Classic Cd Review: The Doors L.A. WOMAN

The last Doors' studio album that featured Jim Morrison was a real classic. It was far more of a blues album than any of their previous albums. And it would likely had been the last Doors' album to feature Jim Morrison even if he hadn't had died in Paris a few months after the album was completed. Although the album was a real classic, Jim Morrison was a complete mess during much of the recording. He was so drunk much of the time that longtime producer Paul A. Rothchild quit the project that recording engineer Bruce Botnick had to move ahead to produce and complete the project recorded on an eight track reel to reel audio recorder.

Morrison's departure from The Doors appeared to be so final that some songs that weren't used for the L.A. WOMAN album that Morrison rehearsed with the band were redone with either keyboardist Ray Manzarek or guitarist Robbie Krieger doing the vocal work for the album OTHER VOICES, which was released a scant three months after the death of Jim Morrison.

Considering the messed-up state of Jim Morrison who was both drunk as well as tired, it was amazing that L.A. WOMAN was such a classic. But, songs like "Love Her Madly", "Riders On The Storm", "L.A. Woman", "The WASP(Texas Radio And The Big Beat", "Crawling King Snake", "Been Down So Long" and "The Changeling" are among some of the greatest songs ever recorded by the band. It was simply a fantastic blues rock album.

The original vinyl album was once issued with an interesting rounded corner cover with a clear yellow window featuring the band. But, the album was eventually issued with a more conventional printed cover. And the cd version of the album was eventually reissued with bonus tracks not included on the original album including the B side of "Love Her Madly" which was "You Need Meat(Don't Go No Further" a blues-oriented number that featured Ray Manzarek on vocals along with the unfinished Jim Morrison solo song, "Orange County Suite".

The Bottom Line: A great classic album as well as one of the finest rock albums of all time. Jim Morrison's swan song album was a true classic. ++++(Four stars excellent. Own this classic album for sure).