Breaking Through

The Doors self-titled debut LP was recorded from August 24 to 31, 1966, at Sunset Sound Recording Studios, and released in the first week of January 1967.  It featured most of the major songs from their Whiskey a Go Go set, including the nearly 12-minute musical drama The End.  Singles released were break On Through (to the other side) a disappointing #126 on the billboard chart but Light My Fire was a #1 chart hit. Strange Days, released in October 1967, consisting of songs that were written in 1965–66 but which did not make it onto their debut album, such as Moonlight Drive, which was one of the first songs written by Jim Morrison.  A demo of the song was recorded in 1965 and a proper studio version was recorded for their debut album but was not used.  In 1967, a final version was recorded and released on this album.  Strange Days contains some of the Doors' most psychedelic songs.  Title track Strange Days, People Are Strange, Love Me Two Times and When the Music's Over are all considered classics within the Doors' canon.  Singles released were People Are Strange reached #12 on the charts and Love Me Two Times that peaked at #25. Waiting For The Sun, released in July 1968, became the band's first and only number one album, spawning their second US number one single, Hello, I Love You.  It also became the band's first hit album in the UK, where it peaked at #16 in the chart.  With the exception of two songs, the material for this album was written after the band's initial songs from their club scene days had been recorded on their first and second albums.  The centerpiece of this album was supposed to be the lengthy theatrical piece Celebration of the Lizard, but in the end only the Not to Touch the Earth section was used.  The Unknown Soldier was also released as a single and peaked at #39.  The album has sold over 7 million copies.

The Soft Parade, released in July 1969, contained pop-oriented arrangements and horn sections.  The lead single, Touch Me, featured saxophonist Curtis Amy.  While the band was trying to maintain their previous momentum, efforts to expand their sound gave the album an experimental feel, causing critics to attack their musical integrity.  For the first time, the songs were credited to individual members as Morrison was unhappy with the lyric Get your guns on the Robby Krieger composition Tell All the People.  Morrison's drinking made him difficult and unreliable, and the recording sessions dragged on for months.  Studio costs piled up, and the band came close to disintegrating.  Despite all this, the album was immensely successful, becoming the band's fourth hit album. Morrison Hotel (sometimes referred to as Hard Rock Café from the title of the first side of the LP, while the second side is titled Morrison Hotel) was released Febuary 9, 1970.  After criticizm for the pop sound experiments on their previous album, the group went back to their blues roots on Morrison Hotel.  The strategy worked; even though no major hit singles were drawn from the album, Morrison Hotel reestablished The Doors as favorites of the critics, peaking at #4 on the US album chart.  The album also became the band's highest charting studio album in the UK, where it peaked at #12.  The album also saw Jim Morrison returning as main songwriter, writing or co-writing all of the album's tracks. LA Woman, released April 19, 1971, continued with the heavy R&B sounds of Morrison Hotel.  Most of the tracks were recorded live (at The Doors Workshop, in Los Angles).  To get a fuller, raunchier sound Morrison recorded his vocals in the studio's bathroom.  Elvis Presley's bass player Jerry Scheff was brought in to play bass on the album, and rhythm guitarist Marc Benno was brought in so that Robbie Krieger could focus on playing lead guitar during live takes.  The singles, L.A. Woman, Love Her Madly, and Riders on the Storm remain mainstays of rock radio programming, with the last of these being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for its special significance to recorded music. In the song L.A. Woman, Jim Morrison scrambles the letters of his own name to chant Mr. Mojo Risin!

Jim Morrison's struggles with alcohol and drug abuse caused troubles with the law, concert promoters, concert fans and band members.  While the band was performing at The Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 12, 1970 Morrison apparently had a breakdown on stage.  Midway through the set he slammed the microphone numerous times into the stage floor until the platform beneath was destroyed, then sat down and refused to perform for the remainder of the show.  John Densmore recalls the incident in his biography Riders on the Storm, where after the show he met with Manzarek and Krieger; they decided to end their live act, citing their mutual agreement that Morrison was ready to retire from performing.  By the time the album was released in April 1971, Morrison had moved to Paris, France, where he died three months later, in a hotel room bathtub, at the age of 27.

This is the end Beautiful friend This is the end My only friend, the end It hurts to set you free But you'll never follow me The end of laughter and soft lies The end of nights we tried to die This is the end

Wanderin' Spirit
November, 2013
"Breaking Through"

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