The Doors - The Doors (1967)

15-02-2025

>Shitty MKUltra circus music starts playing
I EAT MORE CHICKEN THAN ANY MAN EVER SEEN
>shitty boomer guitar solo
SHE GET HIIIIGH
SHE GET HIIIIIIIIIIGH
SHE GET HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH
>shitty ten minute CIA-funded keyboard solo
FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK
>song ends

This is a good thing, actually. King Terry Davis taught me to hate CIA agents indiscriminately but damn can they produce a nice slab of psychedelic rock once in a while.

This is basically a really solid blues rocker enhanced by psychedelic flourishes and counterculture edge in the form of drug allusions galore. The record does take some pretty substantial turns in the extended stoned jam “Light My Fire”, the spooky “End of the Night” and the ancient snake ride “The End”. This was a huge album to drop on people in 1967. The fact that this material was mostly recorded in August of 66 demonstrates a clear understanding of stylistic techniques to induce a psychedelic sound from the very beginning. Manzarek’s keys are the defining sound of this album. The stabs he lays down on each track are memorable and complement the songs without overpowering them. They do have plenty of time to shine on the fantastic psychedelic jam “Light My Fire”, exchanging solos with Krieger’s guitar in a lengthy conversation. The keys give off the vibe of an aura or afterglow surrounding the music and provides sensory blasts directly to your mind. The CIA’s intent was probably to create an army of supersoldiers by spiking them with LSD and a brand new copy of The Doors in 1967.

My experience with this track I most cherish is listening to this album on loop while playing through Dark Souls, this track accompanied me through the gates of Anor Londo to face those damn archers. I will always associate this record with the first Dark Souls game for that reason, it’s seared into my mind in the same location as my muscle memory for parrying those fuckers.

I think I’ve gone as long as I can go without mentioning Jim Morrison (Died mysteriously at 27) - the guy is an absolute maniac that commands your attention the moment you drop the needle on either side. Morrison is one hell of a frontman and delivers extremely memorable vocal performances all throughout the record. There are so many suspect lyrics on this record but none of them fall limp when this guy is performing. He had a ton of SOVL and is really the glue connecting everything together.

Overall, the musicianship is very nice but nothing mind melting. What really makes this record shine is its consistent quality of well-written songs, great pacing and soulful performances. I guess if you don’t like the keys you’ll get filtered. Smoke a little Green Blossom you bought from your least favourite plug in Sen’s Fortress and let yourself be blasted with CIA circus music. Once it clicks, it clicks. I find appreciation of art is best when one distances themselves from preconceptions and rigid forms of thinking, it’s best to appreciate a piece for what it is.