“L.A. Woman”(1971) by The Doors

A most confident blues album, and the last Doors album(at least with Morrison).  Listening to “Morrison Hotel” you might get an idea of where this album is coming from.  Think of the entire thing as “Roadhouse Blues” in mood.  Not that every track is just three chord blues progressions but a good handful are.  The ones that aren’t are damn close and at least feel like blues.  This is a true reinvention of The Doors. 

Let’s start with the long epics that seem to be a tradition on Doors albums.  “Riders On The Storm” is the closing track and one of the most soothing pieces of music around.  Morrison is top notch.  If you listen closely there is a overdub track with Jim almost whispering along with the lead vocal.  The only thing that doesn’t seem totally chilled out is the bass which gives the song a little groove.  Ray Manzarek’s jazz piano in the middle is great as well. 

The other big song is “L.A. Woman”.  I have read comparisons of this song to The Rolling Stones “Midnight Rambler”.  They are spot on.  Both capture similar moods and they each are about some sort of serial killer.  Having said that “L.A. Woman” is the best track on here.  The song has two distinct parts.  The beginning and end are fast paced and optimistic and the middle section is kind of scary and dark(like “Midnight Rambler”).  Manzarek’s upbeat piano and Krieger’s guitar licks are what really make the song.

Okay, as for the “normal Doors stuff” there is the dark sounding “L’America”, the great ballad “Hyacinth House” is much superior to most the Doors love songs.  The boring Morrison only crap ”Crawling King Snake”(at least it’s a song) and also the really good Morrison only crap like “The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)”.  A song with some of the most unique blues jamming around(well not jamming but still).  Album opener “The Changeling” is the only real rocker on “L.A. Woman”.  It’s good but ages after a few listens.

“Love Her Madly” is the third best track and it’s basically a pop rocker.  Something about it is very cinematic.  It’s got great production value as do most of the songs.  The back to back “Been Down So Long” and “Cars Hiss By My Window” are along with “The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)” the most hardcore blues, not just on the album but in the whole Doors catalog and probably in the whole pop band genre.

“L.A. Woman” is really something new and fresh.  It’s great blues from a band that’s best known for songs like “Light My Fire” and “Hello, I Love You”.  It’s a pity that Morrison died, who knows what would have followed.  At least he left on a high note.

Best Song: L.A. Woman
Album Rating: 9/10