The Doors discography

The Doors recording career was short, but since their demise, the legend of the band has grown. Countless reissues, greatest hits packages, live recordings, and biographies try to unravel the mystery of the appeal of their music.

Formed in 1965 by film school graduates, poet Jim Morrison and organist Ray Manzarek, the band floundered til they came across flamenco guitarist Robby Krieger and jazz drummer John Densmore. The band a few tunes, which they tested in front of audience, some that were interested but the songs started drawing them in, as did their larger then life frontman Jim Morrison. The band was not afraid to experiment and or afraid to test their audience patience.

Over time the band, who were on opposite side of flower power, developed into a powerful live act and by 1966 Elecktra records took a chance on this weird unsettling band. They also found a sympathetic producer Paul Rothchild, that was able to capture their sound perfectly. The songs had been developed over a period of time over many live performances and in 1967 the self titled album was released which became one of the greatest debuts in rock history.



Break On Through ( To the Other Side)- Was one of many poems that Jim Morrison had that become a song, and it was his idea to have John Densmore do a quasi bossa nova beat to the music.

Soul Kitchen- Was written by Jim Morrison about a soul food restaurant Olivia's which would feed the then homeless Jim Morrison, and would let him hang out to write his songs, poems but always ended up throwing him out at closing time. Also contains one of my favorite imagery from Morrison:

Cars Crawl Pass/Stuffed with Eyes/Street light sheds their hollow glow/Your brain seems bruised with numb surprise

Crystal Ship-Contains one of Ray Manzarek's best performances, and Jim Morrison's gifts as a poet, and turns out a crooner are in full display on this tune.

Twentieth Century Fox- was of course a play on the famous movie studio, that Jim Morrison used to describe one of the many women he surrounded him self with.

Alabama Song ( The Whiskey Bar)- Is a song that Ray Manzarek found, that is from a German three penny opera. Jim Morrison who already had developed a series alcohol problem found the lyrics amusing, and this song would remain in their set til his death in 1971.

Light My Fire- Contrary to popular belief was actually written by Robby Krieger. He was encouraged when the band felt they did not have enough songs. He came up with this song, which would become their first number one song. This song live would be their song where they would improvise solos and would extend beyond their usual 6 minutes.

Back Door Man-The blues was Morrison's favorite musical genre and on this Howlin' Wolf classic, Morrison got to indulge and play up to his image.

You men eat your dinner/Eat your pork and beans/I eat more chicken then any man has ever seen

I Looked At You-Is the closet thing to a pop song on this disc, a good song but not one that would remain in their set for long

The End of the Night- The lyric was inspired partly by French novelist End of the Night book. Great song with Morrison seemingly aware of his own self destructive nature

Some are born to sweet delight/Some are born to the endless night

Take it as it Comes- A bit light hearted fare from the Doors, which was unusual for this band. Great tune

The End- This song started as simple lament, a goodbye to a love affair, but as they kept performing live, it kept being transformed to a song that mediates on death, psychedelic imagery and even throwing in a bit of Oedipus complex in the lyrics.

I know this thread is not as detailed as the original thread but I will fill gaps as I remember them.

One of the greatest debut in rock history and the album that cemented their legend right out of the starting gate.

Quite simply a brilliant debut album, completely original right out of the gate. Most bands can slave for years trying to develop their own sound and not come up with anything as remotely original as the debut album by The Doors. The universe was good to us in the late 60s, countless unique artists inventing entire new genres of music, essentially every ingredient that is still used in music today can be traced back to the late 60s.

When it comes to The Doors discography I place their first album and their last album (L.A. Woman) head and shoulders above everything else recorded in between. Not discounting the middle albums, there is great stuff there...but the bookends of their career I think reach the highest peaks.

I am glad someone chimed on my Doors thread!!! I love all their albums but I agree their first and their last are the best IMO.

