MORRISON HOTEL

After the decline into the overwrought arrangements and average material of The Soft Parade, someone or something must have kicked this band back into shape. The song writing hasn't much ado anymore with the psychedelic and proto-prog leanings of the previous albums, instead this is a back to basics album. But thankfully, the heap of human misery called Jim Morison put in one chilling delivery after another on this rough and powerful album.

There's two ways to approach this album. The first is to hear nothing but awfully dated straightforward blues rock in a song like Roadhouse Blues. The other is to let yourself get carried away on its dead-catchy guitar riff and take in all the raw emotion and pain that Jim Morison put into his vocals here. You already concluded from my rating which way I turn, though I admit I tended to look the other way when I first heard this album. Waiting for the Sun is the best song they recorded since their album Strange Days 3 years earlier. It combines their big new sound and energy with the earlier psychedelic elements.

You Make Me Real offers the same options as the opener. You will either be appalled by the rockabilly clichés that have replaced their earlier sophistication or you will simply pull your loved one out of the sofa and twist your living room to pieces. Don't forget the bottle of champagne to pour over yourselves. That will be quite the party!

Peace Frog has a similar vibe. Uplifting and energizing music with sexy bluesy vocals. The opening bars are almost Smells Like Teen Spirit. Blue Sunday is the first song that quiets down the pace, it's a delicate and slightly romantic ballad with very rich melodies. Also Ship Of Fools is an inspired song, be it slightly out of date compared to the innovation that raged through the rock scene around that time. Next on is Land Ho!, now can you possibly resist this funny tune? There is no other band that can sound so blissful and sinister at the same time.

On first sight, The Spy is nothing but a loungy blues-jazz tune but again the melodies are strong and gripping. It confirms that The Doors intended to have not one filler track on this album. Queen of the Highway undermines that intension. It's not bad but weaker then the songs around it. Indian Summer sounds like a 2.30 minute remake of The End from the debut but it works a lot better then the overblown pathos of the original. Maggie M'Gill ends the album like it began, with a harsh blues-rock song.

4 Solid Stars, no arguing about it. It easily tops the debut in my book. And did I mention how powerful and intense it is?