The final Doors album to feature vocalist Jim Morrison reaffirmed the quartet's grasp of blues-rock. Beset by personal and professional problems, they retreated to a rehearsal room, cast pressures aside, and recorded a handful of their most memorable compositions. The overall sound of the record is relatively stripped down, but the musicianship is uniformly excellent, with empathetic interplay between guitarist Robbie Krieger and keyboard player Ray Manzarek. Jim Morrison's voice, though somewhat ragged and weather-worn, adds its fiercely unmistakable resonance.
The spooky, low-key "Cars Hiss By My Window" and an edgy cover of John Lee Hooker's "Crawling King Snake" are straight, no-nonsense blues, but the album's highlights, including the jangling radio hit "Love Her Madly" and the breezy, chugging title track, which rides on a thrumming bass line and Krieger's fluid licks, mix bluesy bluster with the Doors' swirling, poetic magic. Morrison's death within weeks of the album's completion cast a pall over its content, especially the eerie rain and the funereal electric piano of "Riders On The Storm," the album's indisputable standout, and one of the most compelling, evocative songs in the band's catalogue. Though not the Doors' finest record, L.A. WOMAN was a fitting swan song for one of the most unique and important bands of the '60s.
- Format: Vinyl
- Genre: Rock
- Remastered, HQ, 180 Gram
- Released: 09/15/2009
- NOTE: Many version of this have a unique "rounded edge" to the album. Don't be alarmed if you receive one as well as it is specific to this particular pressing. We've also had a lot of great feedback on both the sound quality and album design.
- Remember, for our lowest prices, always order directly from our official JocoRecords website!
The Doors: Jim Morrison (vocals); Robbie Krieger (guitar); Ray Manzarek (piano, organ); John Densmore (drums).
Additional personnel: Marc Benno (guitar); Jerry Scheff (bass).
Recorded at The Doors Workshop, Los Angeles, California.
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Tracklist
| A1 | The Changeling | 4:20 |
| A2 | Love Her Madly | 3:18 |
| A3 | Been Down So Long | 4:40 |
| A4 | Cars Hiss By My Window | 4:10 |
| A5 | L.A. Woman | 7:49 |
| B1 | L'America | 4:35 |
| B2 | Hyacinth House | 3:10 |
| B3 | Crawling King Snake | 4:57 |
| B4 | The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat) | 4:12 |
| B5 | Riders On The Storm | 7:14 |
