"End of the Night"
(from The Doors, 1967)
Since "Light My Fire" and "The End" are often lauded as the highlights of The Doors' debut release, people think it's okay to just skip over the other tracks. I've even seen several people on RateYourMusic relate to this track as filler. Ugh, how I loathe that word. One man's filler is another man's treasure, as I always say. This slinky, noir-shaded number is not only a great showcase for Jim's crooning voice, but Robby's woozy guitar is absolutely killer here. How this gem has been ignored for so long is beyond me.
"Hyacinth House"
(from L.A. Woman, 1971)
This one's quite strange, even for The Doors. With almost comical lines such as "I see the bathroom is clear" and unsettling harmonies, this number is often seen as an ode to Jim's longing to escape fame, and according to semi-reliable source of Lyric Genius, it was based off of the Greek Myth surrounding the origin of hyacinths. I'm really not a fan of the L.A. Woman album as a whole (cue gasp from Doors diehards everywhere), but this has always been a highlight for me.
"Love Street"
(from Waiting For The Sun, 1968)
At first, I felt like I was cheating with this one, because I assumed that most Doors fans knew the story of the infamous house on "Love Street" in Laurel Canyon. Nevertheless, it's too near to my heart not to share it here. It's a rare incident where The Doors aren't their usual, bluesy-sounding selves, and they instead toy around with dreamy, sunshine pop, and musically, they do a wonderful job with it. The sound of Robby's guitar lines interweaving with Ray's piano lines is to die for. The fact that it's about Pam (Morrison's girlfriend from The Doors' origins to his death) is probably the real reason why I'm so attached though.
"Moonlight Drive"
(from Strange Days, 1967)
Jesus, everything about this song deserves praise. Every instrument, including the vocals, is absolutely perfect, note-for-note. The lyrics are great, the song's buildup is kick-ass, the solo is amazing. What else can I say?
"My Eyes Have Seen You"
(from Strange Days, 1967)
This is another track that I've seen labelled as "filler", but when I listen to it, I feel like it's a quintessential Doors track that anyone interested needs to hear. Again, it's musically great, and almost verges on being psychedelic. It's songs like these that make you realize how ahead of the curve The Doors were.
"Queen of the Highway"
(from Morrison Hotel, 1970)
If someone were to take me to the chair, and make me pick a single Doors song to be my favorite, I might just say this one. That decision is probably just sentimental, but the keyboard in this song is phenomenal, Jim's songwriting is at its best, the musical break is on point, the guitar near the ending is great, the outro is wonderful...so it can't just be me. So much beauty in only 2 and a half minutes. Untouchable.
"Runnin' Blue"
(from The Soft Parade, 1969)
This tribute to Otis Redding gets a lot of shit from fans, mostly due to the country-ish verses sung by Robby. I don't necessarily see that part as a negative thing. It's more like something that makes the song unlike anything The Doors ever made before, which it is. If anything, this is the band at its most experimental. It's pretty cool, and to the naysayers, it could be a lot worse.
"Shaman's Blues"
(from The Soft Parade, 1969)
I'll be the first to admit that The Soft Parade is a little bit of a mess. In my opinion, this song saves it almost single-handedly. Stop saying it's "boring" and "underwhelming", because I think it's honestly one of the best things The Doors ever did. It's emotional agony wrapped up into a five-minute blues-rock song, and for a band that doesn't get emotional that often, this aches in an absolutely wonderful way. I've been listening to it endlessly lately, and I haven't gotten tired of it yet. Robby and Jim are great here as usual, but I think John Densmore gets the MVP award for this one. How is he still not regarded as one of the greatest drummers in rock?
"The Spy"
(from Morrison Hotel, 1970)
I was surprised to see some hate for this one online, since I've always regarded it as a highlight on my favorite Doors album. The instrumentation is near-perfect, as usual, but Jim's delivery completely makes the entire thing. If you've never gotten chills during that climax, I sincerely don't know how. It's just magic. I've also always wondered what would've happened if they had made this the last song on Morrison Hotel. Instead of just rolling your way out on "Maggie M'Gill", imagine Jim near-whispering "I can see/what you do/and I know..." being the last thing you hear on the record. It makes the whole mood even more intense. Alas, what's done is done. It's still great, either way.
"Strange Days"
(from Strange Days, 1967)
Psychedelic, man. The organ is fantastic, the drumming is great, Jim's delivery is great, the lyrics are cool, the baseline is cool, and the chord progression is kick-ass. There's really nothing to complain about. The echo on the vocals that make you feel like you're in space when you're listening to it is the cherry on top.
"Twentieth Century Fox"
(from The Doors, 1967)
How this song never became one of The Doors' biggest hits is beyond me. To begin with, it's an ear-worm in the best possible sense, the keys, guitar, and drums are all superb, and it makes you want to get up and dance, man. Okay, the lyrics get cheesy at a few points, but Jim pulls it off. This one came up often on the various "Underrated Doors Songs" lists on the internet, and with good reason. I mean, just listen to that chorus!
"Unhappy Girl"
(from Strange Days, 1967)
Another great example of how ahead of their time The Doors really were. That intro is woozy and off-kilter in the best sense, and the keys, guitar, and mystical lyrics weave together perfectly to create this wonderfully odd pop confection. At first, I was going to say that if I have any complaint, it's that it's much too short. I now retract that statement, since it would probably lose the magic had it gone on for much longer. Part of what makes it wonderful is how it's here and gone in a flash, leaving you in its path as dizzy as the song itself. An actual perfect song.
"Who Do You Love?"
(from Absolutely Live, 1970)
This might actually be the best cover of this classic Bo Diddley song I've ever heard (aside from Stephen Stills' 30 second acoustic rendition, of course). It was never recorded by the band in-studio, but the versions that exist truly stand as a testament to what a great live band The Doors really were. Jim's vocals are great, the whole band is solid, and you can feel the energy any time anyone starts playing. That's what any good band should feel like, in my opinion.
"Who Scared You?"
(non-album single, B-side of "Wishful Sinful", 1969)
There are people who will never get over the fact that The Doors didn't put this song on The Soft Parade, and I am admittedly one of those people. It's a solid song to begin with, and unlike several of the songs on the album, its horn accompaniment actually suits it and enhances the song as a whole. At least eventually got its due and made it onto Weird Scenes Inside The Goldmine.
"You Make Me Real"
(from Morrison Hotel, 1970)
Speaking of great energy, this is probably the most energetic studio performance The Doors ever committed to tape. The song grooves the whole way through, and really drives home to attitude that the band was done with some of the bullshit that had ensued during The Soft Parade era, and now The Doors were back to doing what they do best: great, driving blues-rock. They certainly deliver that here.
"You're Lost, Little Girl"
(from Strange Days, 1967)
We end the list on a mysterious and slightly somber note, with this little gem that has been lost itself over time. Though the lyrics themselves are simple, the melody and chord progression are magnificent, and Robby and Ray both get a chance to really shine on their respective instruments. Another song that just screams "The Doors" when you hear it. Beautiful in the strangest and most troubled way possible.
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