Review Summary: A strange masterpiece that I love two times
Sometimes, there are albums that, at the time, don't seem like anything groundbreaking--especially when the band released an equally as good album only 9 months beforehand, which would unfortunately overshadow the second album, despite the second one also being fantastic, though would, as time goes on, be remembered as an underrated classic. The second album I am discussing is, of course, "Strange Days". While their masterful 1967 debut is nothing to scoff at by any means, this album is just so damn special. I was expecting this album to essentially be a continuation of the style established in their first album, but, surprisingly, the album would keep up the pace in terms of making masterful work. Instead of solely focusing on the mysterious and bluesy sound established in their debut, they would expand upon that, while also incorporating a weirder, psychedelic, acidic, and diverse sound that gives this album its own incredible flavor. And the band managed to incorporate all of that and more in these 10 songs (9 if you don't count "Horse Latitudes"--which is more of a skit than a song), and while that may seem a bit on the shorter side, the album is packed with so much heart, ambition, depth, and diversity, that it manages to work basically flawlessly. Some may argue that this album isn't as focused of a rock album as their 1967 debut, but I'd argue for what this album gets right despite not just being a bluesy rock album like their debut, it doesn't have to be, for the results are every bit as effective, but for different reasons.
One of those reasons being the instrumentation. Ray Manzarek shines here with not just the keyboards, but with the marimba. This would also be where the lizard king would take duties as a moog synthesizer player in the fantastic title track. But that more diverse instrumentation is only scratching the surface. Songs like the hooky, yet almost menacing opener "Strange Days", the slow and soulful "You're Lost Little Little Girl", the upbeat and iconic "Love Me Two Times" where Robby Krieger goes in top form on the guitar with one of the bands most recognizable riffs ever, the incredibly underrated and poetic "Unhappy Girl" with excellent bluesy guitar work, the charming and chaotic "Horse Latitudes" that would show the incredibly thought provoking side of the lizard kings poetry, the bluesy and raw "Moonlight Drive", the calm and iconically catchy "People Are Strange", the fast and infectious "My Eyes Have Seen You", the near hypnotic and wonderful "I Can't See Your Face in My Mind", and the epic 11 minute finale "When the Music's Over" are all winners in their own right.
And yes, I really did just cover every song on the entire album in that one overlong sentence, because the album really is that good, as it's not only strange. It's amazing, too. It's crazy, yet very disciplined, and if you mix that with the superb composition, excellent production, good pacing, and razor-sharp focus, what you've got here is another masterclass from the band, right alongside their 1967 debut and the incredible "L.A. Woman" that would release 4 years later. That's not to say anything they've done between 1968 to 1970 weren't great by any means, but this album, as well as the two aforementioned other classics, not only raised the bar very high in terms of psychedelic blues rock, but would help cement the band as a force to be reckoned with in the rock music industry. Overall, this is one strange album that I’ll listen to for many more days to come, and one that's trippy and rockin’. When the music’s over, it’ll invite you back with its whimsy and just fantastic material from start to finish, and you’ll love it two times, maybe more, as I have.
