STRANGE DAYS

After being introduced to the Doors about a month ago through their stellar debut, I was a little nervous when this album landed on my doormat (via a Brazillian Rainforest related website) that it wouldn't be any good. Most reviews (on this site and others) did not place it in anywhere near as high esteem as the debut. My first listen didn't do much to throw away those fears. But a few spins later and I can find myself enjoying it a lot.

'Strange Days' couldn;t be further from the raw and energetic debut. This slick, polished, yet characteristically dark song made me think of the new wave and post punk that would come into fruition more than a decade later. It particularly reminded me of Bowie's 'Scary Monsters' album. But it is a great song. 'You're Lost Little Girl' returns more to the style of the eponymous album, with some of my favourite vocals from Jim. 'Love Me Two Times' is the first truly convincing song on this album, proving the band were far from lacking in energy. I already new the song through Aerosmith's cover of it, but the original, as with 99% of cases, blows cover versions out of the water. Jim sings the sexually oriented lyrics in a truly convincing way. 'Unhappy Girl' is less interesting musically, but has some great lyrics. 'Horse Lattitudes' shows the darker side of 60s psychedelia as Mr. Morrison practically screams desperate poetry over the bands frantic playing, complete with sound effects. Complimentary to the lyrics, Jim's voice literally sounds like a boat being tossed and turns by the unpredictable sea of the music. Brillaint and distrubing stuff. 'Moonlight Drive' continues with this dark psychedelia much advanced form the tamer, earlier, versions showcased as bonus tracks on the CD reissue of the debut. This song tells a strange story with great music building up a dark atmosphere. 'People are Strange' is certainly my favourite song on the album. The simple lyrics ring true and the jaunty tune is fitting in a kind of ironic way. This song is a perfect example of a simple pop song. The sexual themes are brought back in 'My Eyes Have Seen You', a lower quality song but pretty decent. I like 'I Can't See Your Face in My Mind' although it's not amazing. 'When the Music's Over' is often lauded as the Doors greatest song, but I beg to differ. It is an obvious attempt to recreate the magic of 'The End' off of the debut. It does very well on the whole, but the thing is 'The End' was the ultimate example of what it is and does not need to be bettered. However, ignoring what it is trying to be, it stands good and proud as what it actually is. A great song, with brilliant lyrics, and a certain intensity to it. This is a song that when removed from the shadow of its predecessor, is revealed to be rich in a character of its own, an epic rock song, that twists and turns through several moods, with differing sections. Overall it is a great way to end an album such as this.

Personally I think the lyrics on this album are even better than the wonderfully poetic debut. The music, however, in some places (not many) sounds a little weak to carry such great poetry, and as a result does not have the power and personality of the debut. I rated the first album with a borderline five stars and this one gets a very solid, well deserved four stars.