Dig the debut...dig the last one more....the only other one I dig near as much is "Strange Days" I can appreciate how the varied influences of all the bands members came together and ended up becoming the quality tunes on the debut. The 60's were such a great time for that kind of stuff.

Fantastic album! I'm looking forward to this thread, as all I have is the debut and LA Woman.

The thing I love about this one is just how damn innovative it was. From what I've heard, there was very little (if anything) like it at the time.

Released the same year as their debut, toward the end of 1967. The band did not have to scramble for material, since most of the songs had been written for a few years, and had already been performed live many times.

If there was any pressure to follow up the platinum success of their debut, their is no evidence on the disc. The band sounds confident, and tighter, perhaps due to being road tested these songs are all strong.

Strange Days-The album opens with the title track, a strong opening, with circus like atmosphere due to Ray Manzarek's psychedelic type playing. Jim Morrison is perhaps reflecting on his new found success, and how strange days have tracked him down.

You're Lost Little Girl- Contrary to popular belief this moody dark song was actually written by Robby Krieger not Jim Morrison. Morrison immediately loved the song, relating the lyrics to his muse, lover Pamela Courson, who would be with him unto his death.

Love Me Two Times- Another Krieger number, written from the point of view of a Vietnam vet who is being deployed, and his plea to his lover, for her love him two times.

Unhappy Girl- A Morrison song, not about any woman in particular but a composite character sketch of many women, groupies Morrison had meet.

Horse Latitudes- Is a Jim Morrison poetry that he had written as a teenager. Based on the legend of when Spaniards would have horses on their ships to bring them to the new world. When storms came, they had throw cargo overboard, and sometimes this cargo where horses. The horses would be strong animals who could swim for miles, following the ships with mournful cries, til they drowned, haunting the men.

Moonlight Drive- Is actually the first song Jim Morrison wrote and is the one he sang to Ray Manzarek at Venice Beach in 1965. This song is the genius of the band the Doors. When Robby Krieger came into the band, he added slide guitar to this song. Jim Morrison was so excited by this, for awhile he insisted Krieger would play slide guitar on all their songs.

People Are Strange- A song put together at Venice Beach, when Morrison was feeling a bit sorry for himself. Krieger played him a riff, and Morrison added the lyrics that make up the song. Instant classic.

My Eyes Have Seen You- Before Jim Morrison co-founded the Doors, he lived on a rooftop. This song describes what he would see, nothing but antennas etc and voyeuristic view of city life

My Eyes Have Seen You/Free from Disguise/Gazing on a city under/Television skies

I Can't See Your Face In My Mind- Another dark song from Morrison, the lyrics taken from one of his poems.

When the Music's Over-The album ends with an epic 11 minute track, and this is one of my favorite Doors songs. This is a great marriage of Jim Morrison's poetry to the band's music.

The day of the recording, Jim Morrison did not show up, so the band had to guess where Jim Morrison would come in etc. Of course it also helped that had been performing and tweaking the song for months.

Again one of my favorite Doors albums and highly recommended/

My second favorite Doors album

Fond memories are associated with this album. Ones I remember and ones i don't.....those being recollections from my sister telling me stories of how I layed on her apartment floor playing with Lincoln Logs while she studied and listened to this and other lps. My mom told me it was one of the first time she let me go stay with somebody else. I was like 3 years old...so I am clueless to it ever happening. It makes me smile knowing it is a favorite memory of my sister. My other 3 sisters will tell ya bout the "other" memories involving thier baby brother. Hell On Wheels was my nickname

Released in 1968, 'Waiting for the Sun' did not have an easy creation.

The songs on the first two albums had been written before they were signed, and had long been part of the set list, where on this album the band did not have much left over material.

Also just one year and two albums into their career Jim Morrison's drinking was already out of control and his interest in this album waned as the recording process dragged on.

Despite the circumstances the album was a very strong album, if not exactly as ground breaking as their first two discs.

