The Doors – “The Doors”

The Sleeve:

The Liner/Sleeve Notes:
None.

Personal Review:
 Okay, so what better way to end 2014 then with posting the Doors self-titled album! It’s actually really great.

 So, the album opens with my favorite Doors track, “Break On Through (To the Other Side)” which is just all around amazing. From the drums, to the organ right down to Jim’s vocals, this whole song rocks. Okay, I really love the Doors. After that comes “Soul Kitchen” which is totally amazing, Jim’s vocals are mesmerizing, then comes the chorus and that with the organ playing is absolutely stunning. Ray’s key work really makes a lot of what is so great to hear. Then after that comes “The Crystal Ship” and it starts off slow, with some spoken words, before we go into the song itself. It’s a softer, nice song, calming and relaxing. That piano solo though, is one of the greatest things I have ever heard in all my years of doing this. Right there, this album rocks. Then comes another one of my favorite Doors songs, “Twentieth Century Fox” comes next, and it opens with some mean guitar playing and some great bass, before we get into the chorus, which the musicianship on that chorus itself, makes the song beyond great. Then comes one of the Doors greatest exhibitions of musicianship and vocals, “Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)” comes next, which is great on so many aspects of the song. Every note hit, vocally and musically, is perfect. It’s crazy how great this is. Then the A-Side finishes with the Doors most widely known songs, “Light My Fire” which starts off with some really great lyrics, and then that super long jam session, which features quite outstanding keyboard playing by Ray Manzarek, like there is just so much talent on this whole album. The guitar playing is another thing of greatness here. Then after that big long jam session, Jim comes back in to finish the song, and well… it’s amazing.

 We then continue on to “Back Door Man” which starts off with Jim Morrison making various noise with some bass playing going on before the keyboards and actual vocals start. There is some pretty fancy piano playing going on too now. Though, Jim’s vocals really shine through on this song too. You know, this song may be long, but it’s quite great. The lyrics, though they’re not Jim’s, flow perfectly as if he did write them. Then comes “I Looked At You” which lyrically, could almost come off as a pop song, like it could be sung by the Monkee’s or something, but if it wasn’t for the amazing musicianship and Jim’s powerful vocals, it’s pretty great. “End of the Night” follows, and it’s a slow song, but the musicianship saves it, I think if there were some backing vocals, just something subtle, nothing overshadowing Jim, it would be great. Then comes “Take It As It Comes” which starts off so quietly and slow you wouldn’t even notice it, but then it goes right into the song and wow, that is all I have to say, it’s absolutely stunning. Then the album ends with the song “The End” and what better way to end the album and the year with other than this song? The soft guitar playing, and bass playing make for the awesome intro, and for those not familiar with this song, watch “Apocalypse Now” – anyways, Jim’s vocals come in with the terrific lyrics, “This is the end, my only friend, the end” and well, from there on out the song goes on vocally amazing. I cannot even continue to not be able to say how great this song is, like it’s one of the greatest songs ever. Then comes a spoken word part, and Jim lets it all out, in the story-telling like part of the song. The musicianship in the song is absolutely stunning, I cannot believe this. Yup, this is a great album.

Interesting Facts:
None.

Track Listing:
A1 – Break On Through (To the Other Side)
A2 – Soul Kitchen
A3 – The Crystal Ship
A4 – Twentieth Century Fox
A5 – Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)
A6 – Light My Fire

B1 – Back Door Man
B2 – I Looked at You
B3 – End of the Night
B4 – Take It As It Comes
B5 – The End

Label:
Elektra

Catalog Number:
EKS – 74007

Studio Musicians & Other Album Credits:
Vocals – Jim Morrison
Organ, Piano & Bass – Ray Manzarek
Guitar – Robby Krieger
Drums – John Densmore
Produced by – Paul A. Rothchild
Production Supervisor – Jac Holzman
Engineer – Bruce Botnick, Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood
Front Cover Photo – Guy Webster
Back Cover Photo – Joel Brodsky
Art Direction & Design – William S. Harvey

Other Albums I Own by The Doors:
“L.A. Woman”

Released:
1967

Related Vinyls:

Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Smash Hits” The Beatles – “The White Album” Traffic – “Traffic” The Rolling Stones – “England’s Newest Hit Makers”