Album Essentials: The Doors "L.A. Woman" (1971)
By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor
Released in 1971, ‘L.A. Woman,’ the Doors’ sixth and final album (for all intents and purposes) still stands among their most significant works. This was not the sound of a band on its final ride but rather a rejuvenated force to be reckoned with in the coming decade. Sadly, that was never to be, as Jim Morrison died shortly after the album’s release. The music, however, has more than withstood the test of the decades that have come and gone.
As the 1960s progressed to the 1970s, the band had been in some disarray, with Morrison facing legal troubles and changing times. Where would the Doors fit in?
Morrison had drastically morphed into a different character. Gone was the sex animal, rock and roll poet meets pin-up. He was replaced by a bearded sage awash in an alcoholic haze. “When he got too drunk, he would become kind of an ass,” according to Doors guitarist Robby Krieger in an interview with the L.A. Times back in 2021. “It got harder and harder to be close with him. He’d have his drinking buddies, and we were always trying to keep them from being together.” As the story goes, Morrison would be out on all-night benders and then show up the next day at the studio to work on material for what would form the album.
Though the blues had always been a huge part of the Doors style and mantra, that vibe was front and center for ‘L.A. Woman,’ as the band was immersed in a more authentic blues path than ever. As sessions began, producer Paul Rothchild threw his hands up, claiming the band had no material worth pursuing. He then walked out on the sessions, leaving the band to work solely with longtime engineer Bruce Botnik. Together, they created a masterpiece. The other half of that story, according to Krieger, plays differently.
“The real reason was that he’d just done Janis Joplin’s album, and then she died,” recalled Krieger. “He felt that something might happen if he produced our album. Rothchild didn’t want to be known as the guy who produced somebody, and then they died.”
From the opening punch of ‘The Changeling,’ you knew this was no drunk fest caught on tape; this was a ‘lean, mean, fighting machine!’ This was followed by the album’s first single, the classic ‘Love Her Madly,’ which missed the US Top Ten but has remained a signature song in the catalog. ‘Been Down So Long’ is straight-up blues, almost to the point of cliché, but Jim and band pull it off, and ditto for the slow groover ‘Cars Hiss By My Window.’
Side one ends on one of the key songs, the title track,’ L.A. Woman.’ It becomes the perfect driving song for nearly eight minutes, even slowing down around the curves before picking up pace again. Morrison’s performance is stellar, and the band is on fire. “What’s so brilliant about Jim on ‘L.A. Woman,’” added drummer John Densmore, “was his idea of writing about our town as a woman. ‘I see your hair’s burning; the hills are filled with fire.’ That’s our fires.”
‘L’America’ kicks off side two in a haze of minor key tension that builds until it bubbles over. In fact, all of side two wanders into strange corners of the room, from the jangle pop of ‘Hyacinth House’ to the gritty blues of ‘Crawling King Snake,’ a John Lee Hooker classic, to the stomping rock and roll of ‘The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)’ before finally ending on the dreamlike ‘Riders on the Storm.’ Yet another Doors classic on an album loaded with classics! ‘Riders’ may be one of the most identifiable Doors songs, and it can still send a shiver down your spine with that cascading piano–especially on a rainy day.
The album reached number nine and would, in many ways, serve as the band’s epitaph. Although the remaining members released two more albums without Morrison, it wasn’t ‘The Doors.’ ‘L.A. Woman’ would be their final word. Was it their best album? Personally, I would still vote for their first or ‘Strange Days,’ although ‘Morrison Hotel’ is pretty damn great as well. But yes, ‘L.A. Woman’ is definitely up there.
I always return to The Doors’ music for various reasons: it still sounds vibrant and fresh, showcasing a band with purpose. To some, The Doors are overrated and dated; to others, their recordings remain among the finest in rock and roll history. They are arguably one of the greatest American rock and roll bands ever.
The sad part is that in 2025, the band and their music seem taken for granted. It’s a shame, as there was no band like the Doors before them, and there have only been imitators since. Morrison elevated the frontman role to a whole new level while the band created its unique sonic sphere. Go now and immerse yourself in the music of the Doors; there are certainly worse ways to occupy your time.