"LA Woman" is the Doors' blues-rock swan song (at least, for old Jim), and what an album. This is the Lizard King at his bluesman stage, where he gains a certain newfound mystique with possibly, wisdom? While "LA Woman" may not be as perfect as their first two albums, but "Woman" is definitely the album for people who like that hard-hitting blues-rock sound.
Being a Doors album, it is bound to have a song or two everyone knows, coming in the form of three songs actually. First, is the quick and good "Love Her Madly", but that's only a minor hit compared to the eight minute monsters of the title song and the ghostly finale "Riders on the Storm". With "LA Woman" being the centerpiece song of the album, it highlights the fact that the album as a whole is just a great, plain old driving album. There is nothing greater in the wolrd than driving at night to the album. Not only does Morrison still hold his own, but Robby Krieger's guitar and John Densmore's drums are definite ingredients to the song's greatness. I like "Riders" less than most people, but it is a fitting end to the album (and to Morrison) with it's quiet piano and the ambient sounds of the falling rain.
The opener "The Changeling" is catchy and tough, showing that band could still play like the young band of old, but with a touch a grittiness that a less-experienced band could not have pulled off. "Cars Hiss By My Windows" still has that old jazz/beatnick club-like jam which ends in a wah-wah impersonation by Jim (I'm not kidding). I find the song somewhat boring, but the last bit makes it at least memorable. "L' America" builds up in an eerie way, definitely being the "scary song" that seems to be on every Doors album. "Texas Radio and the Big Beat" is a favorite for a lot of people, and it's very interesting and quite unique amongst the rest of the songs. Morrison's vocals are distorted a bit to give that classic radio sound, and it's catchy, that's for sure.
Overall, this is one of the bands' finest efforts, and it's amazing Morrison could still pull off all of the stops for his final performance. Still a testament to his greatness, too. Basically, this is the full blossoming of what "Morrison Hotel" started in transforming the Doors from a weird psychedelic band to a weird blues-rock band. One of the best albums from the 70's.
