Album Reviews

In honor of Audiophile Day (October 2), I spent the balance of my afternoon and evening hours spinning some of my favorite LPs, both new and old alike. Ahh, the ongoing aural wonders of that sweet, sweet vinyl science! Anyway, with all that in mind, I now want to get into one of my favorite repeat listens of the day — so let me tell you a story about The Doors and the big beat of Analogue Productions’ new 200g 1LP UHQR edition of their April 1971 studio swan song on Elektra with Jim Morrison behind the mike during his lifetime, L.A. Woman.

I will delve into the sound of the new L.A. Woman LP shortly, but the gist of it all is simply this: If you want to spin primo late-period Doors on just one 200g Clarity Vinyl LP as only Acoustic Sounds and Quality Record Pressings (QRP) can deliver it with their unmatched UHQR (Ultra High Quality Record) series, then this is the version to get.

The stats are these. The UHQR edition of L.A. Woman was mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering from the original analog master tapes, plated by Stan Bishop and pressed at QRP using Clarity Vinyl, and it is limited to 4,500 copies. The release already seems to have struck a chord with the buying and listening public since, as of this posting, this version of L.A. Woman is currently nestled at No. 1 on Acoustic Sounds’ UHQR Top Seller chart.

As to the iconic album artwork, the curved-edge L.A. Woman jacket has been die-cut direct-to-board to match that of the original release, and it is housed inside the UHQR box itself for whatever purpose you see fit, alongside the usual top-flight UHQR accoutrements (i.e., a UHQR Signature Sheet, UHQR Technical Specs Manual, an audiophile-grade inner sleeve, and a protective plastic sleeve). However, the box’s own outer shell does not exactly match the full dowel spine/slipcase presentation native to the balance of UHQR releases we’ve seen, mainly due to the time factor it would have taken QRP to manufacture it that way — which, of course, would have further delayed its entry into the marketplace.

An 8-page saddle-stitched booklet includes a full B&W spread shot of The Doors and producer Bruce Botnick together around a table in their rehearsal space-cum-studio dubbed The Doors Workshop in Los Angeles; liner notes and a reproduction of “The Last Interview” with Morrison by onetime Rolling Stone scribe Ben Fong-Torres; and a beautiful full-page shot of the original Artisan Sound Recorders 2-track 15ips tape box. I won’t spoil it, but the Morrison interview, billed (as noted) as the man’s “last,” having been conducted five months before his untimely passing in Paris in July 1971, is brief and to the point, somewhat chilling by nature, and quite preternatural.

To be fair, many discerning listeners — me included — absolutely love the sound of the years-earlier 180g 2LP 45rpm edition of L.A. Woman that was mastered by Doug Sax, overseen by Bruce Botnick, and released by Analogue Productions. But, as label head honcho Chad Kassem told me on the phone recently, they didn’t want to replicate what Sax had done with that edition here, so they turned to Grundman to master the new single LP release — and you will indeed hear certain, albeit minute, differences in terms of that unmistakable in-the-room feel, of which both versions do admittedly get across quite expertly. In both cases, the low end is low, the mids are right where they belong, and the highs are high (pun not intended). That said, some have felt Morrison’s vocals are more, shall we say, “ethereal” on the 45rpm version and the bass is also a bit restrained, and I can discern all that at the nitpicky level of things — none of which deters my listening enjoyment, mind you.

So, is it ultimately a case of apples vs. oranges, and/or winner takes all? Well, what your obtainment decision may ultimately boil down to are the combined factors of a) price, b) the (in)convenience of whether you want to get up and flip two LPs/four sides for your L.A. Woman listening session(s) or just turn over 1LP for two sides and the more natural flow of the album’s original intention, c) whether you have a preference for 33⅓ or 45rpm playback given the amount of music and information per side and your philosophies about any related sonic differences therein, d) if you prefer Sax mastering to Grundman mastering, and/or e) if you’re a Doors (and/or UHQR) completist and absolutely must have everything that is released with their name at the top of the LP marquee, as it were.

Speaking of the entry fee, the SRP for the new UHQR edition of L.A. Woman is $125, and you can order it either directly from Acoustic Sounds here, or via Music Direct via this link, or from MD via the link graphic at the end of this review. In comparison, the 2LP Sax set lists for $60 — but be mindful that a) that edition is not a UHQR, b) it’s 180g not 200g, and c) it’s currently on back order at Acoustic Sounds anyway, so you’d actually have to go elsewhere and pony up anywhere from $75 to $150 on up, depending on the condition you want it in, not to mention the added shipping cost.

