L.A. Woman is the sixth studio album by the American rock band the Doors, released on April 19, 1971, by Elektra Records. It is the last to feature lead singer Jim Morrison during his lifetime due to his death three months after the album's release, though he would posthumously appear on the 1978 album An American Prayer. Even more so than its predecessors, the album is heavily influenced by blues. It was recorded without record producer Paul A. Rothchild after he fell out with the group over the perceived lack of quality of their studio performances. Subsequently, the band co-produced the album with longtime sound engineer Bruce Botnick.
"Love Her Madly" was released as a single in March 1971, preceding the album's release, and reached the Top 20 in the Billboard Hot 100. Upon release, the album peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200[2] and reached number 28 on the UK Albums Charts.[3] The track "Riders on the Storm" also achieved chart success.
Critics including Richie Unterberger and David Quantick have called L.A. Woman one of the Doors' best albums, citing Morrison's vocal performance and the band's stripped-down return to their blues rock roots.[4][5]
Track Listing:
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Changeling" | 4:20 |
| 2. | "Love Her Madly" | 3:18 |
| 3. | "Been Down So Long" | 4:40 |
| 4. | "Cars Hiss by My Window" | 4:10 |
| 5. | "L.A. Woman" | 7:49 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "L'America" | 4:35 | |
| 2. | "Hyacinth House" | 3:10 | |
| 3. | "Crawling King Snake" | John Lee Hooker[b] | 4:57 |
| 4. | "The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)" | 4:12 | |
| 5. | "Riders on the Storm" | 7:14 |