During the period in late 1970 and early ’71 when Jim Morrison and his bandmates in the Doors were recording their sixth and final studio album, “L.A. Woman,” at their West Hollywood rehearsal space, the singer was drowning in a booze-fueled bender: drunk nearly every night but sober by morning and ambling across Santa Monica Boulevard for the day’s session.

Three months after The Doors released their classic L.A. Woman Jim Morrison was dead. The album was Morrison’s final record with the band but according to guitarist Robby Krieger, Morrison was in a great mood while they made the album.

JIM MORRISON WAS THE ORIGINAL REBEL WITH A CAUSE, ONE THAT BELIEVED IN BOUNDLESS SELF-EXPRESSION EVEN AT THE COST OF IRKING AUTHORITIES AND SOCIETY ITSELF.

The Doors: L.A. Woman (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
Elektra/Rhino R2 659055 (3CD/1LP). 2021. Bruce Botnick/Doors, prods.; Botnick, eng.
Performance ★︎★︎★︎★︎★︎
Sonics★︎★︎★︎★︎½

We’re dipping into the Far Out Magazine vault to look back at a very sad performance. During it, The Doors rattle through their subversive songs while Jim Morrison, a caricature of himself, provided some sad foreshadowing. It would be the last performance he’d ever give.

Tonight (January 3rd) on the world famous Classic Album at Midnight on Radio Nova we’re playing The Doors’ L.A. Woman.

The album is presented in full with no commercials or interruptions.