Doors LA Woman grossly overrated

I bought LA Women this record a couple of  days ago on an impulse when I saw it at a cheap price. Boy was I dissappointed with it when I gave it a listen last night, to me the whole album is flat, firstly Jim Morrison just doesn't seem to care about the audience ( I know he was deterioating at this point), secoundly this album is so behind with what had as was happening musically this album was made in 1971 but it sounded more like 1967.

I wouldn't say overrated, I would say is not as good as many people say. (isn't it the same? ).... I mean, I think is way better than Morrison Hotel and The Soft Parade (which, outside of the title track, is almost in the atrocity level), but nowhwre near The Doors or Strange Days or the (in this case underrated, for me) Waiting for The Sun. It's true that Morrison's voice was a disaster at this point in terms of stability, but he had a certain tone to it that made the voice unique, even more than what it was. The music is decent (The title track, L'A America, Love her Madly) but the album would be ultimately saved weven without those songs because it contains one of the band's greatest gem: Riders on the Storm... that song is a testament to the fact that, with very little, you can do so much...magnificent. So I'd say no to the question.

It's an awesome album, stuffed full of great tunes.  I love it.  Not remotely proggy though, mostly blues-rock, with a touch of jazz on Riders.  

L.A. Woman is one of The Doors finest moments.

This album marked the era were Morrison, humbled by public humiliation, now started to take the music seriously. Embracing the blues roots and shaking of the dying kaliedioscope of psychedelia, The Doors, hit their purest moment.

The raunchy (Detroitish) swinging of Changeling is not far from that of Soul Kitchen.

L.A Woman and Riders are unparalleled classics with beautiful dark and shadowy imagary. The musical composition is as mature as The Doors will ever reach.

Been Down So Long, Crawling King Snake and Cars Hiss By My Window, send us once again down the dark alley's through Morrison's mind. Check out Jim's harmonica solo on Cars...(without said instrument). Five to One comes to mind, with this tune. 

Hyacinth House, hints at a Doors that could be. Light, melodic and always quirky, a facet of Jim's side so little experienced.

The Wasp is the "hit" from this disc. Heavy riff and a fully listenable tune. Not a fav of mine, but the masses say different.

L' America has a Not to Touch the Earth feel, but not as good.

Love Her Madly is the "pop" tune on this album.

L.A. Woman by The Doors.

Get it.

And don't look back.

 

Cheesecakemouse wrote: I bought LA Women this record a couple of  days ago on an impulse when I saw it at a cheap price. Boy was I dissappointed with it when I gave it a listen last night, to me the whole album is flat, firstly Jim Morrison just doesn't seem to care about the audience ( I know he was deterioating at this point), secoundly this album is so behind with what had as was happening musically this album was made in 1971 but it sounded more like 1967. Musically speaking it sounded like it had not paid attention to the innovations of the the past by such albums as theBeatles album Abbey Road, Jimmy Hendrix Electric Ladyland, Miles Davis Bitches Brew. Nor does it appear were the musicians aware of the innovations that occured in 1971, that year albums Can's Tago Mago, the Yes Album, Van derr Graaf Generator H to He, these albums are light years ahead of LA Woman. To me the album falls completely flat, it sounds like it came out just after the release of the song 'Wild Thing' (by the troggs if i'm correct). In My opinion the only reason people bother with the Doors is firstly Jim Morrison was good looking, lived the wild rock n' roll lifestyle and died young. According to the rulwes of pop culture matrydom if you look good, live hard and die young you are an immortal legend. Also to reinforce that was Oliver Stone's movie, which resulted in Morrison's sanctification to a devine musical authority, and the resulting pop culture magazines eg the Rolling Stone Magazine. So in the end I think LA Woman was a dud, it was a Turkey when it was released and still is a Turkey today. But because of Morrison's sainthood decleared by the pop culture authrities many people do not question the quality (or lack of) on this album. After all Saint Morrison is on posters and tee shirts at your local music store. In my opinion if Jim Morrison was still alive today , the Doors would not have the high status today, and Jim Morrison like Tom Jones wuold be now singing in Las Vegas and considered at the same level as Tom Jone, not the rock 'God' who died young. As a result I give this LA Woman 2 stars. Thankyou for your time.

Edited by Cristi - March 21 2007 at 09:17

Nope, LA Woman is an exceptional album, maybe The Doors best.

