The Doors

Wow, a bit of a roller coaster, but, like, the wooden kind.

Every song on this album is of the highest quality, not a bad one among them. Every song on this album is recognisable and still sounds great over 40 years later. This is what is meant by 'iconic', everyone knows these songs, they perfectly pinpoint a time in musical history. Apparently I really like The Doors.

Astonishing for a debut. A cultural colossus.

I am reminded of the many times I used to put 'The End' on the jukebox in my local pub, hear 30 seconds of it and then it being rejected and the barmaid giving me my quid back. "Who put that bloody song on again?!?!" jt4527? Here's your quid back!!!!! The Doors for me are a band I can not think about, not listen to for years and then immediately jump right back in without skipping a beat. I think I secretly and very subtly love The Doors very much. Classic album, brilliant! 5 / 5 stars!

try to run, try to hide RF: Classic/10

Songs I've heard 100 times too many, interspersed with deep cuts that should stay hidden. A bad trip at the surfing circus. I've always found The Doors to be fairly tedious, and this album didn't change my mind. 'Hey add another 5 minutes to this last song, Jimmy came up with a little tune about butt-fuckin' that we just *can't* cut."

I went through a huge Doors phase, and still love going back to their music. This album is arguably their best, and there aren't really 'bad' songs or filler, as in some other albums. I used to really buy in to the Jim Morrison as poet thing, but I think it's mostly nonsense, now. I still really enjoy their music, though!

A tiresome album from a tiresome band full of their worst excesses - Morrison’s meandering sixth form poetry, shouting and moaning dressed up in pretension coupled with Manzarek’s wailing, screeching organ solos overpowering everything else on the track (which is a shame because the rest of the band are pretty solid). There’s the famous tracks you already know, plus plenty of filler, pale imitations of better blues rock or psychedelic rock where the doped up audience really are imagining The Doors are the key to unlocking the doors of perception, man. The problem is, you can accidentally be that but you can’t set out to be that. Stop trying so hard, guys. Can you imagine being at a gig where this happens?: ‘Morrison was well known for improvising spoken word poetry passages while the band played live.’ If this is his best un-improvised poetry I dread to think what his improvised work was like. Some choice morsels; ‘ Time to live/ Time to lie/ Time to laugh/ Time to die’ ‘ You know the day destroys the night / Night divides the day’ ‘ The days are bright and filled with pain/ Enclose me in your gentle rain’ ‘Here is Jane/ See Jane run’ Dont get me wrong - popular music can be totally disposable and throw away. It doesn’t have to be deep and meaningful. The problem here is that Morrison and the band think they and their music are deep and meaningful. The album concludes as you might imagine - with a ten minute plus self congratulatory number, an attempt at some long form jazz, not so much The End as When Will This End?

The Doors! One of the most overrated bands of all time. Boring never ending music as a backdrop to pathetic junkie cod philosophy that’s got undeserved kudos because music journalists are generally not that clever.

Nr. 19/1001 Break On Through 4/5 Soul Kitchen 3/5 The Crystal Ship 3/5 Twentieth Century Fox 3/5 Alabama Song 3/5 Light My Fire 4/5 Back Door Man 3/5 I Looked at You 3/5 End of the Night 2/5 Take It as It Comes 2/5 The End 3/5 Average 3,0 Good, just don't vibe with The Doors music that much

A ma grande surprise, cet album des Portes de Marbre était plutôt agréable et bien senti, et m'a permis de passer un bon moment. C'est ce que j'aurai écrit si j'avais écouté, comme me l'a fait remarquer en plein milieu de l'écoute mon compatriote l'illustre Robdesert, cet album avec mon seul écouteur gauche... En effet, dès l'instant où l'on a le MALHEUR d'insérer son écouteur droit à l'intérieur de sa trompe auditive, tous les maux de The Doors font irruption, ou plutot LE mal de The Doors, j'ai nommé le detestable Manzarek. Nous proposant un synthé aux sonorités d'orgue tout le long de ce putain d'album, Manzarev nous fait passer un véritable supplice, camouflant la performance de Jim Morrisson en utilisant des extraits de discours du Grand Schtroumpf. Le plus grave dans tout ça, c'est que Manzarev vient même imposer sa loi 7 minutes durant, sur le titre désormais classé comme indésirable Light My Fire, nous offrant un solo tout bonnement inaudibe, non sans rappeler le générique du non méconnu Il était une fois l'homme. Manzarev rentre dans le top 3 des ennemis publics de ce générateur, et rejoins ainsi Elvis Costello et le créateur de cette liste ridicule.

