Morrison Hotel

I was born in '64 so I was late to this record, but by the time I was 18, I'd heard it plenty and heard it lauded quite a bit.I was smitten for a few years, but it didn't last. Now that I'm almost 64 there is zero mystique, a few good memories, and the realization that Jim and the guys were a singles band. Perfect for disgruntled (but not too disgruntled) teens of any age. I mean its funny to think that The Doors and the Stooges were label mates with records out at the same time. They sound light years apart. Those reviewers touting the Lizard King's authenticity, should check Mr. Pop. I mean, "Peace Frog" used to be my jam, because it repped my hometown of New Haven, CT with bloody '68 rhetoric, woo hoo..but yeah, he's talking about his arrest in New Haven, where he was drunk off his ass , whipped out his dick on stage, and got hauled in for obscenity. Not exactly Kent State. It was always about Jim. This is my problem with the Doors..the old bait and switch. Packaged rebellion. There are hot singles in their catalog and on this record, but like a Motown LP there is no shortage of filler. As you might be able to tell, when it comes to the 27 club Mr. Morrison is at the bottom of my list. 1. Jimi 2. Janis 3. Jim

Morrison Hotel I thought this was a really fun listen, but it points to my lack of knowledge of The Doors catalogue that I was surprised to see it has a mixed critical standing. I can see that it is a little uneven though. There’s clearly a focus on bluesier material, with little of the jazz and psychedelia of previous albums, and some songs are more successful than others, but it does have more than enough to be a great listen. Roadhouse Blues is of course superb, and Waiting for the Sun is perhaps the only nod to psychedelia, and I love the Moog parts with the organ. Peace Frog I remember Paul playing for me at Hawthorn Terrace and its a superb song. Ship of Fools is propelled by some bouncy organ and bass, giving it a nice vibrancy under Morrison’s crooning about dying at sea. Land Ho is another bouncy track, continuing the nautical theme. The organ is great on Queen of the Highway, rippling and carrying the song along. Indian Summer is a very pretty track, with a sense of Albatross to it. You Make Me Real, Blue Sunday, The Spy and Maggie M’Gill are where it works less well for me, not quite hitting the right bluesy rock heights of the other tracks. Altogether though the good songs outweigh those slight dips and make it a solid 4. 🐸🐸🐸🐸 Playlist submission: Peace Frog

One of the best albums of all time .

(4/5) Of the three Doors albums on this list, this is without a doubt the weakest. Jim is struggling and the band is pushing him along. They started to turn tail from the radio-friendly, psychedelic rock pablum of the "Soft Parade" and some of their earlier work, and set out down a much bluesier path. "LA Woman" is my absolute favorite of theirs, but I haven't revisited any of their stuff for years.. let's see how it holds up. ****** The answer? Not well. They're definitely finding a new sound on this one and it will burn brightly on "LA Woman", but they have not sloughed off all the 60s psychedelia yet. "Blue Sunday", "Land Ho!", & "Indian Summer" haven't aged well to my ears. They really brought the album down. The highlights had a haze of nostalgia around them that saved it for me, but... "Strange Days" would have been a better pick for the list, IMO. Still a bluesy throwback.

#289 Heard Before? Yup. Notes: - Do we need the third or fourth best Doors album? Does anyone? - starting with an irritating and very basic blues number doesn't help me. - as on any Doors album, the keyboard parts are my favorite thing. - Jim Morrison is very sexy and he could sing to me any day, but that doesn't mean i care about anything he has to say. - my second listen today (with lowered expectations) was more enjoyable, but i still feel like the Doors are more of a singles act, and none of their great songs are here. Verdict: Bold and bluesy, just not essential. Listen Again? Nope. But I saved "Waiting for the Sun".

I was excited to get this album in my list. I have always loved the bluesy roots of the band, and let's face it, Roadhouse Blues is an almighty banger. However, the album is quite patchy. The quality drops off after Peace Frog.

