side), Soul Kitchen, The Crystal Ship, Light My Fire, Back Door Man and The End.

★★★★★★★★★★