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The Doors

The Doors

1967

The Doors

Album Summary

The Doors is the debut studio album by American rock band the Doors. Recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California, it was produced by Paul A. Rothchild and released on January 4, 1967. Since its release, the record has been often regarded as one of the greatest debut albums of all time, by both music critics and publishers. It features the long version of the breakthrough single "Light My Fire" and the lengthy song "The End" with its Oedipal spoken word section.The Doors started recording their debut album under the maintenance of Elektra Records in August 1966. The recording of The Doors established the band's large extensive number of musical influences, such as jazz, classical, blues, pop, R&B and rock music. Its overall presentation has been viewed as an essential part of the psychedelic rock evolution, while it have also been acknowledged as a source of inspiration to other works. Paul McCartney of the Beatles has claimed that following the album's release, he wanted his band to capitalize on the Doors musical style as one of the "alter egos" of the group, for their upcoming album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.The Doors and "Light My Fire" have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2015 the Library of Congress selected The Doors for inclusion in the National Recording Registry based on its cultural, artistic or historical significance. The Doors remains the band's best-selling studio album, with sales of over 13 million copies, as of 2015.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.95

Votes

20393

Reviews

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Feb 22 2021
5

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.

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Feb 03 2021
2

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

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Feb 14 2021
5

Astonishing for a debut. A cultural colossus.

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May 15 2023
5

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!

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Jan 19 2021
5

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!

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May 15 2023
1

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.

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Feb 17 2021
5

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

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May 15 2023
1

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."

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May 30 2022
2

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?

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Jan 13 2021
5

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

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Oct 28 2023
3

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

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May 29 2021
3

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.

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Feb 15 2021
3

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

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Mar 14 2025
5

One of the top two or three debut albums of all time. An utterly unique format for a band - no bass player, a jazz-obsessed drummer, and a keyboard player with a wacky setup, not to mention a sui generis guitar player AND Jim Morrison - the instantly create a sound and a style that both reflected current LA sounds and broke stunning new ground. And this album has some of their and the rock era’s greatest songs.

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Jan 14 2021
5

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.

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Nov 24 2023
4

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.

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May 29 2021
3

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.

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Apr 13 2024
5

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.

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Oct 19 2021
5

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

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Feb 15 2021
5

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

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Sep 02 2021
4

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.

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Nov 24 2024
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.

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Nov 22 2024
5

What better way to start this challenge than with the debut album of one of my favorite bands? This one's really solid, and contains a great mix of energetic blues-rock and slower psychedelic tracks. Fun times all the way through.

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Mar 09 2024
5

Great! But stop talking about little girls, creep

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Nov 25 2023
5

A monument in music history

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Dec 22 2021
5

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.

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Oct 21 2021
5

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.

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Oct 12 2021
5

“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.

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Mar 15 2021
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

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Feb 15 2021
5

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!

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Feb 01 2021
5

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

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Jan 18 2021
5

The original psychedelic masterpiece. Loved it!

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Jul 03 2025
4

I've been doing some thinking, and I've got some ideas to improve the album. One: Ray Manzarek needs to be louder, angrier and have access to a time machine. Two: Whenever Ray Manzarek's not playing, all the other members should be asking, "Where's Ray Manzarek?"

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Feb 04 2025
4

There’s two ways of approaching The Doors. If you go into this album assuming it’s going to be something challenging and PROPERLY dark then it’s an abject failure. This is not 48 minutes of dangerous and satanically euphoric rock ’n’ roll mixed in with unholy wisdom beamed down to us by The Lizard King himself. This is 48 minutes of uneasy organ led oom-pah-pah music lead by a drunken boob reciting doggrel from off his own flaccid cock. This brings us to the second way of approaching The Doors: agreeing with all the above and deciding it’s only the better for it. This album is self evidently ridiculous. Jim Morrison is not even in the vague peripheries of being a good poet; his performance here is like watching someone repeatedly trip over a never ending cavalcade of banana skins. That laughable quality is what makes Morrison so amazing though. There is something about the insane pomposity of Morrison’s unarguable charisma that fully sucks you into the steely eyed psych of The Doors music. The majority of the songs here are amazing; from the mystical fury of ‘Break On Through (To the Other Side)’, the haunted menace of ‘End of the Night’ to the adjectives are entirely unnecessary ‘Light My Fire.’ Admittedly, I’m not sure it hangs together especially well as an album, and I do find the oh-so-iconic ‘The End’ to be unlistenable nonsense. Despite this, it’s still a fun and intriguing listen that both stands up today and so clearly points towards the blueprints for what would become punk and goth music. Now: let us all “ride the snake to the lake” as “the west is the best.”

