The Doors - L.A. Woman

Skip the last track

L.A. Woman is my favorite Doors compilation, which is why it grieves me to have to give it a 4-star instead of a 5-star rating. This bluesy collection is Morrison at his best with greats like Changeling, Hyacinth House, Been down so long & the fabulous title track. I also enjoyed the bonus track Orange County Suite.

The reason I gave this compilation a 4-star is because of the last track. You see it's very simple...no Morrison-no Doors period. I feel they could have found any a number of tracks done by Morrison to complete this set and I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but I want to hear his voice and only his voice when I'm listening to the Doors! That's just the way it is with me.

So, minus the last track I would give this CD a 5-star rating in a heart beat. It's classic Blues/Rock only the Doors can pull off. October 13, 2008

Attempting the dignified exit

3 1/2

Although The Doors final entry had a few songs that could hang with the best of their catalog (obviously the ones that went on to be hits) those songs almost feel like intuitive last-chance stabs at audio immortality in an attempt to raise the vibe of these creatively limited final recording sessions. September 24, 2008

The rating is for the original mixdown

This is not 1971 mixdown, which presumably was approved by ALL four members of the band and reflected their original intent.

Remixing, while making it more satisfactory to the ear accustomed to current trends, compromises it's value of what people liked and bought for the last 39 years. It would been a better thing to remaster the original recording and, if space permitted, add as many remixes that showed the alternate benefits of what it might sound like recorded today or reveal hidden aspects that may have been deliberately buried in the mix as part of the 1971 mix for the benefit of the curious.
September 3, 2008

2007 Remix L.A. Woman

I like this new mix. The first album I ever bought was The Doors/LA Woman. It was the summer of '71 (I think) and I was 13 years old. When I opened the album and saw the yellow inner sleeve I thought it was the coolest thing I ever saw. Very risque for a 13 year old in 1971. The music on the album was even cooler. My Uncles had already given me the earlier Doors albums so I was familiar with the music. This album got played 'till the grooves wore out.

The new mix sounds "harder" than the original. The bass and drums more pronounced. The drums get the Lars Ulrich treatment-up front and crisp. I like that effect on "The Changeling" and "LA Woman". The new mix also makes the bass seem to drive harder.

The original got my heart pumping and always will. The new mix also gets my heart pumping but in a different way. Updated, yet still maintaining the soul of the Seventies. June 14, 2008

this is the one

there are several versions
Re-mixes/Re-masters out there
this is the best version
if you want LA Woman on Cd get this one!!! June 14, 2008

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