L.A. Woman cover

L.A. Woman

Released

The Doors’ final album with Jim Morrison (he died three months after it landed in stores, and they made two more without him that you’ve never heard) dives even deeper into the blues than its predecessor, 1970’s Morrison Hotel, did; their version of John Lee Hooker’s “Crawling King Snake” is dark and theatrical-in-a-good-way, and “The Changeling” and “Been Down So Long” strut and snarl. But the two seven-minute-plus side-enders, “Riders On The Storm” and the title track, show the band (and keyboardist Ray Manzarek in particular) at its best, simmering and seething and occasionally rousing themselves for a headlong charge, staring into the abyss and, when it stares back, giving it the finger.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
Giant Step cover

Giant Step

Taj Mahal
Let It Bleed cover

Let It Bleed

The Rolling Stones
Electric Ladyland cover

Electric Ladyland

The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Paranoid cover

Paranoid

Black Sabbath
Made In England cover

Made In England

Atomic Rooster
Steppenwolf cover

Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf
In Blood cover

In Blood

Billy Childish, Holly Golightly