I've heard The Doors self-titled outside of the list, and I think it's amazing. I honestly can't wait! 01. Roadhouse Blues I was on the fence until that solo in the middle. It won me over. Cool song! 02. Waiting For The Sun Feels super experimental for 1970. Really cool track!! 03. You Make Me Real Not much to say for this one. Just a really cool, and really good track! 04. Peace Frog Strange lyric wise, but is another really sick track! 05. Blue Sunday I think Jim is really great at these slower paced tracks. Sad it's as short as it is. 06. Ship Of Fools Not as much into this one, unfortunately. It's still damn good, but doesn't nearly stack up with the rest of the tracks. 07. Land Ho! Not bad, but kind of uninteresting. 08. The Spy That chorus hits like a motherfucker. The verses are pretty cool too! 09. Queen Of The Highway Yeah, it's pretty good. I have no other interesting comments. 10. Indian Summer Super uninteresting, especially this late into the album. 11. Maggie M'Gill Just a pretty alright song. I guess it's a fine way to close this off. This isn't the strongest Doors album by no stretch of the imagination. There's not much to really say, either. The front half is MUCH stronger than the back half. Miles, even.

Iha jees. Mikään ei jääny erityisesti mieleen.

i don’t want to call this noise pollution, because I acknowledge that it was probably influential to a lot of musicians that I really admire and appreciate — this was just not for me. I find his voice quite whiny and overall annoying to listen to (sorry). I did like some of the songs, but not enough for me to really enjoy this album.

I have this LP and it’s one of my favorites of theirs. First side is really good.

peppig

Some repetitive bluesy bits but gets into a more psychedelic feel. 3/5

Jim Morrison was, in every sense, the quintessential rock 'n' roller: who else would agree to work on new material simply because they were bored stiff while waiting to stand trial for a drunken brawl? Morrison Hotel marks a departure from the overly cerebral — and ultimately unsuccessful — sound of its predecessor, returning instead to simplicity and blues roots. That said, it’s not a pure blues record; the band wouldn’t fully commit to that until their next album. Instead, this one features a dash of the psychedelia that made the group famous, an Eastern-inflected ballad, and even a "white" take on funk — a precursor to the style later popularized by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The musicianship remains top-notch, though Jim’s own voice — haggard, bloated, and worn — is a far cry from his performance on The Doors' earlier work. It’s a solid album, even if it does lose a bit of steam after its powerhouse opening four tracks. As for the hotel featured on the cover — it burned down a couple of years ago, much like the band itself would soon burn out.

Low 4. There were some great moments but also some stinkers

Not my favourite Doors album but I features 2 of my favourite tracks “Roadhouse Blues” and “Peace Frog”. It’s a shame to Jim Morrison left this mortal coil early. I also want to point out the excellent production, sound and the blistering guitar by Robbie Krieger. Saw them with Ian Astbury as the Doors of the 21st Century. Also my claim to fame: Dinner with Ray Manzarek in Sydney and a signed copy of “None Gets Out Of Here Alive” by Danny Sugarman.

I feel like you have to be in a certain headspace for this album

Groovy and bluesy

Not a big fan of the blues so this doesn’t really connect with me much. Or at all, really.

I got really excited at the first song when there was harmonica but I feel like the rest of the album didn't hold up quite as bit as I hoped, it becomes a bit of a mess sometimes but I really love the keyboard. That and the harmonica edge it into a 4 for me Likelihood that the members of this band lezzed out IMO: 3/5 I can see it

it's good time rock n roll ! I'm not mad at it but it's not my favorite doors. glad they followed the soft parade with this. pretty frontloaded , kind of lost me by the b side. hoping we get more doors albums soon. favs were waiting for the sun and roadhouse blues

OK. Not inspiring but a decent listen.

I really love this album

4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-doors/morrison-hotel/ Not the best Doors album, but very enjoyable nonetheless. Bit heavier than much of their other stuff, which I like, but also a bit bluesier at times, which I like less. Waiting for the Sun stands out.