One last thing to note before I get into the UHQR song by song. If you have an original Artisan Sound Recorders version of the album (the Pitman pressing, that is), then you know how good L.A. Woman is meant to sound on vinyl. I’ve picked up subsequent pressings over the years that could never quite match it, but the 2LP 45rpm edition took that crown once it arrived (nitpicks be damned). And, to satisfy my completist’s itch, I’ve also quite enjoyed playing Elektra/Rhino’s 4LP box set that was released during the April 2022 RSD window in order to absorb additional in-studio context of an album that had visibly difficult birthing and nurturing as required to get it to the finish line. So how does the new UHQR fare? Let’s take it Side by Side (beginning caps intended).

First, recall those earlier comments re my broader assessment of the overall lows, mids, and highs. My copy was well-centered (if a big snug on the spindle) and dead-quiet. On Side One of the UHQR, “The Changeling” (Track 1) sets the table for Morrison’s mostly guttural vocal tone throughout the album (and key on how he phrases “uptown” and “I had none”), and where keyboardist Ray Manzarek and his Hammond organ reside off to the right. A differing vocal effect shifts Morrison’s approach on “Love Her Madly” (Track 2), but take note of guitarist Robby Krieger’s clever comps way off to the left and a bit back in the mix behind Manzarek’s Vox Continental solo in the right later in the track. The blues-bending “Been Down So Long” (Track 3) — sorry, I meant to say, “Been Down So Goddamn Long” — is anchored down the middle by Jerry Scheff’s boss bass line (yes, Scheff!) (sorry, had to go there!) while Krieger’s sinewy slide guitar soloing takes over in the right. “Cars Hiss by My Window” (Track 4) slows the bluesy proceedings down even further, and I continue to marvel at drummer John Densmore’s snare and the natural reverb off it — not to mention Morrison’s hornlike vocal-comp mouth solo toward the end, if you will. Finally, “L.A. Woman” (Track 5) revs back into high gear to end the side beautifully, with Manzarek’s ramble-tamble Rhodes piano setting the city-at-night table before giving way to Krieger’s highway-stretching back-half soloing.

And then there’s Side Two. “L’America” (Track 1) unfolds not unlike a just-as-creepy cousin to “Not to Touch the Earth” (from July 1968’s Waiting for the Sun, on Elektra), with Krieger’s opening doom riff rolling from right to left as the rest of the band soon enough falls in, accented by Densmore’s insistent militaristic drums. At first, the vibe of “Hyacinth House” (Track 2) appears to be sunnier on the surface, before Morrison’s measured, hold-it-together-man vocal underscores a clear cry for help as buttressed by Manzarek’s burbling-under-the-surface Hammond organ riffs over to the right, until Jim buttons it up with a somewhat terse plea, “And I’ll say it again / I need a brand new friend / The end.” Next up, the hardcore blues return with a searing cover of John Lee Hooker’s “Crawling King Snake” (Track 3), a.k.a. “I Am the Original Lizard King,” buoyed by Densmore’s cymbal and hi-hat work and Krieger’s sneering riffs off to the right. Everyone eats in “The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)” (Track 4), a jazzy soundtrack backing for Morrison’s wide-panned poetic-reading precursor to the November 1978 spoken-word-oriented Doors album on Elektra, An American Prayer, anchored here by Scheff’s super-fat thumping bass and Densmore’s supple swing. “Riders on the Storm” (Track 5) closes it all so beautifully, and oh-so-sublimely — certainly to this day one of my absolute favorite Doors tracks — led by Morrison’s doubled vocals (his ghostly whispered backing vox perhaps being one of the earliest examples of ASMR!), Manzarek’s light-touch rain-tinkling Rhodes piano, Densmore’s superb stickwork, and Krieger’s decaying delay-laden guitar riffs.

And now, to the ratings. The Music is an easy 10. It’s a perfect bookend to The Doors’ self-titled January 1967 debut LP on Elektra, which is a stone-cold, non-negotiable 11. The Sound rating goes like this, in order of direct comparison — a clean Artisan Sound Recorders Pitman pressing original is a 10 (an original is an original is an original), the 2LP 45rpm edition is a 10.5 (with only 0.5 off a perfect score for its side-flipping semantics and general interruption of the musical flow), and the new UHQR L.A. Woman gets a vaunted 11, because it delivers all the promise, power, murder, and madness of The Doors’ collective blood, sweat, and intent.

I’ve played this new 1LP edition dozens of times since I first got it in hand, and it has yet to fatigue me, bore me, or let my mind wander as it plays. That’s the mark of a great recording rendered even greater as a listening experience that I’ll doubtless return to again and again. In short, don’t let The Doors’ UHQR L.A. Woman hiss by your purchasing window. It’s got that undeniable risin’ mojo, mr., of an LP that is truly heavenly in its brilliance.

THE DOORS
L.A. WOMAN
200g 1LP (Elektra/Analogue Productions)

Side One
1. The Changeling
2. Love Her Madly
3. Been Down So Long
4. Cars Hiss By My Window
5. L.A. Woman

Side Two
1. L’America
2. Hyacinth House
3. Crawling King Snake
4. The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)
5. Riders On The Storm