We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago…..
It’a ironic the Doors released their best album as their leader was disintegrating. Jim Morrison was is rough shape in late 1970 and early 1971. His last concert with the band in New Orleans in early December was a drunken disaster. He was no longer the leather clad stud of 1967. He was a in the throes of the alcoholism and drug abuse that would kill him just a few months later. In fact, he left LA for Paris before the final mix of the LP was finished…leaving as the fading notes of Riders On The Storm was recorded.
So why was this LP, in my opinion, the best Doors LP ever? Well, it starts with long-time producer Paul Rothchild who didn’t want any part of the band anymore. So, the band went back to their roots, recording in their small rehearsal studio in Santa Monica with engineer Bruce Botnick and the band members themselves producing. They decided to go back to their blues roots and instead of numerous takes, they took a much looser view of the recording process. It turned out great.
from the first notes of “The Changeling to those final moody passages of Riders On The Storm, the LP was a victory. It included a cover of the John Lee Hooker classic “Crawling King Snake”, a hit single, “Love Her Madly which cracked the Top 20, and Morrison at his enigmatic best with tunes like L’America which was supposed to be in the movie “Zabriskie Point”, but didnt make the cut. It also included the amazing title track in which Morrison and the band were in sync as they ever had been.
One of the other differences was the addition of a bass player for this LP. Normally they would just use keyboardist Ray Manzarek’s left hand on the bass notes. This time they brought in studio vet Jerry Scheff (who had just come off a gig supporting Elvis in Vegas!). Listen to the bass lines that Scheff adds to these tunes…plus the creative drumming of John Densmore . Add in Robbie Krieger’s biting guitar lines and yes, the sometimes over the top and cheezy keyboards of Manzarek ( I particularly like his Fender Rhodes work on “Riders”).
The Doors return to their blues roots and it’s too bad they never got another chance to follow this up (at least with Morrison out front).
One of the Top Ten LPs of the year for me…In a year of great music. Enjoy.
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