Welcome to “This Month in Music,” where we review albums from each respective month, but from 5, 10, 20 years ago. These reviews may introduce you to new musical experiences or just give a new perspective on ones you already know. Regardless, we hope you enjoy.
In 1966, popular music took great strides. From Pet Sounds to Revolver, the medium’s artistic intent and quality skyrocketed. These records, however, were just the beginning. ’67 would prove to be one of the most influential years in the history of music, and The Doors started it out with a bang.
You can’t talk about The Doors without addressing their frontman, Jim Morrison. The polarizing rock-star brilliantly captured the hippie counterculture of the late ’60s, while adding new elements to the psychedelic music that preceded him. Morrison’s presence on the band’s self-titled debut often adds to the dark, mysterious tone of the music. In stark contrast to the sunshiny pop behemoths that came before it, The
Doors‘s mood is indicated by its iconic cover, 
which features the band on a black backdrop.
Never is this mood more prevalent than the album’s closer, “The End.” The eleven minute epic is leagues away from what was popular at the time, feeling more like a dive bar on a quiet night than a pleasant day at the park. Morrison even seems to allude to this contrast, proclaiming “all the children are insane / waiting for the summer rain.” The frontman’s presence is even greater on the latter part of the track, which includes him singing about his self-ascribed oedipal issues and ejaculating the line “fuck me baby” over and over.
Even with all of the attention Morrison grabs, it is impossible to listen to The Doors without being impressed by the skill of the musicians. Never is this as prevalent as “Light My Fire,” the seven minute long hit track that features a keyboard solo by Ray Manzarek and a guitar solo by Robby Krieger. The spectacular instrumentation carries the tracks and allows Morrison to shine in the arena that is created for him within each song.
There are plenty of reasons to like The Doors, from fun tracks (Break on Through), to great baselines (Soul Kitchen), to experimentation (Alabama Song), to soul influences (Back Door Man). The most interesting aspect of all, though, is how greatly the album differs from the sound that preceded it. The Doors began 1967 by carving out a new world in the blossoming universe of psychedelic music; a world that would soon be filled by a multitude of artists finding their home in this new style.
Favorites: Soul Kitchen, Light My Fire