L.A. Woman

by The Doors

Released April 19, 1971 via Elektra Records

Reviewed April 29, 2021

Top tracks (based on community voting)

Riders on the Storm (71%), L.A. Woman (74%), Love Her Madly (46%)

While many rock acts of the 1960s/1970s have outlived their shelf life and been relegated to the dreaded categorization of “dad rock,” The Doors brief but prolific career is one of the few exceptions. Their sixth album and the last to be released in frontman Jim Morrison’s lifetime, L.A. Woman, is a brilliant capstone to a string of psychedelic rock staples. With a raw and rugged sound heavily influenced by blues as much as any of their work, L.A. Woman is a ferocious piece of work that seemingly capitalized on the band’s rising controversial status. Soulful, funky, and punchy as all hell, the band is as instrumentally tight as can be while Jim Morrison delivers some of his best vocal performances ever. With his unmistakably distinct voice, unparalleled levels of energy, and poetic lyrics, Morrison is the vehicle through which The Doors captured the ears of hippies, stoners, and all other rebels alike as they defined a key time period of rock and a generation of youth counterculture. – Dominick (9.5/10)

L.A. Woman is the sixth studio album from The Doors and would become Jim Morrison's last album with the band, as he would pass away three months after the record's release in July of 1971 at the infamous age of 27. Under the influence of blues, L.A. Woman has an underlying tone of “working class” about it. Morrison's vocal performance is one of a kind—rough, rugged and exceptionally emotive. In the context of how things played out after the album’s release, it is quite a haunting experience to be on the receiving end of. The Doors always seem to work better in an extended format of five or more minutes, and L.A. Woman is no different. That's not to say that they don’t have great shorter tracks, but they don't quite make use of the abundance of atmosphere and potential to be found in songs like “L.A. Woman” or album closer “Riders on the Storm.” A more expansive song structure has always favoured their stronger characteristics. Drawing things out suits them best. Not many acts can have that said about them, and it's an unusual and inherent trait that remains a hallmark of their legacy. – Peter (8/10)