L.A. Woman

L.A. Woman
Studio album by The Doors
Released	April 29, 1971
Recorded	December 1970 – January 1971 at The Doors Workshop, Los Angeles, CA
Genre	Blues rock, psychedelic rock
Length	48:24
Label	Elektra
Producer	The Doors, Bruce Botnick
The Doors chronology
Morrison Hotel (1970) L.A. Woman (1971) Other Voices (1971)

L.A. Woman is the sixth and last studio album that The Doors recorded with lead singer Jim Morrison, who died in July 1971. The album's style is arguably the most blues rock-oriented of the band's catalog.

Production

Following the departure of their record producer Paul A. Rothchild (who, contrary to popular myth, loved "Riders on the Storm" but dismissed the group's differing style on "Love Her Madly" as "cocktail music") around November 1970, the Doors and engineer Bruce Botnick began production on the album at The Doors Workshop in Los Angeles. Most of the tracks were recorded live, except for a few overdubbed keyboard parts by Ray Manzarek. Jim Morrison recorded his singing in the studios' bathroom to get a fuller sound. Elvis Presley's bass player Jerry Scheff was brought in to play bass on the album.

Botnick later produced and mixed a new 5.1 Surround version of the album, which was released on DVD-Audio, December 19, 2000. It was produced from the original eight-track analog 1" master tapes.

Early LP editions of the album were uniquely packaged: the album's cover was die-cut to remove a near-rectangular piece of it, with a sheet of transparent plastic on which the cover photo of the Doors was printed, glued in place in its stead. Later pressings featured a conventional cover without the die-cut hole and plastic window, and with the group photo printed on the cover itself.

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Robert Christgau	A− link
Rolling Stone	(favorable)
Slant Magazine	link

The band embarked on a tour before completing the album, although it would only comprise two dates. The first was held in Dallas, Texas on December 11 and reportedly went well. The second performance took place at The Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 12, 1970, where 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. Drummer John Densmore recalls the incident in his biography Riders on the Storm, where after the show he met with Ray and Robby; 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, on July 3, 1971.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 362 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Track listing

Side one

1. "The Changeling" (Jim Morrison, The Doors) – 4:21
2. "Love Her Madly" (Robby Krieger) – 3:20
   • The 40th Anniversary Mix includes a longer fade-out making it 3:38
3. "Been Down So Long" (Jim Morrison, The Doors) – 4:41
4. "Cars Hiss by My Window" (Jim Morrison, The Doors) – 4:12
   • The 40th Anniversary Mix includes an additional verse making it 4:58
5. "L.A. Woman" (Jim Morrison, The Doors) – 7:49
   • The 40th Anniversary Mix includes the guitar intro "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" making it 7:59

Side two

6. "L'America" (Jim Morrison, The Doors) – 4:37
7. "Hyacinth House" (Jim Morrison, The Doors) – 3:11
8. "Crawling King Snake" (John Lee Hooker) – 5:00
9. "The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)" (Jim Morrison, The Doors) – 4:16
10. "Riders on the Storm" (Jim Morrison, The Doors) – 7:09
    • The 40th Anniversary Mix has a shorter fadeout during the storm

40th Anniversary Mixes bonus tracks

11. "Orange County Suite" (Jim Morrison) – 5:45
12. "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further" (Willie Dixon) – 3:41

The 40th anniversary reissues (released 2007) were completely remixed along with being remastered. This practice extended to incorporating vocal and instrumental components which were not part of the original album. As Ray Manzarek said, "There are background vocals by Jim Morrison, piano parts of mine that weren't used, and guitar stingers and solos by Robby Krieger that never made the original recordings, that can now be heard for the first time."

40th Anniversary Edition (2012 2CD)

Disc one (Original recording remastered)

• Original album (1971 mix)

Disc two (Extra tracks)

1. "The Changeling (Alternate Version)"
2. "Love Her Madly (Alternate Version)"
3. "Cars Hiss by My Window (Alternate Version)"
4. "L.A. Woman (Alternate Version)"
5. "The WASP (Texas Radio and The Big Beat) [Alternate Version]"
6. "Been Down So Long (Alternate Version)"
7. "Riders on the Storm (Alternate Version)"
8. "She Smells So Nice"
9. "Rock Me"

iTunes Bonus Tracks

10. "L.A. Woman (Take 1)"

11. "Crawling King Snake (Run Through and Studio Chatter)"

Amazon Bonus Tracks

10. Love Her Madly (Take 1)

11. The Changeling (Take 9)

Spotify Bonus Track

10. "The Wasp (Texas Radio and the Big Beat) [Instrumental]"

Personnel

The Doors

• Jim Morrison – lead vocals, maracas, tambourine, piano on bonus track "Orange County Suite"
• Robby Krieger – guitar
• John Densmore – drums
• Ray Manzarek – Hammond C-3 organ on track 1, tack piano on tracks 2, 5, Vox Continental organ on track 2, rhythm guitar on track 3, Gibson G-101 organ on track 6, Wurlitzer electric piano on track 8, Fender Rhodes Electric Piano on tracks 5, 10 and 12, lead vocals on bonus track "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further"

Additional musicians

• Jerry Scheff – bass
• Marc Benno – rhythm guitar on tracks 3, 4, 5, 8

Technical staff and artwork

• Bruce Botnick - co-producer, engineer
• The Doors - co-producers

• Carl Cossick - album concept/design
• Wendell Hamick - photography/visual effects
• Bill Siddons - personal management

Chart positions

• Billboard Music Charts (North America)

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1971	Pop Albums	9

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1971	"Love Her Madly" B-side: "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further"	Pop Singles	11
1971	"Riders on the Storm" B-side: "Changeling"	Pop Singles	14