Fantastic album. Might as well be a greatest hits part 1. Unique sound.

I used to love the doors. Probably enough that I overlistened to them. Still awesome. Jim Morrisons voice is still iconic. It's rare I find the mood to actually listen to them anymore though.

Au fil de l'écoute, on s'aperçoit d'une véritable différence de niveau entre le deux écouteurs. Du côté gauche, les musiciens s'appliquent, le son est propre, le rythme juste. C'est dans l'écouteur droit que les choses se compliquent ; ça grésille, ça bourdonne, et, cerise sur la gâteau, ça joue de l'orgue. Le coupable n'est autre que Manzarek et celui-ci est bien décidé à pourrir l'album. La comparaison avec Framal du S-crew est dès lors inévitable.

When I think of 60's rock, I think of music just like this. This album must have had a profound influence on the rock counter-culture scene then, but there's something profoundly darker in this album than their generational counterparts. I've actually read the book that this band based their name on, and I can totally see the influence in it's psychedelic nature. I love the organs on the songs, its just so groovy and classic sounding. Morrison's vocal performance is fantastic, the guitars are good but mixed a little low, there's nothing too special to say about the drums or bass, the vocals and organ really carried most of the songs. I don't think this type of sound has aged too well though, it's good but it sounds so terribly dated. Maybe that gives it novelty, being a unique product of the times, and thankfully the Doors did this type of music very well. I will also admit that some of these songs didn't flow together well at all (like alabama song). But on a positive note, the organ solo on light my fire is one of the greatest things I've ever heard though. Overall, I liked this album a lot, but I had some problems with it, so I'll rank it a 3.5/5. Favorite song: Light My Fire - Least Favorite: Alabama Song

This album carries so much nostalgia for me. It was something I’d listen to as a teenager in order to connect with my dad. Jim Morrison is an iconic frontman, and his rich baritone over the Hammond organ and the rest of their rocking set the standard for the genre.

I groaned when this came up today as it was the second Doors album in as many days. But to my surprise it was much better than Morrison hotel. Even more impressive is the fact that this was their debut album. Morrison’s powerful voice and Manzarek’s keyboard playing are standouts. The highlight for me are the organ and guitar solos in Light my fire. The only song that I really didn’t like is the Bertold Brecht / Kurt Weill inspired Whisky Bottle.

I was fully prepared for Pink Moon to be my favorite album of the week, and my favorite album on the list for at least more than 24 hours, then we get THIS?? One of my favorite albums of the '60s and of all time. It's the second one on this list that I have on vinyl. A true classic. I don't know how much I need to say here. This album is a hit machine. Jim Morrison's voice and Ray Manzarek's organ make the perfect psychedelic combination, and every song sounds like it could've been a single (even "Alabama Song"). "The End" is one of my favorite songs ever made. I have so many memories tied to it--I put it on during a tornado warning once in Greeley for dramatic effect, I play it during COD zombies matches when I know we've reached our wit's end, and of course the use in Apocalypse Now is legendary. We needed to balance out the British Invasion, so I agree with the Lizard King when he said "The West is the best. Get here, and we'll do the rest." Favorite tracks: THE END, Break On Through, Light My Fire, Soul Kitchen, Take It As It Comes. Album art: Iconic. In the words of Sleepy Joe, "c'mon, man!" The fact that 75% of the band is standing neatly next to a massive, superimposed headshot of Jim Morrison is hilarious and insane. Plus the font is awesome. 5/5

I can't think of many bands whose debut album made such an impact, with great songs and a truly fresh sound. Definitely the Beatles, Nirvana, and the Doors. The Doors aren't my favorite band or even close to my favorite band, but I've always loved Crystal Ship and did have my mind blown when in high school, I went to a performance of the Weill/Brecht opera Mahagonny with my Aunt Royanne and suddenly heard a guy sing the Alabama song, which I had no idea was a cover.