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Nov 16 2024
3

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.

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Sep 02 2024
3

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

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May 15 2023
3

"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.

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Jul 29 2023
1

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.

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Aug 04 2025
5

[One afternoon at a record store. A customer walks in.] Customer: "Excuse me." Clerk: "Yeah?" "Do you have the new Depeche Mode record?" "Yeah it's over there, but it sucks." "Well, do you have the latest Pixies album?" "Yeah, but it sucks. All that new stuff sucks, but it's over there." *points, the customer reconsiders* "You know, actually, I was thinking of getting into something more vintage anyway, like I don't know, maybe The Doors?" "Really? I never had you figured for a Doors fan." *Shrugs* "I'm not really a Doors fan, but sure, I'd like to get into them." "No, no, no my friend. Doors fans aren't made. They're born. I think right now there's some guy in Africa madly beating on a drum. He's a Doors fan. Or an old lady on the bus sucking humbugs. She's a Rider on the Storm, but she ain't never heard the sounds. So, what about you?" *Snaps fingers* "Well I heard a record of theirs last night at a party-" "uh huh" "-and i've always liked 'Love Her Madly.'" "Well if you become a Doors fan, 'Love Her Madly' is the only song you WON'T LIKE." "Oh right. I guess I should start with their greatest hits." "Hey! Greatest hits albums are for house wives and little girls! You're not serious! You don't wanna be a Doors fan! Get out of my store! We're closed! Get out of here!" "No, nonono! I want you to show me the way!" *The clerk hesitates* "Was that a Frampton reference in my store?" *New doors fan is horrified at his mistake* "No. Nono. No lyrics, just words. Just words. Words." *Clerk moves toward the album racks, directing the new doors fan* "All right. If you want to be a Doors fan you can't just go buy any album. It's scientific." "Sure." "You gotta buy this," *flips through vinyl record stack* "'Waiting for the Sun'. It's the departure point." *kisses cover* "Listen to it every night around dusk for about a month." "Sounds good, then what?" "Who's playing bass?" *new doors fan flips over record jacket and reads liner notes* "Uh...no one." "No bass." "No bass?" "The gypsy's had no homes, The Doors had no bass, but don't let that scare you, my friend, let that liberate you. Because when you're free flying with the doors man, what do you need a safety net for?" *the new doors fan raises fist* "VIVA LA DOORS!" "VIVA LA DOORS! All right! But listen, there's a burden that every real Doors fan has gotta live with. It's a fact that the greatest Rock n Roll band of all time is never gonna play live again." *tears up* "Can't live in the past." "No wait, there's hope. I heard once that Iggy Pop is gonna front them, and the Doors will tour again." "Where did you hear that?" "Oh, I heard it somewhere" "Yeah? Read it in your precious Creem magazine, maybe? Well it's not gonna happen!" "Well, how do ya know that?" "Because somebody told me." "Well, who told you?" "Do you wanna know who told me?" "Oh yeah." "JIM F---ING MORRISON TOLD ME! THAT'S WHO!" *Customer runs through the door* "Do you guys have the latest Depeche Mode album?" [New doors fan]: "SUUUUUUCKS!" [Customer runs back out, the shop clerk returns to the new doors fan] "I forgive you, here." *goes behind the counter, searching, and pulls out an 8 track cassette.* "Take this, it's an 8 track tape. One of the last in existence. I want you to steal a car-" "I have a car." "-Steal a car-" "Steal a car." "-get it in and drive west. Play the tape full blast. When the tape ends, get out, get into a fight. Then get back into the car, come to town, and meet me at the Cargas club." "And what will you do?" "I will let you in to the most prestigious hotel of all time." "Which is?" *Looks down and taps the 8 track tape in the new doors fan's hands." "Morrison Hotel." "Then what?" "Then...you're gonna be a Doors fan, man!"

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Jun 09 2025
5

This is a fuckin cool album. This album smokes cigarettes and wears leather pants and calls it's mum once a day. This album is stone cold cool as fuck. Swoon.

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May 30 2025
5

I mean side A plays as if it's a greatest hits record. Side B comes down to earth a bit but ends with an epic. To think they recorded another album immediately, it's nuts. Today, and album as successful as this debut would be rested on for three+ years till profits dipped, then a lackluster effort would ensue. God the 60s were great!