Hello, I Love You- Was written by Jim Morrison, when he spotted a beautiful black chic at Venice Beach walking her way straight to him. While the song was a major hit, the band added to their set in 1968 but would be dropped from their set forever more.

Love Street- Is an actual house in Laural Canyon, and if you have seen Oliver Stone's The Doors movie, the house is actually used when Jim Morrison mets Pamela Courson in the film. Love Street is the name Jim Morrison called the street Pam lived in. Late last year an arsonist burned down the house where Morrison wrote this song in.

Summer's Almost Gone- Is one of the few songs that had already written prior to the recording of this album. Not a bad song but sounds a little under developed.

Wintertime Love- A cool catchy little tune but never performed live by the band

The Unknown Solider- I always found it interesting that two biggest, and most influential stars of the 60's, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison never once made a political statement denouncing the Vietnam War. Both made their protest thru the music they wrote. In this case about how we experience war thru television.

Not to Touch the Earth- was originally suppose to be their epic number, a 20 minute epic titled 'Celebration of the Lizard' but recording this cut proved difficult and unwieldy. The only portion to survive was this section of the longer piece.

Spanish Caravan- One of my favorite Doors tunes, this one written by Robby Krieger, an excellent example of Krieger's flamenco music influence in the Doors music.

My Wild Love- Performed a capella, created in the studio, a great song that remains a lost gem.

We Could Be So Good Together- was a song that had been written during their club days, and its a good song but one that would never grace the stage.

Yes the River Knows- The closet thing to a filler track the Doors ever recorded, just not that good of a song.

Five to One- A great song, where a noticeably drunk Jim Morrison preaches revolution, thankfully they were able to capture this vocal performance in one take.

As far as I'm concerned "Waiting For The Sun" is a stronger album than Strange Days, at least it makes more of an overall impact to me.

"Hello, I Love You" is one of the first songs I ever remember hearing in my life. There was 45 of this tune left at my Grandmother's house when I was a child and I was obsessed with it, made her play it for me over and over again (I was about 3 at the time). I've never gotten tired of it.

Love Street, The Unknown Soldier, Not To Touch The Earth and the jazzy Spanish Caravan are all classic Doors songs.

"Five To One" is simply one of the most badass tunes from this entire era and could easily fit on a collection of proto-metal songs, this track spews venom and menace.

Released in 1969, 'The Soft Parade' was suppose to be the band's answer to the Beatles Sgt Pepper's, it did not quite work out that way, and if its possible for a platinum album to be underrated then this one is it.

Featuring brass and string instrumentation, this would be the only Doors album where the song writing credits where split individually since Jim Morrison did not want his fans to think that he was telling them to follow him and pick up guns on the opening song on the disc.

Tell All The People- The opening track, right from the start establishes that this Doors sound is different from the previous disc, with the brass prominent on the disc. The lyrics to this song where written by Robby Krieger, and Morrison did not want fans to think he wrote them, imploring them to follow him.

Touch Me- Was another Robby Krieger song, that became one of their biggest hits. Originally the lyric was 'Hit me Baby' inspired by a fight that Krieger and his girlfriend. Jim Morrison made one small suggestion to change the lyric to 'Touch Me' instead. Also at the end of the song you hear the phrase 'Stronger then Dirt' that Morrison lifted from a popular Tide commercial airing at that time.

Shaman's Blues- Is a great Morrison song, features his idiosyncratic poetry, accompanied perfectly by Ray Manzarek's circus like organ playing.

Do It- Is the closet the band ever wrote to a throw away track, it features one stanza which repeats the same phrase over and over.

Easy Ride- Is cool little tune, where the boys cut loose with bit of fun, and features great imagery from Morrison.

Wild Child- Is the most Doors like song that could have fit on any of their previous albums, a great song, with lyrics reflecting perhaps Morrison's own self image.

Runnin Blue-Is a tribute to then recently deceased Otis Redding, who entire band was fans of.

Wishful Sinful- Another song written by Krieger, which features a string arrangement and Krieger borrowing from his vocalist handbook uses the image of water to effective use.

