L.A. WOMAN

Some fans of the Doors might disagree with my stark assessments of "The Soft Parade" and "Morrison Hotel" (and that's okay) but, by all accounts, the members of the band didn't think those albums were very good, either. So they decided to do this one differently by tossing their producer on his ear and escaping their plush, comfy studio environment in order to create songs that they felt more appropriately reflected their musical preferences and overall direction. They literally brought the recording equipment into their rehearsal hall and started from scratch. Unbeknownst to them it was to be their last with their charismatic singer and troubled friend but their gamble paid off and they made an album to be proud of. I rate it right up there beside "Strange Days."

Starting with the atmospheric "Changeling," we fans could tell they were finally getting their momentum back. A lot of folks like "Love Her Madly" but I'm not one of them. I'll just say that if their intention was to produce a hit single they succeeded in a big way and leave it at that. "Been Down So Long" seems to be a personal observation by Morrison and "Cars Hiss By My Window" shows that he was still capable of writing decent lyrics. While I've grown tired of "L.A. Woman" over the years there's no denying that it is a terrific rock and roll song that succinctly describes the dangerous and ominous streets of the city of angels. It ebbs and flows with energy and purpose. Jim's gritty vocal attitude is perfect for this tune. After the menacing "Crawling King Snake" we get a dose of Morrison's beat poetry laid over a solid musical score in "WASP," a reminder that the band was still capable of making your hair stand on end. Then comes "Riders On The Storm," a song that will never grow old or out of date. It is timeless and it is so fitting that it is the last we hear from Jim because he seems to have finally come to grips with the killer on the road. It's as if he is resigned to his fate and ready for death. It's stalking him and he doesn't fear it in the least. His voice is cool, calm and collected from beginning to end and it is one of the most effective and profound performances in rock history. The music is progressive, beautiful and dramatic. In the end we still hear the rain falling and the thunder rolling as Morrison slips into the night.