Number 51 - The Doors by The Doors

Number 51: The Doors by The Doors

Mr. Mojo risin'

 

Release: January 4th, 1967
Genre: Psych Rock
Favorite Tracks: The End, Break on Through (To the Other Side), Twentieth Century Fox

 

Where I heard it: 

Back in 2010, my mom moved in with a guy she was seeing over the previous months. There were very few redeeming factors to my newly acquired father figure, but I have to admit that he sent me off on my vinyl collecting journey. I was amazed at his physical music library, comprised of hundreds of CDs and maybe about one hundred vinyl records. While my parents were away, I would set up his living room sound system and find a record that appealed to my tastes to give it a spin. My musical scope was more limited during my high school days, so there weren't too many selections that I was already previously familiar with. One album that jumped out at me during an evening listening session was The Door's self-titled album. I recognized the cover art of the band, and was familiar with the popular songs Break on Through (To the Other Side) and Light My Fire. My vague recollection of a legendary band inspired my decision to play The Doors on the turntable, and I was surprised by what I heard while sitting alone in my living room.

 Turn me out and I'll wander baby
Stumblin' in the neon groves
Your fingers weave minuets
Speak in secret alphabets
I light another cigarette
Learn to forget
~ Soul Kitchen

What to expect:

One of rock music's most affluent bands, The Doors made a home for themselves in the heart of Los Angeles, where they workshopped material at the famous Whiskey-a-Go-Go club for a potential release. Formerly known as surf rock group Rick & the Ravens, The Doors broke away from their uppity stage presence and developed their signature sound that melds blues, jazz, classical and rock together. The band's intriguing mystique spawns from the minds of its two founders, keyboardist Ray Manzerek and vocalist Jim Morrison. Manzerek's punctual organ notes steal the spotlight across nearly the entire album, highlighted by solos in Break on Through and Light My Fire or just keeping it suave with background cadences in Soul Kitchen and Twentieth Century Fox. The twangy tone of Manzerek's organ cuts through the levels of the rest of the band so potently, adapting to the various genre stylings with ease. This musical malleability works perfectly in conjunction with the gallant manner of frontman Jim Morrison, whose poetic lyrics draw heavy inspiration from works of classic literature. Morrison was famous for keeping a song journal with him, in which he would jot down lyrics or ideas for a song as he experienced them. As such, The Doors serves as a sort of chronicling of the early life of Jim Morrison's escapades within the city of angels. Its content are rife with allusions to promiscuous behavior and substance usage, matching the cheeky and disorienting moods forged by the band. Plenty of tracks experiment with elements of psychedelia, culminating into the album's most extraordinary track: the twelve minute epic The End. The disturbing imagery paired with the disillusioning reverb effects of the instruments cap off this album in dramatic fashion, beholding elegance in the macabre. It's a significant conclusion to an album that otherwise revolves around glorified love songs, setting the precedent for future releases by The Doors. If it weren't for this landmark debut album, many of the band's greatest hits may have never come to fruition.

The killer awoke before dawn
He put his boots on
He took a face from the ancient gallery
And he walked on down the hall
He went into the room where his sister lived
And then he paid a visit to his brother
And then he walked on down the hallway
And he came to a door
And he looked inside
"Father?"
"Yes, son?"
"I want to kill you."
"Mother, I want to..."
~ The End

Why it's my favorite: 

A very compelling argument can be made for Jim Morrison as one of rock's greatest songwriters. His magniloquent lyrics weave captivating tales that immerse the listener within the experience of a song's setting, leaving a hint of open-endedness to some phrases that leave meaning up to interpretation. Morrison exudes complete confidence in his vocal delivery to the point it can nearly be misconstrued as pretentious. His laid back persona is cool as can be, lending to the mysterious aura that surrounded him as an artist. This guy was everything you could desire in a frontman, and yet his cumulative talents created this larger-than-life character that was greater than the sum of its parts. Perhaps Morrison's short-lived career inflates history's perception of him, but it's my firm belief that the success of The Doors wouldn't have been possible without a wild card like Jim Morrison. Credit to the musicians for their unmistakable contributions to this outstanding album, but I can't ever associate The Doors with anybody other than their illustrious leader. His unusual approach to a popular genre set the standard going forward for so many bands that succeeded him.