The Soft Parade- This epic song, takes a few twist and turns, and features an introduction of Morrison acting like a Southern preacher, and the opening lyrics some of the saddest of Jim Morrison's career.

The music matches perfectly the imagery Morrison paints with the lyrics and one of my favorite songs from the band.

I didn't "get" this till much later on in life.

"Poor Otis dead and gone, left me here to sing his song, pretty little girl with the red dress on, poor Otis dead and gone..."

One of those records that thankfully I *heard* before reading any reviews of it, I didn't know I wasn't supposed to like it, so I just enjoyed it in blissful ignorance. It is fairly common to dump on this record as an extravagant, self-indulgent mess...and at times the record is exactly that, but it's also much better than the general opinion it receives.

The title track alone is worth investigating by even a casual fan of The Doors, it's a journey worth taking. One of their most interesting extended compositions.

Probably not the first Doors album to play for the uninitiated, but also an album I think should be a staple in any serious fans collection.

manny wrote:

I am glad someone chimed on my Doors thread!!! I love all their albums but I agree their first and their last are the best IMO.

I Just saw this thread I agree their debut album was quite brilliant.

Love the Doors!!!!

Released in 1970, 'Morrison Hotel' was a return to form, at least as far the band was concerned. After a disastrous Miami concert, where a drunk Jim Morrison had been arrested for exposing himself and the lizard king being slapped with almost 20 paternity suits, both he and the band needed to blow off some steam.

The result was a rock album that had the band and in particular Jim Morrison firing on all creative cylinders. No string arrangements, horns, just the band.

The album named after a seedy hotel, the album also had the most personal lyrics Jim Morrison ever penned.

Roadhouse Blues- Opens the album, with Jim's opening line 'Keep your eyes on the Road/Your Hands upon the Wheel' something Jim Morrison would often tell his lady Pamela Courson, who's driving was so erratic, it is amazing Jim Morrison lived as long as he did. The Roadhouse was a set of bungalows Morrison would sometimes live in, since he never bought a home or seemed to live anywhere but hotels.

Waiting for the Sun- Jim Morrison's was born in Florida and his father Steve Morrison was an admiral in the Navy, so not surprising alot of Morrison's songs contain the image of water, its power, allure etc. One of my favorite Doors song, which has an cool ad lip by Morrison ' This is the Strangest Life I have liven"

You Make Me Real- A bit of fun, with circus like almost rockabilly piano playing from Ray Manzarek, and this is song about how sinking into a woman's tender sunken seas.

Peace Frog- The closet we get to a protest song from the Doors. Reminding us real revolution is never bloodless and that blood was born in the dust of the nation.

In the song Morrison can't resist throwing in an image of Pam driving away, with sunlight in her hair and also makes mention of the childhood incident of car crash he had witnessed of American Indians. He claimed one of the dying Indians slipped into his body, cracking fragile eggshell mind.

Blue Sunday- A love song written for Pamela Courson

Ship of Fools- A cool track that made the set list, and was Morrison's cynical take on the so called environmental movement. No escaping the population because even on the moon, the smog will get you pretty soon.

Land Ho- Another song that features the imagery of water, about a whaler who sails the seven seas, a bit of story telling and cool track


The Spy- A bit of bluesy feel, lyrics inspired by Anais Nin novel. A great song IMO and one of my favorites.

Queen of the Highway- Is Morrison's mythologizing his and Pam's own relationship. 'He was a Monster/Black Dressed in leather.....'

'American boy/American girl the most beautiful people in the world'

ends with the line 'I Hope it continue for a Little While Longer' but Jim Morrison had only one year left of life.

Indian Summer- a short but sweet love song, that has only a few lines

Maggie M'Gill- Started life as an improvised bit of music on stage and one of the few songs Ray Manzarek plays guitar on.

Overall the band is energized, with the album featuring some of Robby Krieger's best playing and John Densmore always interesting drum work holding it all together.