"I'd really like to stay here all night"

Much of the discourse surrounding The Doors relates to Jim Morrison’s almost divinely sensual mystique. And while his musings certain contribute significantly to the creative accolades of the band, The Doors are more than Morrison alone. Ray Manzarek’s genius, I would suggest, is at the heart of The Doors’ sound; they would be unrecognizable without his lines driving , his solos disorienting, ultra-psychedelic.

Great! But stop talking about little girls, creep

A monument in music history

Outstanding album. Fun fact: my friend and I once used The End at the end of a high school theatre sketch (could there be a sentence which more perfectly describes what I was like in high school? I think not). The first sentence of the song was met with great hilarity from the audience. Anyway, we filmed the sketch and put it on YouTube, and then it got flagged for copyright infringement. We never took it down, so it's still out there, with the audio removed.

Absolutely fantastic. "The End" is one of my favorite all time songs ("Apocalypse Now" anyone?) Would love to blast this one on the stereo, or car with the windows down. The crazy stereo mixing actually works great, I usually hate that, but it just puts this in the time period so perfectly and the separation of the instruments is cool.

That was fun! Listening to this inspired me to do a Doors binge yesterday

“Father…yes son…I want to kill you.” I just got this on vinyl from my record club. It’s a great combo of swingin’ sixties lounge and late sixties psych. Goes back and forth between dancing playboy bunnies and general Kurtz. Jim Morrison’s lyrics might be a bit overwrought, but we can for give the ol’ king snake, all these songs are undeniable, not a bad one in the bunch. All got radio play but one, and it’s still a banger. On the backbone of catchy keys and guitar licks it really shines. I don’t revisit the doors as much as a used to, but when I do, I really enjoy. It’s fun to imagine how weird/fun Jim Morrison would’ve become had he made it to old age. 5.

One of the greatest debut albums ever - I can only imagine how much more I'd enjoy this if I did psychedelics. Morrison's voice is obviously iconic and although I don't know what he's singing about half the time, I'm fully down with the ethereal imagery it creates. It is Manzarek's work on the keys, however, that really helps elevate and define the sound of The Doors here. Best track: The End

Fantastic music for a fall back to the 60’s. I never listened to them since I was a toddler and marijuana wasn’t legal. I image a psychedelic couch in a smoke filled room with pillows, plants and pot everywhere. They are the grooviest then and now. I’m sure my parents were terrified of them more then Elvis bringing rock and roll to the world. I could do meditation and yoga to this music all day long. Great drummer or should I say Symbolist! Great lyrics and a true opening up to the expanding minds of the 60’s revolutionary times. Don’t know if I would have like this music then but now see the beauty to it in all counts: lyrical, artistic, musical and dimensional. Girl we couldn’t get much higher. Come on baby light my fire. So cool man!

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

The original psychedelic masterpiece. Loved it!

A Doors album on the day of an enormous fight? 🤔

The Doors by The Doors is an engaging album that’s a pleasure to listen to, with hardly any low points. It maintains a consistently high quality, featuring well-crafted instrumentals, beautiful and fitting vocals, and impressive poetry. The album opens with a powerful intro and closes with a fitting outro, making for a cohesive and fun listening experience throughout.

Discovered that I own this, and "Waiting For The Sun"; I guess I am a secret Doors fan unbeknownst even to myself. Gotta agree this is a high quality debut and admit I am quite fond of the organ. Docked a point for that godawful Brecht/Weill number. Highlight is (most of) The End which was used so perfectly in Apocalypse Now that I play the opening bars in my mind whenever I see a cluster of palm trees, excitedly waiting for the napalm. Quite a burden if you lived in SoCal. The horror, the horror

Woooo The allegations are true, i am a rock organ enjoyer. and enjoy i did. gorgeous wee album, best in the first half but full of lovely tunes. Oh to have hit a blunt before listening to this

