#212: The Doors - LA Woman (1971)

Zack: I’ve been meaning to get into The Doors forever, but never really had enough motivation. That feels weird to say, being such a huge Hendrix and Pink Floyd fan, as well as a moderate Joplin and Jefferson Airplane enthusiast. I feel like this should have happened a lot sooner, but here we are. L.A. Woman is the first Doors album I’ve ever listened to, and I was really impressed. It had that bluesy feel that I love so much but was also just pretty heavy and psychedelic. I was enamored by this album and can already guarantee multiple listens. What I’m also pretty excited for is to delve into the rest of their discography. That’s been a minor subplot to this whole adventure. If I like a band from listening to a list-worthy album, I’m usually quick to obtain and devour the rest of their discography, or at least what’s not on the list. I went right through The Flaming Lips (except Soft Bulletin, which I’ve heard almost every song off of because of Pandora at this point) and Joy Division from way back when and have dipped my toes into extra Bowie, Neil Young and Pixies. I’m now an avid Johnny Cash fan and can’t wait to listen to San Quentin. It’s always a gamble because the albums that didn’t make the list usually fell short for a reason, but I have a good feeling about Strange Days, Soft Parade and Waiting for the Sun. So when either Morrison Hotel or The Doors rolls around, you can bet I’ll be a much more informed Doors fan.

Favorite Tracks: Changeling; Crawling King Snake; Cars Hiss by My Window

Emily: The Doors are a legendary classic rock band, but if you had asked me what I thought of them before about an hour ago, I would probably hum in a perplexed fashion and ultimately admit that all I really knew about them was that when America's Next Top Model was in Paris two of the girls went to visit Jim Morrison's grave and dramz ensued because the other two girls wanted to go shopping or something. Luckily, I am substantially more informed now that I have listened to LA Woman. This is the last album that Morrison recorded with the band before his death and consequent membership in the "27 Club." So I'm working backwards here, but as a later album I'll conjecture that LA Woman showcases the developed Doors sound. It's bluesy and rock and psychedelic, but put together in a unique way with Morrison's vocal prowess. As we continue through the list and come across The Doors again, I hope we continue to move backwards in the band's discography. I'm curious to see how this evolution of heavy blues psychedelia came to be.

Favorite Tracks: L'America; LA Woman; Been Down So Long