The Doors

The Doors
Studio album by The Doors
Released	January 4, 1967
Recorded	August 24–31, 1966 at Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, CA
Genre	Psychedelic rock
Length	44:28
Label	Elektra, Asylum
Producer	Paul A. Rothchild
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Music Box link Rolling Stone RS 921 Slant Magazine link Robert Christgau (mixed) July 1967 Robert Christgau (B-) reissue
The Doors chronology
The Doors (1967) Strange Days (1967)

The Doors is the debut album by the American rock band The Doors, 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 40th Anniversary Mix presents the first album in speed-corrected form for the first time. The speed discrepancy 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.

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 or the London Fog. "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. "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.

Reception

The album was a huge success in the US, peaking at #2 on the chart and has gone 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".^[1]

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 interlude singing part near the end of "The End" was censored and taken out. It included Jim using the word fuck over and over. 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.

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 1966) – 2:42
13. "Moonlight Drive" (Version 2, recorded 1966) – 2:31
14. "Indian Summer" (Vocal Version, recorded August 19, 1966) – 2:35

Personnel

• Jim Morrison – vocals
• Robby Krieger – guitar, backing vocals
• Ray Manzarek – organ, piano, keyboards, keyboard bass ("Break On Through", "The Crystal Ship", "Twentieth Century Fox", "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)", "Light My Fire", "End of the Night", "The End"), 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")

Chart positions

• Billboard Music Charts (North America)

Album

Singles

References