I bought this tape when I was a kid. I was firmly in the classic rock Aerosmith / Led Zeppelin mode and The Doors was a necessary album at the time. And that tape was censored, which I didn't know at the time. So that bit in 'Break On Through To The Other Side' when he screams "She gets high!" for me was just "She gets!". Which honestly made enough sense back then and hearing "high" now sounds all wrong. Anyway - these tunes are good. Jim Morrison is just a good enough poet to land some good lines and the rest of it comes off as ridiculous pretentiousness that's pretty fun. It's a heckuva mix, which intentional goodness and untintentional goodness that adds up to a lot of goodness. I mean 'Soul Kitchen'? 'Soul Kitchen'? It's hard to hate an album that has a song about sleeping in someone's soul kitchen.

I'm a sucker for a good organ line and this album holds some sentimental value. The lyrics are the sort that probably sounded deep if you were high but otherwise come off as kind of silly. 4/5 stars

I've listened to this album quite a few times. This like wild mixture of Jazz, Blues, rock, and a heavy dash of poetry. It slaps, hard. Break on the through, what a solid fucking intro song for a band on their debut album. It sticks with you. Also man, I wish more modern music incorporated Organs more into the sound. It's so solid.

What an album. I loved this! I knew of The Doors, but never really listened to them. Some great songs and The End is an absolute study in drug taking. The only dud track for me was Alabama Song where I could almost taste the LSD. Great album and will be revisiting. Love that 60s organ sound as well. Best tracks: Light my Fire & Take It As It Comes.

With this album coming into the list I hope we have now broken through to the other side. The minute I saw this classic cover of the group shadowed by a pensive yet determined lead singers headshot (sort of looks like Tom Brady), I knew I was in for a treat. I’m sure I’ve listened to this album before but this felt like a new listen. There are so many gems on this one. Break On Through, Soul Kitchen, Alabama Song, Light My Fire, and of course The End. A classic song that is featured both in Apocalypse Now and when we play Call of Duty: Zombies. I love how the album, when thinking about it, screams classic Rock, but when you listen to it, it feels a lot lighter than Rock. It plays a lot more like other late 60’s early 70’s albums with the electric piano. Reminds me a little of Ryan Goslings band Dead Man’s Bones, especially on In the Room Where You Sleep. I say this as I’m listening to I Looked At You. So I don’t really see this as a Led Zepplin or Journey type of Rock but that doesn’t diminish the power in this album. Even with a few weaker songs this is still a fantastic album to listen to at any time. 9/10

This is one good example of how the radio can sometimes distract from the art of an album. Songs like Crystal Ship remind me how many good vibes are found between the overplayed hits. Whether psychedelics are involved or not, this self-titled LP of wild organ riffs and raw Morrison vocals provide quite a trip!

The Doors had an iconic sound from the start. That classic organ paired with Jim Morrison's howl is unbeatable. Both cool and rebellious, it's a solid debut, even if a few songs meander a bit.

I’m sure this was so cool when it came out but it is just kind of dorky to me. Jamming on that little organ? Okay.

“Jim Morrison was a poet” His poetry: “Ride the snake to the lake.”

Hey, I’ve *watched* ‘Apocalypse Now Redux* and will *willingly* watch it again! Bit grumpy RNG has given us a consecutive weekend doses of the Doors, and almost defaulted this to 2 over an impatient first listen, but skipping through this a second time, I realised most of the songs I thought sucked have their charms. The vocalist’s horny shamanistic pretensions are present, yet they work with the setting, and the band is never less than listenable. I picked up a couple of sonic puns: ‘“This is the End…” DUM DUM DUM!’ And the Alabama whisky bar song being a cabaret-worthy oompa-oompa rollick. Not crap, a perhaps mean 3 here. Writing this on Friday, going back to the Associates record to see if I like it as much a day later.

