The Doors - The Doors (1967)

1. Break On Through (To The Other Side)
2. Soul Kitchen
3. The Crystal Ship
4. Twentieth Century Fox
5. Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)
6. Light My Fire
7. Back Door Man
8. I Looked At You
9. End Of The Night
10. Take It As It Comes
11. The End

Best Song: Light My Fire

1967, a year that brought us Sgt. Pepper, Disraeli Gears, Surrealistic Pillow, and many other timeless albums, could very well belong to The Doors. With 2 classic albums in a 7 month period, any doubt that this band from Los Angeles would hold an important spot in the American Psychedelic scene would soon be extinguished. For sure, they weren’t the "trippiest" psych band, nor were they the first to do it, BUT they were arguably the most melodic to do it. But as far as "psychedelic" is concerned, that would just be one of the ingredients in this classic record, being the first important record of that year released, being put on shelves on January 4th.

The album begins with "Break On Through (To The Other Side)", its most hard hitting number (musically wise, not lyrically wise, as the "The End", as it appears like a calm and collective piece, is anything but that, concept wise) The INCREDIBLY catchy guitar riff, spellbinding keyboard solos, and Jim’s dominating delivery make this not only a highlight on the album, but a highlight of their whole discography. #126 on the charts? Smh…

The Doors were never a slouch at melodies either, as clearly shown in "Soul Kitchen" and "Twentieth Century Fox" the former being preferred over the latter. The opening lyrics to the song "Well the clock says its time to close now" never fails to catch my attention like seeing a skinny Santa Clause. As usual, a better than average guitar solo from Bobby Krieger accompanies Jim’s endearing command on the track. As a matter of fact, Jim’s vocals on this track are probably my favorite he’s ever done. Like on most of their albums, there aren’t very many "beautiful" tracks, in the normal sense of the word. "The Crystal Ship" probably being the only one. But, oh what a beauty it is. Jim’s voice is commanding and convincing enough for you to get out of your chair and to start searching for an actual crystal ship of your own. The build ups are breathtaking and the lyrics are one of the best by the band, EVER.

Here we get to the magnum opus of the record, the chart topping "Light My Fire." There are those brief moments in music that make even the most tragic events in life stop for a few minutes, in this case 7 minutes. Beginning and ending with Jim's verses, which would’ve been enough for it to secure classic status. I guess classic wasn’t enough for these guys, and low and behold they churn out one of the, if not THE BEST instrumental passages of all time. Those spine tingling guitar and keyboard solos, and the build up to the 2nd verse is nothing short of heavenly. Shame on the radio for cutting out the middle passage, but who listens to the radio nowadays anyway?

The two covers on the album "Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)" and "Back Door Man" are listenable enough, but nothing spectacular, except for some nice keyboard riffs from Ray Manzarek on "Back Door Man". "Alabama Song" seems out of place on the record. I’m all for diversity, but it just doesn’t really fit for me. "I Looked At You" and "Take It as It Comes" are solid enough to not bring the record down, but they don’t hold up with the others, even if they are extremely catchy. Now we come to one of the most climatic events of an album in history, "The End" What can I say? The gentle, yet haunting guitar lines from Krieger, mixed with the apocalyptic lyrics makes this album go out with a bang. I always picture myself sitting in a sandstorm listening to this song. The lyrics are possibly the most creative the band ever made, filling up most of the 11 minute epic track.

One of the best debut albums in rock history, it is a must for any 60’s music lover. Although they would continue with their psychedelic sound on their next album "Strange Days", this album is a high point in the bands discography.

Rating: 5 out of 5