Great blues sound in some of the tracks on this album absolutely love Roadhouse Blues and Waiting For The Sun. The rest doesn't stack up to those two stunners but is not bad. Like most Doors albums there's a balance between the poetic lyrics and the sublime music, sometimes they come together and are brilliant and sometimes there just ever so close. Morrison Hotel is the latter. good, almost brilliant but not quite.

I think that the Doors have better albums than this, pretty forgettable blues rock without some of the better elements that make the other Doors albums stand out. 2 stars

Muscular

(4/7) some interesting stuff

The Doors! A band I really like, despite only having heard 2 albums from them (and miscellaneous singles)... I promise, I was going to listen to more soon, but I guess the album generator was impatient. Anyways, The Doors are a band that I feel like I shouldn't like as much as I do given my taste. And because of that, I'm not exactly sure WHY I like them. Maybe it's the virtuosity of Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore as musicians. Maybe it's Jim Morrison's hauntingly beautiful voice, with lyrics that match him perfectly. Maybe it's the fact that the songs are so catchy and so well-written, but still weird enough to be in another world, where it's always rainy (you might say everyone's waiting for the sun) and everything is about the blues (and electric organs). Maybe I'm just strange. Good album; highly recommended. ----- #0040 Heard on: 5 Nov. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (49 / 370) Favorite track: Land Ho! Least favorite track: You Make Me Real

What a better, an eclectic mix of pearlers

Dobro. Izmedu 3 i 4 sam, ali ne zelim dat visu ocjenu. Ima mi par solidnih pjesama i par ne tako solidnih. Zapravo mi je druga polovica bolja nego prva, ali mi to neće promijeniti mišljenje. Naj: Roadhouse Blues

#134 I've never been able to form a strong opinion on The Doors, but I liked this more than their earlier work. Good blending of heavy blues and psychedelic. Highlights: Waiting For The Sun, Roadhouse Blues, Queen Of The Highway 3.5 / 5

Front loaded but I still preferred this to LA Woman. Granted, LA Womans highs are higher (way higher), but overall this was a better album - a bit more consistent.

Сара 3,5 Марко 3,5

good tunes. I especially like the opening track - Roadhouse Blues. sometimes seems a little meandering, but still pretty good, if a little dated

Era defining sound. Opening shot for the 70s

Not bad at all

really great

One of the best bands of their time and this is simply a classic

Heard it before. I don't really care for the Doors, too pretentious for me.

This was genuinely such a hit and miss album. I adored Land Ho! and Roadhouse Blues. Blue Sunday and Waiting for the Sun had JUST the right amount of melancholy for my taste.

Some of the songs were a bit wacky but hey it's the Doors. 3.5✨

I think this is actually better than their debut, a bit cleaner and just as groovy

Doors blues jams with a standout or two. It did occur to me during this listen how very well produced the doors albums are. They always sound great. This one doesn’t have anything on it that I love. Jim is equally lascivious, menacing, and silly but always with the utmost conviction. Whatever.

I didn't know The Doors had such a bluesy style at the beginning. Really liked this album. Top to bottom it has incredible sound production, so crisp. Will listen again.

A cut above

I think this might actually be better than their debut album!! Lost a little bit of oomph by the end but really vibed with this

Ya he escuchado este álbum varias veces. Qué decir de The Doors, cracks. Uno de los mejores álbumes que tienen, top 3 capaz? Indian Summer de los mejores temas del álbum.

i don't know, it is a decent album, but not very memorable. has some good guitar riffs, but that's about it. good for background, i guess. i thought that a interesting song came when tidal auto played similar song (creedence clearwater revival - ramble tamble), but sadly no, the album has just finished. liked "roadhouse blues", "waiting for the sun", "ships of fools", "the spy". 3

First actual album review. Think I will use this website as a means of when I need to grind and don't know what to listen to. Insanely lucky start. Favorites: Roadhouse Blues, Waiting for the Sun, Blue Sunday (soft), Land Ho! (groovy).

