by The Doors
Released January 4, 1967 via Elektra Records
Reviewed January 12, 2022
Top tracks (based on community voting)
Break On Through (To the Other Side) (68%), The End (59%), Light My Fire (48%)
The Doors’ eponymous 1967 debut is quite possibly the most seminal record in the long-running, ever-evolving, and seemingly endless catalog of psychedelic rock music. Jim Morrison’s presence as both a poet and performer was a potent mixture for the ultimate frontman at the time; a personality equal parts mystique and reckless, a lifelong love for literature and storytelling, and of course, sex appeal. Despite his wild and domineering nature—which would frequently cause Morrison and the band to get in trouble—The Doors are much more than its frontman, with Ray Mazarek (keys), Robby Krieger (guitar/occasional bass), and John Densmore (drums) being the spearheads for several of rock music’s greatest compositions. Many of which exist on this here record, as The Doors channel their jazz origins, love for psychedelics, and the growing worlds of rock and blues-rock into a sound unlike any other. Seemingly tailor-made for both the poetics and theatrics that Morrison loved to indulge in, The Doors’ first record is groovy, unmistakably rocking, and quite simply, a masterpiece. – Dominick (9.5/10)
Recorded in the summer of '66 and subsequently released in January of '67, The Doors debut album signified a key change in the landscape of popular music. What once was became the distant past––out with the old and in with the new. The psychedelic stamp in which The Doors left on the American psyche is hard to ignore. The swamping deluge of the 'turn on, tune in, drop out' mentality––a phrase popularized by Timothy Leary––played a key role in setting the scene for The Doors and their kaleidoscopically tinged output. The impact that a contemporary act can have on a multitude of things–– culture, fashion and of course music––is not to be underestimated. Traversing through the psyche and coming out the other side unscathed is a near impossible task. Things seem to stick in one way or another. As they say, 'once the door is opened.... it cannot be closed.’ – Peter (8.5/10)
The Doors were the definition of hypnotic in an age where psychedelics were commonplace—whether it was musicians or anyone else. Their self-titled debut is a walk through a party you’ve never been able to return to in quite the same way. You see faces shimmering in your memory, but you wouldn’t be able to place them in any other setting. A haze sits on the shoulders of all listeners, while Jim Morrison plays the role of the half-charismatic, half-mysterious tour guide in this strange soundscape the band creates. The Doors meanders through stages of quirky, captivating, and downright obnoxious, but it’s nothing less than a classic. If for nothing else, Morrison’s cadence firing across the pantheon with goofy keys and murky guitars spinning you until you’re dizzied in wonder. – Ben (Synth) (8/10)
Jared: 10/10 | Cam: 9.8/10 | Dominick: 9.5/10 | DeVán: 9.1/10 | Hadley: 9/10
Pax: 8.6/10 | Peter: 8.5/10 | Ben (Synth): 8/10 | Henny: 7/10
