L.A. Woman by The Doors...Episode #33 - Classic Rock Album Olympics | Lyssna här

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez open The Doors' L. A. Woman, select their favorite tracks and award their gold, silver and bronze medals accordingly.

Medal Winners

The Changeling

Bonus Tracks

Til The End Of Time – Perry Como

Cheek To Cheek – Fred Astaire

Riders In The Sky – Vaughn Moore

Roadhouse Blues (Live) – Doors

Light My Fire – Doors

Been Down So Long - Doors

Crawling King Snake – John Lee Hooker

Released in 1971, L.A. Woman is the sixth studio album by the Doors and the last album recorded with Jim Morrison before his death on July 3, 1971. It stands as one of the band's finest achievements, a gritty, blues-based return to the sound of their early years after the more elaborate production of albums such as The Soft Parade.

The album emerged during a difficult period for the band. Morrison's legal troubles following the infamous 1969 Miami concert had damaged the Doors' reputation and concert prospects, while his increasingly unpredictable behavior created tension within the group. Yet musically, the band was reconnecting with its roots, drawing heavily on Chicago blues, boogie, and the loose, spontaneous feel of a live performance.

A key change was the departure of longtime producer Paul A. Rothchild, who had worked on the band's previous studio albums. Rothchild reportedly became dissatisfied with the sessions and the band's performances, leading him to leave the project. The Doors then produced the album themselves with their longtime engineer, Bruce Botnick, recording much of the music in a relaxed, informal atmosphere at their own Workshop studio in Los Angeles.

The resulting album is rawer and more direct than much of the Doors' earlier work. Morrison sounds particularly comfortable singing the blues, while Robby Krieger's guitar and Ray Manzarek's keyboards weave around John Densmore's flexible, jazz-influenced drumming. Two additional musicians helped shape the sound. Jerry Scheff, best known for his work with Elvis Presley, played bass throughout the album, providing a remarkably strong foundation that gave the Doors' music a more conventional blues-rock groove. Marc Benno added rhythm guitar on a handful of tracks.

The album reached No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard 200. The first single, "Love Her Madly," was released in March 1971, ahead of the album, and peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single, "Riders on the Storm," was released in June 1971 and reached No. 14. It was the last song Morrison recorded with the band before his death.

L.A. Woman is significant because it captured the Doors at a moment of artistic renewal. The band had stripped away much of the elaborate studio polish of earlier records and rediscovered the blues-based chemistry that had made them compelling in the first place.

Side 1

The Changeling

Love Her Madly

Been Down So Long

Cars Hiss By My Window

L. A. Woman

Side 2

L'America

Hyacinth House

Crawling King Snake

The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)

Riders On The Storm