Heavy blues rock mixed with acid rock, with just a dash of southern rock flair. The Doors were still a blind spot in my music listening history, so I’m glad to get another album of theirs. A lot of these songs sounded like Jim Morrison became the frontman for Creedence Clearwater Revival, which is a compliment. Really infectious grooves, excellent guitars, and Morrison was great. Just a couple meh tracks keep this from reaching a perfect score, but it’s a solid 4/5 regardless. We’re so back!

Forgot how much rock can be pleasant to listen to! Will listen more to The Doors for sure!

I have never been a huge doors fan and this album was no different. Obviously they had an immense impact on rock and Jim Morrison charisma was off the charts but I wonder if they would be remembered as they were if he hadn’t died early.

Toujours bon et surprenant! LANDS HO

Not a huge fan of how the doors wrote melodies, they almost feel like nursery rhymes to me. Everything is very cool blues rock.

Day 79 James Douglas Morrison. One sentence: How fucking dare you. You decide to name a whole record after yourself, sidelining your bandmates? Of course you had to be front and centre in the cover too. You absolute attention thief. What the actual hell man? Ray wouldn't call it "Manzarek Hotel", nor would Robby call it "Krieger Hotel". I get you lead singers have egos but this is way too far for me. I can't condone this dude. Fav track: Waiting for the Sun if not including Peace Frog/Blue Sunday together

The Doors had some great songs, not all of them, but I was happy to listen to some ‘70s rock n roll. 3.5 Top tracks: Roadhouse Blues, Peace Frog, Indian Summer

another one my grandpa would love

Overall a great album, "Roudhouse Blues" is a true classic.

Very cool

Musically pleasant, but not quite as complete of a work to me as LA Woman was. Kind of a little too produced, and a little too lyrically simple. Still has a good number of good tunes though, and it is mixed pretty well despite being maybe a little slick for its own good in some spots. I suppose it is a bit of a throwback to simpler garage rock, and a bit of a predictor for bluesey hard rock to come. Side 2 picks up a lot compared to Side 1 for me. Most of the songs on that back half are really solid and get a little deeper with richer but more authentic sounds vs. Side 1, which I think is a little more of a culprit for my criticisms. I can hear how it was influential. I think it is fun, but I don't love it... Good album, not great

Haven't heard this for ages. The Doors were so good!

My second Doors album. Seems like they turned down the psychedelia for this one which seems odd since, in my understanding of The Doors, (which admittedly comes mainly from this Bruce Mcculloch skit/song https://youtu.be/ZAvYUbtB3ro?si=9sWNUyNVUv_XT6fc ) the third album was the departure point so that makes this...like, in space or something? I guess I'm saying I'm glad I saved my acid for another day. (Looks at next day's album, which is Soundgarden's "Superunknown.") Shit. Anyway, luckily The Doors can still rock. But I do prefer "The End" to anything on here.

Not bad. It was cool listening to it but it felt pretty forgettable. Indian Summer was a cool song though.

No messin' with The Doors!

Uma banda que eu me esforcei pra não gostar foi The Doors, mas, agora, finalmente ouvindo um album inteiro, achei legal. Não sei se é tão pra mim assim, mas não são músicas que eu pularia.

I really liked this album, would relisten to it

Roadhouse blues is probably my favorite Doors song but this album is pretty meh.

Door city over here. Wasn't a big fan. The style was kinda all over the place and nothing struck a chord with me. The Blues song reminded me of the Between the Lions Blues segments, so it felt like my literacy went up while listening to it.

The Doors do not excite me and this really did nothing for me. Roadhouse Blues and Peace Frog are the two popular songs on the album. I like Peace Frog more than Roadhouse Blues, but I think my favorite, such as it is, is The Spy. The entire album is inoffensive and that's about the best i can say for it.

I went into this knowing I hate the Doors, but willing to give it a fair go. I still hate the Doors - possibly more than before.

Didn't grow up listening to the doors and have mixed feelings about them overall, but this album is excellent.

Sorry haters, The Doors are not that bad!

divertidinho

Has Roadhouse Blues and Peace Frogs which are both popular songs that I also like. It's a typical Doors experience where there are some songs that are high impact and then some kind of inoffensive normalish songs. They were all released fairly close together too so with a little shuffling there could have been an amazing 5 star album in there.

