The Doors is the debut album by the American rock band The Doors, recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967. It features the breakthrough single "Light My Fire", extended with a substantial instrumental section mostly omitted on the single release, and the lengthy song "The End" with its Oedipal spoken-word section.
The Doors credit the success of their first album to being able to work the songs out night after night at the Whisky a Go Go and the London Fog. The album was ranked number 42 on Rolling Stone's list the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Background
The Doors final line up was formed in mid 1965 after Ray Manzarek's two brothers left and Robby Krieger joined.[1] The Doors were initially signed to Columbia Records under a six month contract, but the band agreed to a release after being unable to secure a producer for the album from Columbia.[2] After being released from the label The Doors played club venues including the London Fog and The Whisky a Go Go until they were signed to Elektra records by Jac Holzman.[3]
Production
The album was recorded at Sunset Sound Studios in California over six days, with producer Paul Rothchild and audio engineer Bruce Botnick.[4] A four track tape machine was used for recording using mostly three tracks, bass and drums on one, guitar and organ on another with Jim's voice on the third. The fourth track was used for overdubbing.[5] During recording of the album a bass player was present on some of the songs, while on stage Ray Manzarek used a left-handed keyboard bass.[6] For tracks "The End" and "Light My Fire" two takes were worked of each and cut together to achieve the final song.[7]
Writing and composition
Although all composition work was credited to the band as a whole, the primary writers were Morrison and Krieger. "The End"'s Oedipal climax was first performed live at the Whisky A Go Go and The Doors were thrown out as a result of lead vocalist Jim Morrison screaming "Mother...I want to fuck you!" near the climax of the song. "Alabama Song" was originally written and composed by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill for their opera Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny); "Back Door Man" was a Howlin' Wolf cover written by Willie Dixon. The line "Some are born to sweet delight, some are born to endless night" from "End of the Night" is a quote from William Blake's poem "Auguries of Innocence".
Speed discrepancy
The 40th Anniversary Mix presents the first album in speed-corrected form for the first time. The speed discrepancy (being about 3.5% slow) was brought to Bruce Botnick's attention by a Brigham Young University professor who stated that all the video and audio live performances of The Doors performing "Light My Fire", as well as the sheet music show the song being in a key almost a full half step higher than the LP release. Only the 45 RPM single of "Light My Fire", issued in 1967, was produced at the correct speed.[8]
Reception
The Doors made a steady climb up the Billboard 200, ultimately becoming a huge success in the US once "Light My Fire" scaled the charts, with the album peaking at #2 on the chart in September 1967 and going on to achieve multi-platinum status. In Europe, the band would have to wait slightly longer for similar recognition, with "Light My Fire" originally stalling at #49 in the UK singles chart and the album failing to chart at all. However, in 1991, buoyed by the high profile of Oliver Stone's film The Doors, a re-issue of "Light My Fire" made #7 in the singles chart and the album made #43. It eventually spent more time on the UK chart than any other Doors studio album.
The album is #42 on "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and is also on "The Rolling Stone Hall Of Fame". The album is on Q magazine's "100 Greatest Albums Ever" and ranked #25 in NME magazine's list of the "Greatest Albums Of All Time".[15] Critic/historian Piero Scaruffi named The Doors the fifth greatest rock album of all time.[16]
Censorship
The songs "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" and "The End" were both released censored on the album. During "Break on Through" the part where Jim Morrison sings "She gets, she gets" was originally recorded as "She gets high." The vocal interlude near the end of "The End" includes Morrison using the word fuck repeatedly and was taken out of the album's stereo release; however, it remains in the monophonic vinyl LP release of the album. Subsequent releases of the album have both of the original parts intact, although 1980s compact disc reissues kept the verses censored. The band accepted this censorship, but refused to reword "Light My Fire" in their infamous Ed Sullivan Show performance ("Girl we couldn't get much higher").
Track listing
All songs written by Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek and John Densmore, except where noted.
The running time of "Light My Fire", while listed correctly below, is incorrectly stated as 6:30 or 6:50 on some LP and CD versions of the album. An edited version of the song removing most of its organ and guitar solos, with a running time of 2:52, was issued as the Doors' second single in May 1967.
Side one
1. "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" – 2:29
2. "Soul Kitchen" – 3:35
3. "The Crystal Ship" – 2:34
4. "Twentieth Century Fox" – 2:33
5. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)" (Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill) – 3:20
6. "Light My Fire" – 7:06
Side two
1. "Back Door Man" (Willie Dixon) – 3:34
2. "I Looked at You" – 2:22
3. "End of the Night" – 2:52
4. "Take It As It Comes" – 2:17
5. "The End" – 11:41
40th Anniversary Edition CD bonus tracks
12. "Moonlight Drive" (Version 1, recorded August 1966) – 2:42
13. "Moonlight Drive" (Version 2, recorded August 1966) – 2:31
14. "Indian Summer" (Recorded August 1966) – 2:35
Personnel
* Jim Morrison – vocals
* Robby Krieger – guitar, backing vocals
* Ray Manzarek – Vox Continental organ, piano, keyboards, keyboard bass, marxophone, backing vocals
* John Densmore – drums
* Larry Knechtel (uncredited) – bass ("Soul Kitchen", "Twentieth Century Fox","Back Door Man", "I Looked At You", "Take It As It Comes")