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May 13 2025
5

The fascinating thing about this album... Try to imagine that once there was a time, in 1967, that this was an anonymous debut by a band nobody had ever heard of, called 'The Doors'. And that you buy it, let the needle down on side A and that you hear 'Break on through'. What a debut. It's magnificent. 'Light my fire' is probably one of the best psychedelic songs ever. Did you ever realize that the Doors are probably the only rock band everyone knows the name of the keyboardist of, and hardly anybody the name of the guitar player? That's fascinating. And yes, there are some weaker moments. And yes, there are other highlights like 'The crystal ship' and 'Alabama'. It's simply a fantastic debut, with Jim Morrison's thing still inside his pants. 9 out of 10.

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Apr 16 2025
5

Contender for greatest rock debut album of all time. I love The Doors. I think they're one of the greatest bands ever. Perfect album from start to finish. Classic.

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Apr 16 2025
5

classic album with so many pop cultural defining songs.

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Apr 15 2025
5

Bias as this is already a fave of bangers and vibes.

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Apr 12 2025
5

Great and classic album. It's funny how the album I listened to the day before this one didn't age well and should remain in the grave, but then the next day I get a timeless gem like this. This is everything you can ask for in a record. Every song from front to back is good and enjoyable.

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Apr 08 2025
5

This is one of my favourite albums that I had the joy of discovering when I was in my mid teens. Along with the Velvet Underground album, it's one of the best debut albums from a major artist released in 1967. It truly stands the test of time and still sounds amazing all these years later. This is a desert island disc contender.

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Apr 08 2025
5

What an album! The hit rate is high and so many are classic tunes that put you straight into the zone you were in when you heard them before. I may have listened to this album a hundred times, it's possible.

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Apr 08 2025
5

Trippy, psychedelic, hypnotic, all round good vibes, great riffs and loving the organs (and marxophone)! Can't imagine how much LSD Jim Morrison had taken whilst writing the lyrics.

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Apr 04 2025
5

I mean... come on. It's The Doors. I've always loved them but I've never listened to this album in full and wow was it better than I thought. Each song was interesting and dynamic and absolutely incredible. I could do without "The End" but the album is too good for me to not give it a 5. These guys are absolute legends and I need to listen to this album more.

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Apr 01 2025
5

Fantastic album. A favorite of mine.

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Apr 01 2025
5

As far as debut albums go, it doesn’t get much better than this. Kicking off with Break on Through and closing with The End might be one of the best opener-closer combos. The whole album is dark, hypnotic, and endlessly cool. No question, this absolutely deserves its place on any all-time list.

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Mar 28 2025
5

Great album, loved it for a long time.

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Mar 27 2025
5

A great album. It's hard to believe that the band managed to create such a monumental work with their first album. It's really easy for me to award stars here. 5/5

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Jan 19 2021
5

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

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Mar 27 2025
4

It is good stuff and obviously pretty iconic. But there is some quite long instrumental stuff that I don’t really care for. Then again The End is almost 12 minutes and I love that, so what do I know. Fun fact: Jim Morrison is the first person on the list who’s grave I’ve visited. The Simpsons: The End is used three times! On reflection maybe that’s why I like that song so much. With added help from Apocalypse Now

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Nov 01 2024
4

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.

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Jun 05 2023
4

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

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May 15 2023
4

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

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May 15 2023
4

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.

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Jan 27 2022
4

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

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Sep 29 2021
4

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.

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Mar 15 2021
4

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.

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Feb 15 2021
4

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

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Jan 18 2021
4

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!

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Sep 15 2020
4

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.

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Jul 01 2025
3

Was alright,

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Jun 05 2023
3

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.

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Apr 29 2023
3

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

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Jun 25 2025
2

I don’t like the Doors. I can understand why some people do, but Jim Morrison’s voice does NOT do it for me. I can’t stand how he wails in every song and his voice is just so theatrical it sounds forced and borders on corny. Anyway, I won’t say anymore about it, because I know people love the man, but nope, not for me 👎 I’ll give it two stars because I didn’t hate the album. I just wish someone else had sung it

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Aug 26 2023
1

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.

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Oct 13 2020

Gem!

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Sep 01 2025
5

cool guitar solos, iconic album, like the blues/jazz element

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Sep 01 2025
5

A really good album, loved the classic The End but there were so many other great songs too. I also liked Break On Through, Soul Kitchen and Twentieth Century Fox.