Typical Doors stuff. Fine but not greatly inspiring. Sounds rather dated now

learned about jim morrison...is he like a god basically? i have probably 2 new classics from this, also was feeling jazzy in there. will explore more doors

Nice but simple

This was pretty uninspiring for me unfortunately. Background music at best.

This is a pretty fun album and I really like just the overall vibe of it There was something I liked in just about all of these songs 3.5 or 4/5 Favorites: blue Sunday, waiting for the sun

I have of course heard about the Doors before today but I must have mixed them with some other band because this is great! Awesome blues rhythms and a harmonica is just my vibe. The album has highs and lows but even the lesser good songs are good enough not to skip. It might be time for me to listen to more of their work I think

I love all the ingredients of The Doors’ stew, but only like the Doors themselves. I’ve not heard this particular album before and it was pretty good, not blown away but I enjoyed the slightly more guitar forward sound

Third album from the poster boys of "Hit or Miss". With the fewest number of "Hits", this is the weakest of the three albums on the list and, therefore, unnecessary. And yet - it's STILL more essential than half this list.

Man these guys I don’t get. Sure, I recognized some of these songs. But why? They played no signicance to me before this album. Hopefully this is the end to the Doors entries in this list.

Album : 51/1089 Songs known going in : 0 Favourite song : Blue sunday or queen of the highway Rating : 7/10 Notes : I've always had mixed feelings about the doors since watching that film with Val Kilmer too young There are some good songs, I liked the funkiness of peace frog and the dreamy ballad of blue sunday Its not the best album they've done by far I have to admit I do have a soft spot for the organ it reminds me of bob dylan I found this album really hit or miss I hated the first half but I though the second was really good

so many classic songs, and overall really good album, but not as good as the self titled 3.8/5 stars

I remembered it being better

Like many people my age, I had a bit of a Doors phase back around high school, and would consider myself a casual fan. As such I had a good bit of exposure to this one, though aside from a few highlights (namely Roadhouse Blues), it was never one of my favorites. While it does present a stripped down and bluesier version of the band, it's precisely that departure that lowered it in my estimation, as it eschews the more keyboard driven and psychedelic style that I associate with them. Time and changes of taste have softened that to a degree, and I can say that I enjoyed revisiting it in full after all these years, so I'll round up its 3.5/5, but it will never be what I reach for when I want to listen to this iconic group.