"You are entering the vicinity of an area adjacent to a location. The kind of place where there might be a monster, or some kind of weird mirror. These are just examples; it could also be something much better. Prepare to enter: The Scary Door." jim morrison died when he 27. in that time he accomplished this great album. he died from the excesses of the rock and roll lifestyle. when i die at 27 it will be due to pork pie related injuries. please play beethoven at my funeral. for all its high peaks of greatness this album has far more dead spots than i remembered - hence the mean looking rating. however this is a proper album. 'soul kitchen' fucking rules. 'break on through' gives me that devo/jerry lee lewis/punk type foam at the mouth focused destruction kind of feeling that i so very much adore. not a bad wee disc.

I think there might be something wrong mentally with lead singer. For a debut and 1967 it's insane. Every 5 minutes something disturbing is in the lyrics. Obviously couldn't be a rock album without mentioning little girls. It's a good album but personally I don't think I'd find myself returning to it. The End was awesome though, I feel like Swans took a lot of influence from this song. Score: 70 Art: 60

Starts off sort of strong but then falls apart quickly. "Twentieth Century Fox" is just a bad attempt at a song and I don't care what anyone else says. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)" is a very good attempt at ruining a Bertolt Brecht song. Their attempt at covering Willie Dixon's "Back Door Man" fails miserably and ends up sounding like some teenagers jamming in their parents' basement. I refuse to spend another second listening to "Light My Fire." This is a downright horrible album that suffers from the weight of their own egos. The only highlight is the openers and closers. But, they've also been ruined by overplaying on classic rock stations. Confirms that the Doors were a shit band.

I knew that the Doors would show up one day. Not sure why I am so out of step with the rest of the world on this but there is something so grating about them. 0 stars if I could. But, I did listen to the whole thing so I think I deserve something.

Gem!

Classic Doors, part of my history.

Wow. Sensasjonelt bra album, endret hele gamet da det kom ut. Dette albumet er en perle blant en ellers fantastisk diskografi som The Doors har. Så mange dristige valg de gjør på albumet, takk gud for narkotika. Jimi Hendrix og The Beatles ble også veldig eksperimentelle og gikk mot litt psykedelisk vibe, men de kan ikke sammenlignes med The Doors. Ray Manzarek, keyboardisten, er helt essensiell her. Keyboardet skaper lyden av albumet i seg selv. Med lange soloer og funky rytmer som passer til Jim Morrisons uvanlige tekster og sang. Alle sangene er veldig gode, og forskjellige nok til at de ikke blir kjedelige eller repetitive. Jim Morrison er en gud. Jeg skal også dø når jeg er 27.

All the Doors haters can pound sand this is a great record

8/10, goede stem, relatief eenvoudige muziek, geen ingewikkelde solo's, kalme muziek

The Doors self-titled debut album transformed the band from a good, local, LA band into nationally known, headlining act. The album is considered the Doors' best work, and is listed near the top of the "best albums of all time" lists. The album's, and the band's, repute is due, at least in part, to the cultural fascination/mystique around Jim Morrison. The album's status in "classic rock," psychedelia, and 60's counter-culture is iconic, and the "tragic hero mythology" around Morrison only seems to add to the cultural impact of the band's work. The album's success was driven by single "Light My Fire," which became their first hit. It, like all of the Doors' work, is centered on Morrison's deep, dramatic vocals. Their sound is blues based, with strong, driving bass lines. Regular use of distortion on the guitars and organs help add the psychedelic background to the sound. From there, Morrison's content takes over - with tracks like "the End," the band's association with psychedelic counter-culture was inevitable.

One of the greatest debut albums in music history, that features mesmerizing organ sounds, Morrison’s captivating narratives, and intriguing compositions. An iconic album packed with incredible hits

I know a 20th C fox.

• 5/5 - Deserving of all the accolades • Manzarek and Kriegler at their best; Morrison before becoming too self-absorbed and/or wasted • I normally find psychedelic rock tiresome, but not this album; masterful balance of hooks, jams, and lyrics • More organ!

While I was listening one of my friends noticed and went on a long conversation about how there aren't many Doors fans anywhere

If this was their first, that’s pretty impressive. I don’t know(Lots of LSD and mushrooms probably so I do know😉) what’s goin in Ride the Snake but the rest of this album is fantasic.

Remember when you thought this was gonna be every second day in disbursed by some discovery of wonder and awe.

Fantastic

En klassiker ju

Charismatic and iconic.

How did I not know I was listening to censored versions of Doors songs all these years? The bridge in Break on Through -- I always thought it was just ol' Jim vamping with "She get..." instead of the reality of "She get high..." And I'd never heard that series of "FUCK" in The End before. This would have been some serious parent scarin', panty droppin' stuff in the mid 60's, I would imagine. And the whole album (aside from I Looked at You and End of the Night) is hits from front to back. This would have been a hell of a debut album.

From the beginning to “The “End” this is one the greatest debut albums that came out of the sixties. Actually one of the greatest albums overall. Sets the mood for a time that I wish I could have experienced more. The four of them were one on this Album.

I love the Doors because their sound is so unique. The fact that their debut album could be construed as a 'greatest hits' is a testament to how good this album is.

This record feels like the moment that sex and drugs met Rock’n’Roll. Can’t really argue with this one. Iconic fr.

It's always a good day to listen to The Doors!! The first time I listened to this album, it was celebrating 50 years since its original release. And this is an album that I can perfectly imagine myself listening to when it turns 100.

Dark and psychedelic. Groundbreaking album. Love it.

What a debut. There is something in that group...

This was fresh and unique when it was released and it's a great listen today. Morrison is a special vocalist, the writing is great, and the music is top shelf, varied and bold. It's a terrific album.

Ja instant 5 sterren Heel geil

Ray Manzerek’s defining keyboard riffs are the cherry on top of the sundae that is Morrison’s commanding vocal presence.

When you’re looking at this album in the context of it being the debut album from The Doors, it’s fantastic. On its own apart from that, it’s still really good, but the rough edges are there. With that being said, though, pretty much every song here is great. The only one I didn’t care for was “Alabama Song.” “Break On Through,” “Light My Fire,” “Twentieth Century Fox,” and “End Of The Night” are the highlights amidst a sea of fantastic songs. I feel like “The End” is hit or miss with people, but I personally really like it. This album is the perfect mix of rock and roll and psychedelic weirdness that The Doors would perfect throughout the years. An amazing and influential album.

De rauwe, donkere energie spat ervanaf. Onheilspellend, onrustig, als een psychedelische trip. Jim Morrisson was inderdaad het type dat kort vlamt en snel opbrandt. Elk nummer is raak, zelfs een maffe cover als Whiskey bar. En met het stoerste orgelspel uit de popmuziek! Net als dat andere album: volle punten.

We hebben al 2 eerdere platen van the Doors gehad en ik heb tot 2x toe niet heel veel erover geschreven, anders dan bezwerende stem, kriegelig pianootje, etc. En ook bij dit album had ik in eerste instantie moeite om woorden te vinden om het goed te omschrijven. In een krappe 5 jaar tijd hebben ze een album of 5 gemaakt, waarvan we er 3 in deze lijst hebben gekregen. Er zit wat mij betreft niet megaveel variatie in, het ene album heeft misschien wat meer bluesy invloeden dan het andere. Maar the Doors heeft gewoon best wel zijn eigen identiteit, met die bezwerende stem en dat orgeltje. Dat op zichzelf ook al bezwerend is. En ik vind dat gewoon heel tof. Break on Through vind ik iets te rommelig eerlijk gezegd, dan heb ik liever Light my Fire. Maar het sluitstuk met de toepasselijke titel "The End" is wat mij betreft het beste nummer. Eigenlijk heel traag, maar het beklijft, het bezweert. Ze zouden het onder een film als Apocalypse Now moeten zetten. Oh wacht, dat hebben ze ook gedaan. Waanzinnig, letterlijk. Dus klikken we gewoon weer eens op die 5 sterren. Want debuutalbums daar zijn we fan van!

I absolutely adore The Doors - how they create this unique atmosphere that rambles here there and everywhere, seemingly leaving you behind, but then you are whisked back up again and dropped down somewhere totally new. What a trip. The End.

This is a 5 star album. So many classics. Such a vibe!

The Doors’ self-titled debut album feels incredible considering how young the band members were at the time—Jim Morrison was only 23, Robby Krieger 20, and John Densmore 22. Ray Manzarek, at 27, adds a maturity that’s evident in the album’s heavy use of keyboards and organ. The album feels ahead of its time. Even though the band’s influences are clear, the way they blend and reinvent those influences feels forward-thinking, almost like a precursor to bands like Franz Ferdinand with their dry humor. Morrison’s vocal range, from crooning to shouting, is a fascinating mix, somewhere between Dean Martin and Billy Idol. This is undoubtedly a true classic. Standout track: Light My Fire. Score: 5/5.

Classic album

The definition of classic. Love this album.

Great!

Great Album, Huge Songs and many songs i think have more attention deserved imo. Great smooth Record with Raw Emotions from Jim Morrison

This is five stars - not so much because it’s banger after banger, but because yes everyone should hear this record. Original, creative and Jim Morrison is a legend. As much as people critique his lyrics as childish doesn’t make it any less awesome. One of the best album closers ever.

5 stars

From the opening few seconds you know this is going to be god tier, that distinctive fuzzy sound, split stereo in full effect, they literally kick down the doors of perception. "Break On Through (To The Other Side)", "Soul Kitchen, a bitching cover of "Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)", "Light My Fire", and the epicness that is "The End"... They had no goddamn right to be this good this early.

phenomenal album, i used to not like it but it’s amazing, all songs slap, r.i.p. jim morrison

No skip album - love love love

Their best

Like a tank driving through a forest with a crackpot commander shouting at the trees In the top 10 albums for me

Insane debut album

4.5 Not entirely sure on what the knock would be against this album. Not a weak song on the album, 4-5 hits. Great debut. A generational frontman, the bands great.

My relationship with this album is bizarre. Upon first hearing it years back, I saw absolutely nothing special in it - like at all. In fact, I wouldn't hesitate to say it bored me with just how boilerplate it sounded in some of its bluesier moments and how painfully tacky a song like 'Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)' came off to me. In my defense, this album's brilliance is well hidden (so well hidden that it eludes me to this day), as it shamelessly masquerades behind these cliche '60s blues rock tropes. But it's those subtleties kept drawing me back to this thing - I didn't know what they were, but SOMETHING made me return to this thing repeatedly. Fast forward to today and it's one of my favorite albums of all time, and I still have no idea why. I almost don't take this album as seriously as I should. The impeccable follow-up 'Strange Days' is certainly more unique sounding in its takes on psychedelic, and the band would only get more defined and bluesy with their sounds on later releases like 'Waiting for the Sun' and, especially, 'Morrison Hotel'. But the roughly recorded, grainy, mindlessly meshed together beginning of the band with this self-titled release always had this unsettling aura that none of their follow-ups were quite able to capture. Historically speaking, were 'The Doors' treading any new waters? Or were they just doing these oversaturated sounds much better than all their contemporaries? I still don't know how to answer that - I mean the psychedelic labyrinth that is the closer gives proto-post-rock vibes (mainly Swans with Morrison sounding a lot like Gira here). And Morrison's lyrics, when the "FUCKS!"'s on 'The End' and "She Get High"'s on 'Break on Through (To the Other Side)' weren't being censored, were spurring quite the negative reaction from mainstream '60s audiences - like with the infamous Sulivan Show performance of 'Light My Fire' where Morrison says the word "Higher" and the guy cancels the rest of their shows. It sucks but it was also a defining moment for the band (and popular music in general) that shot them into the mainstream. Jim Morrison. I honestly don't know much about that guy. I know his dad was a CIA agent (or so the internet tells me) and he died way too soon after his tumultuous final years with the band. But he is, above all else, a poet with an incredible voice. Taking the term at face value he may be the best front-man in rock history, be it with his shattering screams on the disgusting blues track (and Howlin' Wolf cover) 'Back Door Man', the incredible walking melody of 'Soul Kitchen', the angelic and almost beyond-life chorus of 'Light My Fire', or the horrifying cries that send off the Oedipian passage of 'The End'. 'Take It as It Comes' and 'I Looked at You' also prove the guy can write incredibly catchy choruses and, in the case of the latter, pop songs. Thematically, love and drug imagery that were so common in the '60s scene are what you get here. Seems generic at first but the heavy caveat is that these themes take an undeniably ominous tone here, like a bad trip spirling you to the brink of death with the song 'The End' as its crux. But it's also wholesome at times; I love Morrison's ode to soul food diners on the aptly named 'Soul Kitchen', it's one of my favorite songs here. Now let's talk about the music. Again, it's not boundary-pushing for the majority of this album, but it sounds too damn good for that to even matter. Robby and John. on guitar and drums respectively, do a great job of bringing those bluesy moments to life on songs like the opener and 'Back Door Man'. I also love Robby's bright and twangy guitar tone on 'End of the Night', a particular sound that would, thankfully, be more present in their follow-up. But it's ultimately Ray Manzarek on piano and organ that gives this album a genuinely unique sound. 'Light My Fire' is, without a doubt, one of the greatest songs ever - and the keyboard solo is dangerous in just how easily it slithers into your head and then refuses to leave. It's really on 'Light My Fire' and the underrated and potent 'Take it as it Comes' where it sounds like Ray's trying to start a fire with the sole power of his fingertips and some keys. The piano solo on 'The Crystal Ship' is another genuinely gorgeous moment here evoking the feeling that you're sailing away on this vast crystal ocean in the dead of night, completely directionless. I don't know...maybe I'm tricking myself into thinking this album is better than it is because of just how many times I've listened to it. Going back to my opening paragraph I don't know what it is about this thing. It's just so damn cool - like the idea of it is awesome and it has an undeniably strong presence that's just impossible to shake. Anyways...I think I'm gonna go listen to it thing again now.

