The Doors-An American Prayer (1978)

The Doors' ninth album, released six years after the band's breakup and eight years after the death of their lead singer, is a posthumous collection of Jim Morrison's own poetry, while the rest of the band contributed to the musical composition. Released in late 1978, it is considered the swan song of the legendary Californian band. At the time of its release, the album was quite controversial for many critics and fans, who questioned, among other things, its relevance to the general public. In this album, the music takes a backseat, for obvious reasons. However, there are some notable exceptions, and they are generally quite brilliant. For others, this record is a good example of the possible evolution of the band and its sound, had they managed to remain active for a few more years, since the music moves away from the West Coast psychedelia of the late sixties and moves towards a more modern sound, mixing rock with subtle Latin sounds, ("Black Polished Chrome/Latino Chrome"), funk ("Newborn Awakening"), jazz ("Curses, Invocations"), blues ("Stoned Immaculate"), avant-garde sounds ("An American Prayer" or "Hour For Magic"), classical music ("A Feast of Friends"), and even traces of the sounds of the prevailing disco music of the late 70s, ("The Ghost Song"). The sound and production are truly exquisite, especially considering the band was using tapes recorded with Jim Morrison's vocals from 1970. Furthermore, Ray Manzarek replaced his Vox organ with a Hammond organ, and modern synthesizers are also very prominent. There's no longer a Fender bass piano (there's a real bass played by several session musicians: Jerry Scheff and Bob Glaub), and Krieger's guitar is no longer as psychedelic and hazy as before, sounding more jazzy and melodic throughout. The album's main emphasis is Jim Morrison's poetry, and that's truly what this album is about. Without going into detail about the poetic texts, the fact is they fit the music perfectly (or rather, vice versa), creating different and effective atmospheres throughout the album. This is certainly an unmitigated work of art. None of the tracks here are sung, unlike The Doors' usual music, except for a curious live version of "Roadhouse Blues", where Morrison improvises with poetic allusions, having forgotten the lyrics due to his intoxicated state during that concert. One of the album's main points is to highlight some of Morrison's most striking poetry, and some of his most impactful passages are used, primarily those expressing his hatred for his father's position as an admiral in the U.S. Navy. Other passages contain unsettling thoughts on death and its connection to sex, while a long quest for the soul seems to be the album's central theme. Despite its unusual nature, "American Prayer" achieved gold status, a Grammy nomination, and years later, platinum status for its multi-million sales in the North American market.