In early 1971, tired of long studio sessions, the band recorded the album in an office, their own workspace, instead of a classic studio. Legendary sound engineer Bruce Botnick took over the technical desk, while producer Paul Rothchild quit the project, claiming that "Riders on the Storm is cocktail music." Whatever that means! This process, completely under the band's control, made L.A. Woman the freest, most authentic record in the Doors' discography.
With L.A. Woman, the album's namesake, the band transforms their relationship with Los Angeles into a semi-mystical geographical narrative: highways, neon lights, midnight motels, and the cry of "city of night"... Morrison identifies the city with a female figure.
Then there's "Love Her Madly." Although it appears to be the brightest, most "radio-friendly" track on the album, there's an interesting story behind it that reveals the band's inner dynamics. Robby Krieger predominantly wrote the song; the inspiration came from Krieger's tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend, full of slamming doors and departures. That's why the chorus, "Don’t you love her as she’s walkin’ out the door?" is a verbatim complaint from real life. We send our greetings to all those weary of love.
"Riders on the Storm"... This song is chillingly poignant, being both the last Doors song recorded and Morrison's final performance at the microphone. Morrison consciously added the whispered vocals heard at the end of the track to "let a ghost seep into the song." If we consider that a generation of youth became aware of The Doors through the original version of Snoop Dogg's song in the Need For Speed Underground soundtrack (like me, for instance), then we are adding another layer to the context of Jim Morrison's "seeping" action, placing it on a different plane.
Three months after the album's release, Morrison went to Paris and never returned to America. He became a member of that infamous club. L.A. Woman is a farewell song where The Doors plays in its own unique style:
