Review of The Doors - The Doors 

Released in 1967, The Doors' first album provided a dark under-current to the good vibes of the summer of love. Ray Manzarek (organ), Robby Krieger (guitar), and John Densmore (drums) provide lead singer Jim Morrison under-appreciated accompaniment to his stark, psychedelic visions. All of the elements that created the cult of Jim Morrison are evident: Dionysian indulgence, literary fire, and musical ambition. But it's the musical arrangements that set this record apart. 

The Doors believed their music could incorporate everything. Tracks such as "End Of The Night" (50's Beat poetry) and "Alabama Song" (German opera) illustrate this point. The jazzy pop of "Light My Fire" is off-set by the searing blues of "Back Door Man," while the Freudian nightmare "The End" completes the album on a harrowing note. 

While musicians and critics alike praise the band's musical adventurousness, it was Morrison who was the focal point, giving the band and the record company an image they could market. Iggy Pop and Patti Smith, among innumerable others, learned lessons about the cathartic powers of sex, poetry, and violence from the persona that Morrison defined on The Doors.

Released Date: 1990
Warner Bros.
Japan

Tracks:
Break On Through (To The Other Side)
Soul Kitchen
The Crystal Ship
Twentieth Century Fox
Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
Light My Fire
Back Door Man
I Looked At You
End Of The Night
Take It As It Comes
The End

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