The Doors
Morrison Hotel

THE REVIEW

There are those who say they only appreciate the first album, others who say they like the first two, in short, you hear a bit of everything. The psychedelic experience of "The Doors" and "Strange Days" belongs to the past. Here we are faced with an album of electric rock blues.

"Morrison Hotel" is from 1970, and the Doors once again enjoy shuffling the deck. With "The Soft Parade" from 1969, they introduced a small orchestra; for many, "The Soft Parade" is the weakest album in their discography, perhaps because of those weaker songs that certainly exist and somewhat ruined the album, even though everything else works fairly well. Sweeping away the orchestra, the Doors locked themselves in the recording studio and what came out was a new sound in their repertoire, but this time with excellent results, both musically and commercially.

It's precisely "Roadhouse Blues" that opens the album, with the classic and captivating melody of the guitar and electric piano. "Waiting For The Sun" is not a rock blues piece, but it still enchants with its keyboard camouflaged by a strange effect and the visionary evocation it emanates, with flashes of sun in a sunless sky;

"You Make Me Real" is the classic rock blues piece and I also think it's Morrison's flagship; the piece, however, leaves room for Krieger's very interesting guitar, which in some ways recalls "Love Me Two Times" from "Strange Days".

"Peace Frog" is based on Krieger's muted chords with a repetitive singing that always flows into the classic rock blues groove; the connection with "Blue Sunday" is ingenious, a decadent and sentimental song à la Frank Sinatra, dedicated to his partner Pamela Courson. The first side concludes with "Ship Of Fools," still electric rock blues where Morrison's singing seems more mature and challenging.

On the second side, to summarize, there's "The Spy," an entirely jazz piece that is very beautiful and interesting, "Queen Of The Highway" a somewhat melancholic rock track in my opinion, but very beautiful, "Indian Summer" another decadent and nocturnal melody with a guitar that slides over nostalgic shades. "Maggie M'Gill," more rock than blues, concludes this masterpiece by the Doors.

Special mention goes to Jim Morrison's lyrics, always beautiful, visionary, and highly intellectual, which always work especially when mixed with a good dose of music that is called Doors.