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ALBUM REVIEW

THE DOORS

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THE DOORS

Released - January, 1967, Elektra Records. Produced by Paul R. Rothchild

Jim Morrison - Lead & Backing Vocals
Robby Krieger - All Guitars, Bass
Ray Manzarek - Organ, Piano, Bass
John Densmore - Drums & Percussion

All songs written by The Doors unless noted below.

SONG RATING
Break On Through (To The Other Side)     9.1
Soul Kitchen     8.7
Crystal Ships     7.4
Twentieth Century Fox   10.0
Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) (Weill-Brecht)     8.9
Light My Fire   10.0
Back Door Man (W. Dixon/C. Burnett)   10.0
I Looked At You     6.6
End Of The Night     6.4
Take It As It Comes     6.6
The End     8.4
Ave.     8.4

MINI REVIEW

For me, The Doors' self titled debut album ties for the best debut rock album ever, with Lynyrd Skynyrd's Pronounced. Had this album had been cut down to just it's eight best songs, it would have been better than Pronounced (which only has eight cuts).

Living with a Jim Morrison freak for so many years back in the '70s and '80s, I got to hear this album perhaps a bit too much. I never realized how much I really enjoyed The Doors until years later, when I hadn't heard it for awhile. It opens up strong with "Break On Through",  a powerful song that is close to perfect! In fact the first seven songs here are pure knock-outs! The three best on the album are "Twentieth Century Fox", "Back Door Man" and one of rock's all time best songs, "Light My Fire". A rock song which used a organ, courtesy of Ray Manzarek, as the lead instrument, not done too much up till this time.

Overall, this LP shot The Doors right into rock 'n roll space, mainly because of Morrison's great vocals, not to mention equally great song lyrics, and one tight little band.

-- Keno 2004

To listen to some soundclips from THE DOORS or to purchase it click on: The Doors (Expanded)

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