THE DOORS

As a first review, this is a good place to begin (please excuse my clunky attempt). I actually taped "Light My Fire" long version off FM radio as a kid while this album was taking it by storm. I was about 11 years old and already a huge fan of The Doors. Couldn't afford to buy the LP, but my trusty Mission Impossible tape recorder (it was the exact same model - also a big Lalo Schifrin fan and taped much of that show) was handy to get those great 'long' songs only available on FM at the time. Trying to review this debut album is kind of like reviewing a sacred text in a way. Everyone knows the text and has a unique and personal impression already. To share my impression is to say that each song was at one time or other my favorite. Time passes and the flavor of one piece fades in time as another becomes more savory. But it's an album that has an unusual continuity for the time that allows one to listen to the entire thing. In those days it seemed to be expected for bands to record the gratuitous traditional blues song, a jazzy piece, a rock standard, and it was typical to skip over the genres that weren't to one's taste. Not so for this ground-breaker. The Doors had continuity and enough creativity to keep your attention for the entire LP. That was pretty unusual back then. The End was the most bizarre song ever by 1967 but it was pure Doors. The trance effect that was alluded to in Oliver Stone's film wasn't there for me, but the quiet attention that it demanded was. The smooth and powerful sound of "Break On Through" always made me sit in awe of the tension/release style of the barely-reigned Morrison who was always ready to explode. Maybe only early Kinks, some Morphine, and most Nirvana rivaled that style of the growling animal just beneath the surface who gets loose at the last moment. That was the part I waited for, when he finally let loose and belted it out. Poetry? Maybe not the best. But Jim was only in his 20s and great poetry takes lots of experience. For rock music, though, he was way over the competition. Those lyrics fit the dark mood of the songs. Not oppressively dark, just a little dangerous, and enough mystery to entice us in to enjoy this unique ambiance. It's a must recommendation, obviously, and a guaranteed plus for any collection.