233. Morrison Hotel - The Doors (1970) Variety: 2 Adequacy: 4 Listenability: 3 Uniqueness: 3 Emotionality: 2 = 2.8 rounded up to a 3 THE TRACKS My general opinion is that Doors are a band that have a TON of great songs, but they are spread out amongst a lot of mediocre, self indulgent ones that make for some very mixed album experiences. Push comes to shove, I probably prefer their debut over anything else, as I like the weird, circus dark pop version of the band. L.A. Woman might be my #2, and they do the roadhouse blues bar band pretty well too, and as far as blues rock in general goes ( it's not my favorite genre) I think they also do it a bit more authentically than a lot of the British guitar gods who worshipped all these old blues guys. The band has a MASSIVE footprint, with Morrison more or less inventing the complicated, Byronic rock god archetype that hundreds would copy for better or worse ( usually worse). If they didn't steal his look, his voice, or his swagger ( or all three) they at least stole it from someone else who had already stolen it from him. Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Alice Cooper, Danzig, Nick Cave, Petr Murphy, Scott Weiland, Axl Rose, Ian Curtis, Ian Astbury, Ian McCulloch... the list is enormous. I'd argue he might even be more influential as a front man than even Bowie or Elvis. Though if you go back far enough, Morrison was heavily influenced by Elvis as far as stage presence. Vocally his influences were Bing Crosby, Sinatra, Howlin' Wolf, and Peggy Lee. Add all this into the odd keyboard heavy sound and weirdo arrangements by Ray Manzarek and catchy pop sensibilities of Robby Krieger and you had the special sauce that no one at the time could really imitate. You're mysterious, darkly sexual frontman, willing to alternately antagonize and charm the audience backed by solid musicians with good instincts. Though their music was far from anything even resembling anything hard, you also got the template for most metal bands here. ( I'd argue Morrison was much more of a rock n roll bad boy than Ozzie ever truly was). Morrison himself, as iconic as he is annoys the hell out of me for many of the same reasons. People not only copied his stage presence, they copied his self-indulgent, bullshit life style as well. Which determined some of their death styles as well ( apologies to Mr. Hammet). His pretentious ego stuff is a kind of low yield background radiation that is always there, threatening to spike ( it does more than a few times on this one) and either pull a mediocre song down ( most often) or add some hilarious, but still awesome bit of theatricality to a great one, like on "The End" ( less often). That in addition to his lack of any real musical chops - which to be clear is generally a feature, not a bug as he has such a distinct delivery - hurts some of the bluesier numbers when he goes all intense and ends up just shouting the lyrics. He also sounds like he might have been one of the most exhausting rock stars ever for people to be around and put up with his bullshit, but I'll try not to let that count against them. SO long story short, I have very mixed feelings overall on the Doors, and would normally classify them as a greatest hits band, who have an outsized stylistic influence on rock history but who never really had any true great artistic accomplishments. A B- band in an A+ package I guess. This is one I probably have not listened to all the way through since my 20s, and I recall living aspects of it, but thinking some of it was pretty garbage. Especially for an album with such a big reputation. I'm not really sure why this AND L.A. Woman need to be on here, and personally would have subbed in Strange Days if a third choice was even necessary. Side one: Hard Rock Café ( ugh... is this necessary?) "Roadhouse Blues" - We at least start things off with a genuine blue rock classic. It hits all the gritty notes it has too from the boogie woogie saloon piano, to the absolutely dirty filthy guitar lines from Krieger, Densmore's basic as it can get beat, and Morrison's slurred, and ferocious sounding delivery. It's a great for all these reasons. And there's not a single moment out of place. When you compare this to the awful middle class white dude blues that would come after it, it towers over them in authenticity and feeling. I think this probably launched thousands of horrible "dad rock blues" bands, but I can't really blame these guys. The Jim Belushis, Bruce Willises, and Steven Segal's of the world owe the Doors and this song in particular a huge debt. "Waiting for the Sun" - No major drop in quality here, but we do have a step down in that classic status. A minor one at best for them, this one has got those weird, dark romantic vibes that I dig most about the band, and has some killer hooks, most notably that huge bigfoot bit n between the chorus and verse. Morrison's vocal melody on the verse ain't too shabby either. "You Make Me Real" - This one starts off fun with some awesome jaunty keyboards and a raucous and driving feel. There's some throwback 1950's guitar work from Krieger, and Morrison seems to almost recede a bit and let the band do it's thing. This was alright, if a bit generic. "Peace Frog" - Uncharacteristically funky, this doomladen little number remains very up tempo and positive sounding despite the apocalyptic imagery. Maybe the most embarrassing and cringeworthy moment in a Doors song that I can think of off the top of my head. Anyone who bought a copy of one of Morrison's posthumous poetry books might feel differently maybe. And hey, as someone who loves a lot of very silly stuff, and who literally just gave a 5-dtar review to Selling England By the Pound by Genesis, I'm not anyone who should be throwing stones when it comes to cringeworthy, ridiculous lyrics. But some of these are pretty terrible. Just try saying this out loud to yourself in a serious voice- "Indians scattered on dawn's highway bleeding/ Ghosts crowd the young child's fragile eggshell mind". I think it might be impossible. The fact that Morrison delivers it with in such a serious tone tells us a lot about the man I think. Maybe if the music and atmosphere itself had been over the top and theatrical like in "The End" it could have worked. I dunno. That was a good laugh though. The song is too silly and upbeat, and feels like each member of the band is playing a different song. "Blue Sunday" - Way more of a throwback to there earlier sound, this one is a slow and dreamy romantic ballad that's as boring as it is cliched and lazy sounding. The only real decent hook being when Morrison's vocals and Densmore's beat sync up in the chorus. Pretty unoffensive filler. *YAAAWN*. "Ship of Fools" - Echo and the Bunnymen ( hugely influenced by the Doors) strangely have a song with the same title, but which is otherwise completely unrelated. Which is interesting as this is exactly the sort of pop forward, bouncy type of thing that would have been perfect for them to cover. It has it's charms, but doesn't quite hit hard enough to be more than ok while I was listening to it. So we close side one with a pretty evenly mixed spread of greatness, mediocrity, and garbage. Side two: Morrison Hotel ( *sigh*) "Land Ho!" - This was a lot of fun. Silly, lighthearted, and as close to a sea chanty as the band ever gets I think, with a galloping beat and some organ work to make sure you don't forget the nautical vibes. The too dramatic bridge sets up the return to the song proper really well. There's an alternate world where the Doors became a pirate band, and it would have been great. Alas, it never came to pass and we'll have to make due with more standard uninspired blues rock stuff. "The Spy" - Musically this was ok, but I was bored to tears by both Morrison at his most slumber inducing register, and the lame spy metaphor. This felt twice as long as its already too long 4:15 runtime. "Queen of the Highway" - Loved the watery keyboard tone on this album, but that was about it. It felt like Morrison reading a grocery list. This happened, then this happened, then this happened. "Indian Summer" - By far the most atmospheric song on the album, with some light and airy touches of psychedelia over top of what sounds like Morrison doing a Roy Orbison song as reinterpreted by the Velvet Underground. Cool stuff, and could see this being covered by a much more modern act like Yo La Tengo and not aging much at all even with very few changes. Cover by Opal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziK4c2TnFmo "Maggie M'Gill" - A bit of a funky, swampy bit of blues rock that I think gets a bad rap, and is a pretty decent deep cut. Nothing amazing, but it's got a serious bent, and Morrison at his best in this mode. Densmore carries a lot of the load here with teh driving beat, but there are plenty of great highlights. HIGHLIGHTS - "Roadhouse Blues" - "Waiting for the Sun" - "Land Ho!" - "Indian Summer" MIDLIGHTS - "You Make Me Real" - "Ship of Fools" -"Maggie M'Gill" LOWLIGHTS - "Peace Frog" - "Blue Sunday" - "The Spy" - "Queen of the Highway" FINAL THOUGHTS This went pretty much how I expected. Even more so than other, better Doors albums, this one lives and dies by the best tracks, and luckily it has the one all-time classic to buoy it up. That, the few fun and interesting ones and the otherwise inoffensive but saggy middle keep it squarely safe from 2-star territory. It was was almost the very definition of a mixed bag, with the good, the not so goof, and the ugly all getting pretty equal time. The other two entries on the list I have much higher hopes for given that they each are loaded with more outright classics, and also have a bit more variety as well. It feels a little bit of a slap in the face of a band so influential and iconic, but given their relatively small output, and the short amount of time they were at the top, I think it's ok, considering they have plenty of apologists. I always struggle to come up with much to say about these musicians I'm more or less neutral on, or who have outputs of such varying quality except that I'm glad those greatest hits compilations exist. Possible turn-Offs might include: - a real lack of variety - some (mostly) boring blues rock - a lack of dynamics, and real melodies You Might enjoy this if you: - are fascinated by acts that have gigantic cultural footprints - dig that roadhouse blues bar sound - are already a Morrison fanboy PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - "Roadhouse Blues" and maybe "Indian Summer" are the only two I could see myself scrolling to find FURTHER LISTENING Precursors: - All-Time Greatest Hits by Peggy Lee - Bing with a Beat by Bing Crosby - Moanin' in the Moonlight by Howlin' Wolf and Willie Dixon - Elvis Is Back! by Elvis Contemporaries: - Future Blues by Canned Heat - Looking In by Savoy Brown - Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin Descendants: - Fun House by The Stooges - Horses by Patti Smith - Exile on Main St. by The Rolling Stones - L.A.M.F. by The Heartbreakers - Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division - Crocodiles by Echo & the Bunnymen - Love by The Cult - Floodland by The Sisters of Mercy - Core by Stone Temple Pilots - Let Love In by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Thickfreakness by The Black Keys - Liminous by The Horrors

