L.A. Woman was recorded from December 1970 to January 1971 in The Doors own studio called “The Doors Workshop”. Located in Los Angeles. It was released 3 month later at 19 April 1971. Prior to that Love Her Madly was released as a single one month before.

The first resales came with rounded corners and a “window” on the front, where the band members kind of looked out on the listener/buyer. The cover was designed by Carl Cossick and Wendell Hamick was the photographer. During time I had several versions, including the early releases. But I have traded them, somehow these Doors albums haven’t like triggered my collectors gen. It has been more important to have a 100% clean and NM copy for the music. The version I listen now is the German repress that came later in 1971. It still plays as a mint copy, even it has been played over and over again German quality stuff.

L.A. Woman is another favorite of mine and one of the best Doors albums. More will be present here later. I find it a straight-forward classic rock album that stands all the way, mixed with some blues elements. I don’t like the term “bluesrock”, not in this case anyway. But also too classic or elementary to reach what I call a “Complete album”. Already from the first tones of Changeling you kind of feel where the album leads you. Side one slowly build up the mood to it´s “semi-final” L.A. Woman – from Changeling to the hit, Love Her Madly, over the more raw and dirty Been Down So Long, a bit downtempo during Cars Hiss By My Window to the title song L.A. Woman. At that point you are placed in a cabriolet, the roof down, while the mountains passes by along Route 66.

Side 2 runs a bit more straight, like it all leads up to the final Riders On The Storm. One of the big Doors hits during time, it reached a number 14 on the Billboard 100 in US. it was actually inspired by a country song called “Riders in the Sky” written by Stan Jones and later became a country hit with Vaughn Monroe. According to a interview with Jim Morrison the lyrics in verse 2 is inspired from Cook who had killed 6 people while hitchhiking in California. The 2. verse goes like this:

There’s a killer on the road
His brain is squirmin’ like a toad
Take a long holiday
Let your children play
If you give this man a ride, sweet family will die
Killer on the road

Her on Dandyvinyl we will meet L.A. Woman again 19 April 2021, when it will celebrate it’s 50 years release date!

Jim Morrison – vocals
Ray Manzarek – piano, organ
Robby Krieger – guitar
John Densmore – drums

Additional musicians
Jerry Scheff – bas (Played with Elvis Presley)
Marc Benno – rhythm guitar