The Doors (Review)
Hi. Hey. Hello. ItzSonny...and The Doors. Never heard of them before...until now 😀 and uh yah, as a fan of psychedelic rock, this group is one of the OGs in the genre and better way than to dive into the genre proper, by checking out their debut self-titled record, so I'm going to use this LP as my proper reintroduction to the genre and join me as we vibe with The Doors' simply self-titled debut record, "The Doors", let's review.
BACKGROUND
The story all began when keyboardist (Ray Manzarek) met novice vocalist (Jim Morrison) in 1965, and it wasn't until 1966 when the full band formed with guitarist (Robby Krieger) and drummer (John Densmore), even with the group together, they were still unknown when finding themselves at the London Fog Nightclub in Los Angeles. Only after 12 months of endless gigs that helped them on their way did they reach stardom, wowing audiences with their set of unique songs and eventually they signed with the Elektra imprint as their record label, which was a very small label at the time housing unknown legends at the time of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. The record was nothing similar to a big corporation as they were truly dedicated to the craft of music, assembling the ultimate team to aid The Doors in producing their debut album with producer (Paul A Rothchild) and engineer (Bruce Botnick) who the band really adored. The band was ready to go as when the sessions commenced in the Sunset Sound Recorders in LA, the record was fully complete IN ONLY SIX DAYS, GAWDDANG, THESE ARE SOME PASSIONATE ARTISTS, MY RESPECT. Already locked in, they completed their album...so how was their first impression to the world of music?
REVIEW
"Break on Through (To the Other Side)"
Off the bat with this opener, you can already tell why The Doors caught on with music fans for this song is just a peer melodic jamboree of a track with such a quick witted aura to its simplistically charming chorus and lyricism overall with such a kinetic string of instruments to convey such an addictive energetic opener that already defines the album.
"Soul Kitchen"
I love the overall play of descriptions within this song's lyricism really perfectly establishing a setting and desire through creative rhythm, which rhythm speaks well for the melody as well, not being as kinetic as the opener, rather being explosive in positive aggression in the chorus, only to calm down into a more bop-stop play of the keys to really make this a track that showcases this band can juggle multiple moods.
"The Crystal Ship"
I love how 3 songs in, every track has truly been distinct sound-wise with this one almost having a heavenly tone to it with almost an instrumental choir aesthetic to it with the repetitive drums and pushing keys with a very deep vocal delivery from Jim Morrison and an idea of choosing to be celebrative rather than be in misery, for a track-list ranging to around 2 minutes, they manage to convey so much in so little time effectively.
"Twentieth Century Fox"
Another song that greatly explores the band's trait of description, this time a song focused on essentially glazing this woman under the term of the title of the song, with a very carnival circus sounding tone to it and a fun jingle of the instrumental arrangement going into the composition and overall mix, with a very fun almost foot tapping flow to it.
"Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)"
This song is honestly kind of dark when you examine upon it, detailing a prostitute in Alabama looking for a whisky bar and having to make money through sexuality, which the story fits with the song continuing off the previous track with its weird zany almost clown-based looney vibe to the overall melody and tone, with a much more low charismatic delivery from Jim in the vocals.
"Light My Fire"
If this isn't the best song on the whole record, oh my god then this is the beginning, being a full 7-minute track, it starts off very calm, lucid, just wanting to light it up and get high and then the entire middle of the track until the very closing lyrics is this entire whirlwind of a spin of such psychedelic masterful music with such a colorful tone, swish of the keys, heavy percussion, and overall entirely cohesive melody and mix to make this like a definitive LSD-mandatory psychedelia song.
"Back Door Man"
A back door man...a man who goes out the back door right before the husband comes home, this man is in an affair and this song slaps, I love that frisky macho vibe to it with such a compelling refrain and truly monotonous composition with every instrument really going hard in this interior dilemma.
"I Looked at You"
Sweet and simple, just looking at each other and you can't take it back, crazy drum smacking, fun enough chorus, and an overall solid tone to boot, it's for sure the weakest track on the LP yet only because it’s the simplistic one and the fact it's still this good truly says something.
"End of the Night"
I believe this track is much better than the prior track in being a short song and still being quite effective as this one feels very tiring, yet not in a "lazy" kind of way, rather the song does a great job at feeling like a track intending to put us to sleep through a very dreamy and mellow melody that adds aura to the song and for how short it is, it truly works.
"Take It as It Comes"
I love this song, I love its message, take it slow, don’t go too fast, despite the song going really fast in its tone and flow and yet I don't care because this all sounds great and is a really fun energetic, yet personal and teaching a valuable lesson that can apply to anything with such a rush of persona all across to make this a standout track from me personally.
"The End"
OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD, nah but seriously the entire album was like a 10/10 and then this song put it up into a 50/10 cause GOD LORDY LORD it's like this magnum opus of a closer made every other track in this list stale in comparison because of how much of an 11-minute psychedelic mind-trip of a headbanging body motioning falling down this loop hole of a musically accurate and rich writing of a song is just so damn GOOD like DAAAAAMN, this song is just amazing and spectacular and wonderful and masterful and great and it just makes me go just like just like FUCKKKKKK, IT'S SO GOOD and how does the album as a whole round up?
CONCLUSION
I think its undeniable that this deserves to be considered one of the greatest debut albums ever because a debut album's job is to truly showcase why a music artist is different and special, this is their footprint into the world of music, baby's first step, and The Doors took their baby steps with this LP and then just started running until they did 10 triple front flips over the moon because its ideas of existentialism, living in bliss than misery, wrongful acts of humanity, yet overall how every track stands out in distinction with their own flair of psychedelic sound and rock and pop with a great display of every member's contributions to the art of The Doors as a project and this is just an album...that truly holds up, if you're going to enter music...you do it like these legends here. It's been Sonny and so long, farewell, and goodbye.
“This is the end, beautiful friend
This is the end, my only friend, the end
It hurts to set you free, but you’ll never follow me
The end of laughter and soft dies
The end of nights we tried to die”