This is the first Doors album we've encountered on this project and I know there are a few more beyond this. For me The Doors exist on my top shelf of "Bands From Before I was Born." That's how categorize them. This shelf is for bands whose time I missed but still folded into my musical taste. Led Zeppelin is the absolute top of that list for me. I didn't get into the Beatles until later in life but I'd include them as well. Bands like Queen were still working into the '80s when I could hear new stuff miss this personal list. The Doors though, I found in college. This one though is mostly known to me for "Roadhouse Blues", "Waiting for the Sun," "The Spy," and "Maggie M'Gil" I was not completely familiar with the entire production. The Blues Rock and Psychedelic Rock of The Doors always appealed to me. Their sound is the embodiment of these styles. Bands in this lane are almost always measured against The Doors. Morrison's iconic vocals and beat poetry lyrics paired so well with Ray Manzarek's boogie woogie keyboard & Robby Krieger's haunting guitar work. Throw in John Densmore's jazzy percussion and there you go. Morrison Hotel remains a great display of the band's ability without being weighted down by endless classic radio play like some of the other albums. Maybe that is just me. I haven't heard this one near as much as I know the other two on the list (The Doors & L.A. Women) so it hasn't had time to wear thin. Even though I may rate either of those higher. (Spoiler: I expect to for the '67 album. Well see how far "Riders on the Storm" gets L.A. Women when we get there.) Happy to spin this one a few more times to get wear it out though, in the meantime. 4/5

