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STRANGE DAYSThe DoorsProto-Prog4.25 | 649 ratings |
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Short and to the pointLess than a year after the release of their debut album, The Doors returned with this fine follow up. While the album runs for a rather miserly 35 minutes (short even for the LP generation), we are nevertheless presented with ten new songs, including a ten minute feature track. Much of the album is made up of sophisticated but straight forward pop orientated songs. The prog relationship here can be found in the innovations in sound techniques and the superb production, rather than in the compositions themselves. The opening track for example sees Jim Morrison's vocals being subtly distorted, making for a slightly eerie atmosphere. The instrumental support for "Unhappy girl" sounded far more ground breaking in the late 1960's than it perhaps does now. Had the track been extended by an instrumental section, it could have been one of the band's most revered songs. Indeed, in retrospect that comment holds good for many of the tracks here. Nowadays songs of the quality of "People are Strange" would never be considered complete after just over 2 minutes. The even briefer "Horse latitudes" is an early example of Morrison reciting his unique poetry. At over 10 minutes, the closing "When the music's over" is a monster track in comparison with the other nine. Comparisons with "The end" are inevitable, but for me there is a real progression here, the track demonstrating how the band's confidence is growing at the same pace as their creative abilities. In all, another album which laid the foundations for prog, and which stands in its own right as an excellent work. The sleeve, notable for its lack of reference to either the band or album name, has a bizarre photograph of a circus troupe in an alley. Strange indeed.
Easy Livin |
3/5 |
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