I started the Doors mid May in 2020 and finished them about a month later.
Strange Days (1967): B
Waiting for the Sun (1968): B
The Soft Parade (1969): C+
Morrison Hotel (1970): B+
Absolutely Live (1970): B-
L.A. Woman (1971): A-
The Doors (1967):
The keyboard and guitar attack prove to be a brilliant combo on "Break on Through" and "Light My Fire," but unfortunately Krieger doesn't offer nearly as much on the other tracks. Morrison's lyrics are excellent on "Soul Kitchen," "The Crystal Ship," and "The End" but I find his lyrics to be inconsistent too. Not that it particularly matters, but he's clearly proven himself able to write more interesting lyrics than "I Looked at You." But this is still a young group and I can work with inconsistency. Besides, someone in the band--Manzarek mostly--is always there to pick up the slack if needed. B+
Strange Days (1967):
Same as before: the lyrics on "Horse Latitudes" are on par with Dylan and yet Morrison fails to fully explore the interesting ideas he presents on "People Are Strange." Fortunately, Krieger has made progress and he's competent the whole way through. Unfortunately, the melodies aren't nearly as good as on their debut and although the Doors have some newfound muscle, it's not that impressive over these songs. B
Waiting for the Sun (1968):
The Doors are much more melodic on this LP, which I suppose is what I asked for. "Winterland Love" and "Spanish Caravan" work well in this new style and Morrison's lyrics are their strongest on the protest song "The Unknown Soldier" and "Not to Touch the Earth." Although this is a pretty nice listen, it often fades into the background. B
The Soft Parade (1969):
Incorporating brass and string arrangements to the Doors's music sounds ridiculous conceptually and it sounds ridiculous in execution too--I always picture Morrison in an all white suit and a top hat during "Tell All the People." But ridiculous isn't bad and, in fact, the horns help make "Touch Me" their best song since their debut. Jim's monopoly on the lyrics is sorely missed but I can't say Krieger wrote any crap to replace them except the bluegrass "Runnin' Blue." C+
Morrison Hotel (1970):
The band hasn't put so many winners on one album since The Doors and although "Roadhouse Blues" isn't "Light My Fire," the band's execution of their songs has never been better. Krieger, who has not only fulfilled but exceeded my expectations for his guitar playing, works magic on side one. The new blues/hard rock fits the band well--if only it continued onto side 2. B+
Absolutely Live (1970):
The performances aren't at the level I'd like them to be but this album communicated the undeniable fact: Morrison made the band a must see live. B-
L.A. Woman (1971):
I could do without the whispers on "Riders on the Storm” being so prominent but even with the track as it is, the raindrop-like keyboards and Morrison's exquisite vocal performance makes it the Doors' best song. I’m not sure which is more indicative of how much Morrison cared about sessions; the fact that it sounds like he didn’t bother clearing his voice before takes or that he’s never sounded more passionate. Whatever it was doesn’t matter because it’s his best vocal performance--his gruff manner enhances the songs, especially “The Changeling” and “L.A. Woman." Their best. A-