4/10

🏨🏨🏨🏨

To be honest, I was surprised that "Morrison Hotel" was suggested to me as part of the 1001 Albums challenge. I keep forgetting about it somehow. Following the overproduced disaster that was "The Soft Parade", however, it signalled a return to the band’s blues roots. Overall, I’d rank it amongst the weaker Doors albums featuring Morrison. Perhaps this is because the debut and the second album outshine everything else, and "L.A. Woman" – as an unintended swan song – is more convincing. However, with 'Roadhouse Blues' and 'Waiting for the Sun', it contains two of my favourite songs by the band. "Morrison Hotel" is good, but perhaps it also shows that the band had reached a musical impasse from which one should never have tried to find a way out with an alcoholic's mind as a band leader. This is why one searches in vain for psychedelic masterpieces such as 'The End', 'When the Music's Over' or 'Riders on the Storm'. At a different time, perhaps they could have made more of a song like 'The Spy'. As I said, it's good, but not outstanding.

Solid

The Doors just have that sound. Transportive, LA, a little spooky. Awesome

Morrison Hotel reaffirms my opinion that the only good Doors songs are the hits. "Roadhouse Blues" (the hit) is incredible, a bar fight classic. Pretty much every other song is fine at best. Also, I've always thought Jim Morrison's poeticism was self-satisfied hack shit and that his fifty year legacy is mostly thanks to his alcoholic baritone, his face card, and his (un)timely death at 27. The lyric sheet for this record does not prove otherwise.

between a 3 and a 4

Couple of great tunes on here. Was hard to listen to this after hearing their horrendous debut the week before. Three songs in until I heard that fucking organ. First track is a screamer

Liked this more than I thought I would. Not really a Doors fan based on what I had heard previously, but this was a little more blues/rock forward which I liked. Some of their other stuff is too trippy or has too much harpsichord or whatever.

Oh fuck yea. I did not expect this from the doors. I guess like the Beatles or other bands, their sound changed later in life. I really like that. I agree with Colton that the organ was really fun and just the fun and gritty vibes.

That was rad. Love the old organ sound and just groovy dirty rock. 4.2