Forgot how much I love this album!!

Often imitated but never duplicated.

This is an inspired, raw, dynamic album. Who knew you could love an organ? Funny, I haven't listened to it in a long time, which may have added to the delight.

Say what you will about the doors - they started as well as anybody. Is there a better first album/first track in rock history. Break on Through is certainly in the running in terms of song quality, raw energy as well as mission statement. great songs throughout and the only indulgence - something that the doors would have plenty of in the years to come - The End at ease delivers on its promise. Say what you will about the song lyrically - the musicianship is transcendent and thar holds true throughout the album. There were plenty of missteps to come - this one is lean.

I find this album pretty hard to review. A lot of The Doors success seem to have come from Jim Morrison being a real erratic person, surrounded by lots of drama, but also from their music being quite different from what else existed, with controversial lyrics and energetic live performances. Most of this is missed out when hearing the recording. Anyways, this album contains many of their top hits 'Break On Through (To The Other Side)', 'Light My Fire', 'The End', and so on. This by no means that the album is only carried by those songs though, I think most songs hold a really high bar throughout the whole record. For example, I really appreciate 'Soul Kitchen', and 'Back Door Man'. 'Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)' is quite a strange song. "Show me the way to the next little girl" is quite... interesting to put on a record. Perhaps I'm taking the lyrics too face value, but it certainly makes them come across as a bit suspicious and creepy. Their sound hasn't aged very well in my opinion. It really sounds as old as it is, and the sound quality isn't that impressive. The electric organ they use in almost all songs is a trademark instrument for them, but it makes it feel like whimsical circus music at times, which doesn't sit that well with me. In summary, I think it's definitely a record filled with enough interesting stuff to warrant a high rating. The actual music is interesting and evenly good, and the band is also surrounded with some mystery and weirdness that piques your interest. The Doors is definitely not a group I would count among my favourites, so I had a hard time deciding between a 4 and a 5, but in the end I'll give it a weak 5 partly because it's actually pretty good, but also because of the band's influence on music.

When people talk about The Doors it is always Jim Morrison that is mentioned. I think however that both Ray Manzerick and Robby Krieger were equally as important. Their guitar/keyboard playing really pulls the whole thing together and I had the luck of seeing them playin The Door's songs as "Riders of the Storm" since they didn't have the right to use the name "The Doors". It was really great. Anyway, this album is like a greatest hits put into one album. Many good riffs and songs where 7 of the 11 tracks are great hits. I think Morrisons spoken word is cringey at times but as a whole this is a 5 star.