This would be the Doors fifth consecutive million selling album, making them at this point the most popular American rock band.

manny wrote:

Released in 1968, 'Waiting for the Sun' did not have an easy creation.

The songs on the first two albums had been written before they were signed, and had long been part of the set list, where on this album the band did not have much left over material.

Also just one year and two albums into their career Jim Morrison's drinking was already out of control and his interest in this album waned as the recording process dragged on.

Despite the circumstances the album was a very strong album, if not exactly as ground breaking as their first two discs.

Hello, I Love You- Was written by Jim Morrison, when he spotted a beautiful black chic at Venice Beach walking her way straight to him. While the song was a major hit, the band added to their set in 1968 but would be dropped from their set forever more.

Love Street- Is an actual house in Laural Canyon, and if you have seen Oliver Stone's The Doors movie, the house is actually used when Jim Morrison mets Pamela Courson in the film. Love Street is the name Jim Morrison called the street Pam lived in. Late last year an arsonist burned down the house where Morrison wrote this song in.

Summer's Almost Gone- Is one of the few songs that had already written prior to the recording of this album. Not a bad song but sounds a little under developed.

Wintertime Love- A cool catchy little tune but never performed live by the band

The Unknown Solider- I always found it interesting that two biggest, and most influential stars of the 60's, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison never once made a political statement denouncing the Vietnam War. Both made their protest thru the music they wrote. In this case about how we experience war thru television.

Not to Touch the Earth- was originally suppose to be their epic number, a 20 minute epic titled 'Celebration of the Lizard' but recording this cut proved difficult and unwieldy. The only portion to survive was this section of the longer piece.

Spanish Caravan- One of my favorite Doors tunes, this one written by Robby Krieger, an excellent example of Krieger's flamenco music influence in the Doors music.

My Wild Love- Performed a capella, created in the studio, a great song that remains a lost gem.

We Could Be So Good Together- was a song that had been written during their club days, and its a good song but one that would never grace the stage.

Yes the River Knows- The closet thing to a filler track the Doors ever recorded, just not that good of a song.

Five to One- A great song, where a noticeably drunk Jim Morrison preaches revolution, thankfully they were able to capture this vocal performance in one take.

Alot of good songs on this album, one of my all time favorite doors tunes is Not to Touch The Earth it has almost a off key sound with some awesome Morrison lyrics. Five to One is a definite classic. Love Street also another one of my favorites. I gotta ask though what kind of piece of smurf poo would torch the house Love Street was written in?

Manny, what you said regarding "Unknown Soldier" is very reflective of the time. The Vietnam war was the first war that americans viewed from the comfort of the living room.

The media learned a valued lesson through this by understanding the political clout held by controling what was and wasn't broadcast.

I learned to like this album more and more over the years. The Doors are more ambience music for me anymore, and they have other albums that suit that purpose better for me.

The Doors live album, 'Absoutley Live' was released in 1970. Originally the idea was to capture one signal show, but producer Paul Rothchild overruled this and instead recorded a majority of their concerts in late 1969/early 1970. The album consisted of many different concerts and were sequenced to sound like it was one concert. Jim Morrison was against this, feeling it would have been better to have recorded the concerts, and just pick the best concert of the tapes.

The album is good to sometimes great live recording, with no overdubs and like I stated meant to sound like one concert.

The album opens with a hapless announcer begging the audience to remain calm and get in their seats. Thou we can't see what is happening, it does not sound like the audience is too compliant .

The album opens with a cover of the Bo Diddley classic 'Who Do You Love" which features excellent drum work from John Densmore. You can tell Morrison loves singing this song due to the imagery.

Interestingly enough the song features a few original songs that never were recorded in the studio and to this very day no recordings of these tunes studio versions have appeared.

'Build me a Woman' which is tune with a blues image, and tune they had been performing off and on during late 1968 til early 1970.

