Paris, 1972. The City of Lights was still pulsating with the aftershocks of the 1968 riots, a simmering cauldron of political and cultural upheaval. Amidst this backdrop, a peculiar vinyl record emerged: The Doors' "L.A. Woman," a French pressing with rounded corners and a semi-transparent cover. It was a curious artifact, a tangible manifestation of the band's tumultuous final chapter.
By the time this French pressing hit the shelves, Jim Morrison, the Lizard King himself, was already dead, his body decomposing in a Parisian cemetery. "L.A. Woman," the band's sixth and final studio album with Morrison, had been released the previous year to mixed reviews. Some critics hailed it as a return to form, a raw and bluesy exploration of their roots. Others dismissed it as a meandering mess, a band on the verge of implosion.
The historical context surrounding "L.A. Woman" is crucial to understanding its significance. The Doors had weathered a storm of controversies throughout their career, from Morrison's infamous on-stage antics to their clashes with authority figures. By 1971, they were a band teetering on the edge of self-destruction, their internal tensions and external pressures threatening to tear them apart.
Yet, amidst this chaos, "L.A. Woman" emerged as a testament to their resilience. The album was a sonic journey through the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles, a city that had both nurtured and scarred the band. From the swaggering opener, "The Changeling," to the epic closer, "Riders on the Storm," the album captured the essence of the Doors' raw, primal energy. The album featured several songs that would go on to become fan favorites, including "Love Her Madly," a radio hit written by Robby Krieger, and "L.A. Woman," a sprawling blues epic that became an anthem for the city itself.
Musically, "L.A. Woman" marked a departure from their earlier psychedelic experiments. The album was steeped in blues and rock influences, with Morrison's vocals channeling the raw power of Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters. The band's core lineup—Morrison, Ray Manzarek on keyboards, Robby Krieger on guitar, and John Densmore on drums—was augmented by session musicians like Marc Benno and Jerry Scheff, who added a gritty, earthy texture to the sound. The inclusion of slide guitar on several tracks, a first for the band, further emphasized the bluesy feel of the album.
The production team, led by Bruce Botnick, who had worked on previous Doors albums, captured the band's live energy and rawness. The album was recorded in their rehearsal space, nicknamed "The Doors Workshop," a cramped and dimly lit room that lent itself to the album's claustrophobic atmosphere. The use of ambient sounds, such as the rain and thunder in "Riders on the Storm," added an atmospheric dimension to the album.