Uroboros wrote: TheProgtologist wrote: he was a brilliant lyricist and poet.   No, he was not. He was a kid who had probably read some Rimbaud and most definitely some Blake and thought it would be cool to mumble something in a similar style as lyrics for his songs. He built up some kind of childish, incoherent imagery with lizards and stuff and he probably also thought shamans were cool or something, cause he kept bringing that up if I recall well. Like the Mercury Rev guys nicely put it in a song some time ago, "I'm alive! she cried - but I don't know what it means". He was not a poet, and I wouldn't call him an inspired lyricist either, although you might argue that some things sounded decent enough in the context of one song or another.

TheProgtologist wrote: Uroboros wrote: TheProgtologist wrote: he was a brilliant lyricist and poet.   No, he was not. He was a kid who had probably read some Rimbaud and most definitely some Blake and thought it would be cool to mumble something in a similar style as lyrics for his songs. He built up some kind of childish, incoherent imagery with lizards and stuff and he probably also thought shamans were cool or something, cause he kept bringing that up if I recall well. Like the Mercury Rev guys nicely put it in a song some time ago, "I'm alive! she cried - but I don't know what it means". He was not a poet, and I wouldn't call him an inspired lyricist either, although you might argue that some things sounded decent enough in the context of one song or another.   "He was a kid who had probably read some Rimbaud and most definitely some Blake"   Do you know anything about the man?He was a voracious reader with a near genius level IQ,so don't insult his intelligence.   What you think of any of his work is all a matter of taste and opinon,isn't it?I like his poetry and his lyrics,and the imagery he used.   I'm a blue collar guy,I guess my tastes aren't as "refined" as yours.

Uroboros wrote: TheProgtologist wrote: Uroboros wrote: TheProgtologist wrote: he was a brilliant lyricist and poet.   No, he was not. He was a kid who had probably read some Rimbaud and most definitely some Blake and thought it would be cool to mumble something in a similar style as lyrics for his songs. He built up some kind of childish, incoherent imagery with lizards and stuff and he probably also thought shamans were cool or something, cause he kept bringing that up if I recall well. Like the Mercury Rev guys nicely put it in a song some time ago, "I'm alive! she cried - but I don't know what it means". He was not a poet, and I wouldn't call him an inspired lyricist either, although you might argue that some things sounded decent enough in the context of one song or another.   "He was a kid who had probably read some Rimbaud and most definitely some Blake"   Do you know anything about the man?He was a voracious reader with a near genius level IQ,so don't insult his intelligence.   What you think of any of his work is all a matter of taste and opinon,isn't it?I like his poetry and his lyrics,and the imagery he used.   I'm a blue collar guy,I guess my tastes aren't as "refined" as yours.   I'm not insulting his intelligence, I'm just trying to say that he wasn't the "poet" that many consider him. I think it's the result of all the media hype surrounding the band and everything about it, praising the guy to sometimes ridiculous extents. Yes, I happen to know a few things about poetry, and no literary critic in their right mind (and sober) would take his poetry seriously. Of course you can like the lyrics, of course they can offer you a compelling scene or a moving image, there's nothing wrong with that. But don't mistake it for serious poetry. I don't know very much about him (although it's impossible not to know at least a few things when everybody talks about the same guy even after fourty years, as if little had happened in the meantime), so I may be wrong about his reading habits. But his influences are few and generally unfiltered/obvious. Reading does not make you a good writer (not even a good reader for that matter), and neither does a high IQ, so your argument doesn't hold. Please don't take any of this as an offense; I am simply tired of people making icons out of certain characters for the most inappropriate reasons and on no reasonable grounds. Of course there is more to these things for the people who directly experienced them (like Peter said), but even they should be able to judge objectively after a while.

So you are basically saying that The Doors are a bad band because Ray Manzarek made sure Jim was in his band because of Jim's poetry and thats wh THe Doors started - becasue of Jim's poetry. Jim quoted part of a poem he wrote (which later became Moonlight Drive I think) and Ray was amazed. And have you read his lyrics? Those are great poetry. And he kept on bringing up shamans and native Americans and stuff because events he had a traumatic event in his childhood (He saw a car crash that involved a truck with a bunch of Native Americans, who that died - "Indians scattered on dawn's highway bleeding") And the lizards have to do with the few acid trips he had (I think - its what is put in the few biographies I've read)


Edited by progismylife - March 21 2007 at 13:58