Certainly the Doors were an important and highly influential band. Different opinions surely exist about which Doors album is the best, but there’s no argument that L.A. Woman was the last album recorded by the original lineup of the group. That gives it a certain importance in itself. This documentary, at its core, tells the story of the creation of that disc.

It goes deeper than that, though. There is a lot of background information detailing the world in which the Doors found themselves leading up to the recording. It goes on to discuss Jim Morrison’s death, which happened after the album was finished. Every song but one on the album gets in-depth discussion. All the major players are interviewed extensively. While this is a limited scope documentary, it is a great documentary. There is also one new song included here, although, I have to say I can see why that tune never really made it onto a Doors album. It seems a bit pedestrian in terms of song structure, and the vocals are distorted. Still, it’s cool to have.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2012  Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.