Universal Mind and Love Hides both seem works in process, then completed works. Well Is should take back, Universal Mind sounds completed and a cool song but perhaps the band felt it sounded similar to a few other Doors songs.

The center piece of the live album is 'The Celebration of the Lizard' a 20 minute tour de force that was abandoned in the studio. While the band may have felt this did not work in the studio, live in certainly works, and the entire piece which is split up into mini song suites on the CD works.

'Break On Through ( to the Other Side) which shows Morrison did not take himself to serious, with his opening couplet "Dead Rats/Dead Cats/Thinks he is an aristocrat

Other examples of Jim Morrison's sense of humor appear, during 'When the Music is Over' when he yells at the audience to shut up, and makes a few comments at his and band's expense.

Even makes a joke about the Miami incident when he introduces Ray Manzarek for their cover of 'Close to you' which is not an impressive cover.

Overall very good live album, better live albums would be released by the band decades after Jim Morrison's death, but this album overall is good, and have listened to it, thousands of times it seems.

By the way this was the original cover:




In 1991 when the Oliver Stone hit big the band re-released the album and combined it with a previous live album 'Alive She Cried'



An album released to much hype in 1983 and one of my favorite live albums. The version of 'Gloria' which is edited from a soundcheck performance is smoking. 'Light My Fire' which is clocks in at 9 minutes shows off all the band's strengths, includes an improvised poem by Morrison in the middle of the song, and two great solos from Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek whereboth show off their improvestional skills.

'Moonlight Drive' is also impressive, where in the bridge section Morrison quotes from his 'Horse Latitude'

The original live album was short and sweet and is now out of print, because its included in the 'In Concert' album.



The album re-reissued was retitled 'In Concert"




This collection would go platinum and excellent two disc overview, where all the available live material ( at the time) is available on a two disc collection.

Other than the popular tracks and hits, I don't know The Doors well enough to comment on each album. Growing up nobody I knew had any of their albums so all I heard was radio songs a million times. Maybe being WAY overplayed kinda turned me off to them. Only about a year or so ago did I delve into their discography by finding a few vinyl LP's here and there. Now, I am a big fan. Jim Morrison still kinda creeps me out a bit but I am really loving that band. I think those musicians in The Doors are the epitome of classic 60's bluesy psychadelia. Love it.

I am going to do a quick overview of the comp albums released over the years of The Doors.



The first comp album was released in 1970 simply titled '13' because there were 13 tracks on the disc. Jim Morrison was opposed to its release, feeling these types albums were a rip off. Despite his feelings toward the album, the album was another major seller for the band, and would be the only greatest hits type of album released during Morrison's lifetime. This album has never been reissued on CD.



In 1972 a double album was released, barely a year after Jim Morrison's death. The surviving band members where against this release, since the band was attempting to carve out a post Jim Morrison career, and felt the band could not compete with their own past. Thou the album was not a big seller, it turned out to be a bigger seller then their the current 'Full Circle'. The album featured two non album cuts, one is 'Who Scared You' which is a great lost Doors song, and the other tune features a Ray Manzarek vocal tune 'You Need Meat' which should have stayed lost.



In 1980 a full blown Doors revival occurred, and the best selling album from the Doors catalog was this Greatest Hits album which went platinum. Growing up loved this album, sequenced excellent and was a perfect introduction to the band.



In 1985 that album was expanded and reissued as The Best of the Doors which is their best selling album selling over 10 million copies in the United States alone.



In 2007 the album released another greatest hits album, miraculously despite the already growing number of comps this album managed to go gold.



This album was essentially a comp of the Doors boxset. Before this album's release, usually the only member of the Doors who would grace the cover was Jim Morrison, but from here out the album covers would feature all four band members.



Another comp and another gold album. The first pressings had the aborted studio version of the Celebration of the Lizard.



This album was sold exclusively at Starbucks and believe it or not, the album managed to sell well despite having numerous comps out in the market.

There are other comps but I think this gives you good overview what is out there.