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Sep 01 2025
5

My Only Friend, The End 1001 Albums Generator 106 (08/28/2025) Although they may have been funded by the CIA, The Doors are still one of the best psych rock bands ever and their debut album stands as one of the first I would recommend to someone getting into the genre. This album is truly perfect to me. It has hits, like massive, defining hits, in Break on Through and Light My Fire. It has some great slower moments in The Crystal Ship and End Of The Night. It has an absurdly loud organ played by the absurdly talented Ray Manzarek (I'll be brave and admit I had to look up his name, which is sad because the organ on this album is fantastic). And of course, this album also has that song. You know the 12 minute masterpiece that closes it out and features an Oedipus breakdown? Yeah, that song. Yes, The End one of the best songs ever and totally deserves the praise that it gets. The Doors never reached these heights again, but all cylinders were firing on their debut. The only song that I feel lukewarm about is the cabaret of Alabama Song, which just always feels slightly out of place to me. Besides that, The Doors is a perfect 5/5. Favs: Break on Through (To the Other Side) Soul Kitchen The End Least Fav: Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)

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Aug 31 2025
5

Seriously good album, little unfair as I loved it already. Great musicianship, wizard fingers on the organ and memorable vocals.

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Aug 28 2025
5

Very biased, not gonna lie. This album holds a lot of my favourite songs, and a very special place in my heart since I used to listen to it again and again when I first discovered the genre. it's imposible for me to rate ir less than a 10/10.

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Aug 27 2025
5

A timeless classic

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Aug 26 2025
5

Jim Morrisons cultural significance is massively overrated but doesn't mean the music isn't good.

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Aug 24 2025
5

There was a time that I didn’t “get” The Doors, but I’ve since changed my stance. A fantastic debut album. I know Jim Morrison gets most of the credit, but Ray Manzarek’s contribution to The Doors legacy cannot be understated.

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Aug 21 2025
5

Seminal album.

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Aug 21 2025
5

I remember the whole album from high school. 27 seems so young now. His voice is so powerful and mature. I think his psyche was not as mature. It’s an amazing album. The End is quite dramatic, even more melodramatic to aged ears.

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Aug 21 2025
5

I kind of don't like The Doors, but you gotta give credit where credits due.

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Aug 21 2025
5

locura d disco

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Aug 19 2025
5

One of the greatest debut rock albums of all time.

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Aug 16 2025
5

Fremragende. Selv de hits, man burde have hørt for meget.

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Aug 15 2025
5

Potentially the best debut album of all time. Of 11 songs, three are massive hits, three more are widely recognized b-sides, and two more are fan favorites. Love him or hate him, Mr. Mojo Risin is a rock icon. 5

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Aug 14 2025
5

An unbelievably self-confident debut album. Even the stumbles are cool because of how sure they were in their stride.

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Aug 14 2025
5

A great album for any mood. Break on through and light my fire are the classics along with the end

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Aug 13 2025
5

Increíble

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Aug 13 2025
5

Einfach gut 10/10

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Aug 12 2025
5

Masterpiece! Jim Morrison forever! The Doors best album. An one of the best albums I ever heard.

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Aug 12 2025
5

Fantastic

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Aug 12 2025
5

Heck of a journey we go on here. Soul Kitchen has been my favorite song of this album, and Alabama Song stood out this time around as well. 5/5

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Aug 11 2025
5

I am the lizard king I can fuck everything

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Aug 06 2025
5

10/10

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Aug 06 2025
5

Very good early rock. I enjoyed

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Mar 03 2025
5

I’ll admit I’m heavily biased – back when I was an angsty teen, I did so many drugs on this album (and when I say « on », I literaly mean on the jewel case) that just listening to it probably still triggers a chemical response in my brain. That being said, and putting aside the annoying mythos Jim Morrisson would later come to build around himself, I still think this is an absolute beast of an album. There’s no fat, not filler, it’s mean and lean, there’s not a single bad track. It’s just pure blues-rock with a unique tonality and lyrics that are a million times more intriguing and original than any other song in the same period. To put out such an incredible record as a first effort, AND have at least three of the tracks become absolute classics that are still used in popular culture almost 50 years later, is certainly no small feat. « The End » still sends shivers down my spine to this day. Am I being an edgy fanboy for still loving that song ? Maybe, but then so are Coppola and Marlon Brando, so I really don’t mind the company.

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Aug 05 2025
5

A humdinger of a debut!

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Aug 04 2025
5

The best Door album.

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