My poor thread is dying a slow death but I am going to keep it going.

I know I have not included as many facts, tidbits of the songs or quoted lyrics as often as I did on the last thread, but I am going to keep it going since I have commiteed myself to doing this thread.

For I am the Lizard King I can do anything.

You're doing an excellent job as usual. I'm thinking we don't have many fans of The Doors on here right now.

Released in April of 1971, this would be the original Doors last studio album. On July 3, 1971 Jim Morrison would die at the age of 27, this album served as a fitting epitaph.

While this album was being recorded, Jim Morrison bragged to friends that at last he was making a blues album.

The Changeling- The song opens up strong, with the song being about himself and his hometown of L.A. The city has so overtaken him, that it is the air he breathes, the food he eats, and it is everything. The city like himself is forever changing. This song features strong performances from the entire band, with session bassist Jerry Scheff gives it a heavy bottom end.

Love Her Madly- was written by Robby Krieger, inspired by an argument with his then girlfriend (now wife). Don't you love her madly/As she walks right out the door.
This song became a huge hit for the band.

Been Down So Long- A bit of bluesy tune, with a title Jim Morrison ripped off a best selling book of a man who has been down so damn long, that it all looks up to him.

Car Hiss By My Window- A blues like dirge that features one of Jim Morrison's cryptic poems. A great tune, where Morrison mimics the sound of wah wah guitar.

L. A. Woman- Jim Morrison's farewell song to the city he loved. Morrison had already planned his escape to Paris, after his commitment to the Doors was concluded. The song opens with his pulling into town and then taking a drive down her freeways. He sees the cops in cars, the topless bars, and hills burning with fire. Of course in a Doors song a bit of darkness creeps in with changing the mood from gladness. Jim Morrison even throws himself using the anagram Mr Mojo Risin'.

L'America- Was originally submitted to be used in Michelango Antonioni, who rejected it. Ray Manzarek's circus like carnival sound works perfectly as Jim Morrison's uses his poetry to portray a somewhat humorous metaphor filled glimpse into the life of traveling musician.

The Hyacinth House- Written by Jim Morrison in Robby Krieger's garden, and maybe the saddest song Morrison ever wrote.

'Why did you throw the jack of hearts away?/It was the only card in the deck/I had left to play

The entire album was recorded live, with the vocals being in the bathroom for the natural echo sound, the line that says 'I see the bathroom is clear' refers to the roadie who was in there while Morrison was forced to record his vocals for this song elsewhere.

Crawling King Snake- A cover of the John Lee Hooker classic had been in their set list even before they were signed. The band finally recorded a studio version of this tune, but I have heard their live versions of this tune by the band, it smokes this version.

Wasp (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)- The band had performed this Jim Morrison poem live in a abbreviated versions. The band finally recorded this tune and its a great song driven by John Densmore laying down a killer groove.

Riders on the Storm- was based on Jim Morrison's unfinished film 'HWY' One of the few overdubs on the album, where Jim Morrison adds a whisper track underneath his lead vocal. Love the song, oh hell I love the whole damn album.

After VH1 Classic did the all day Doors thing last week-end (I viewd the Classic Album and Soundstage Performances) , It made me wanna hear this album. This has ALWAYS been my favorite album by them. The reason is obvious. It rocks front to back, side to side, and under/over. I am of the opinion that even if Morrison wouldn't of passed away. This would of been the last studio album by them.

This is one of those albums that was made for lounging in a chair with headphones on.

I think L.A. Woman is a perfect album. All the various elements The Doors had introduced honed to razor sharp perfection. The music and lyrics are so evocative it's like being transported into a different little universe with each song, with Jim being the slightly inebriated tour guide.

The meatier sound of the arrangements and the stripped down live-in-the-studio production created a magical combination. The album essentially works as a tone poem to Los Angeles circa the start of the new decade.

One my all-time favorite albums.

The Doors and L.A. Woman are the best Doors albums in my opinion.