Doors OTHER VOICES

To many enthusiasts, the loss of Jim Morrison (vocals/lyrics) likewise meant the passing of the Doors. Certainly the band's focal point changed on the two long-players that the trio of John Densmore (drums/vocals), Ray Manzarek (keyboards/bass pedals/vocals), and Robbie Krieger (guitar/vocals) issued in the immediate post-Morrison era. As the "surviving" Doors had been working on ideas to present to Morrison -- if and when he returned from a sabbatical in Paris, France -- there is an organic flow that had spilled over from the L.A. Woman (1970) album. Another undeniable plus to Other Voices (1971) is that after being relegated as sidemen, each of the players is given an outlet for their songs and underutilized talents. Manzarek's bluesy opener "In the Eye of the Sun" has hints of "Down So Long" and "The Changeling." However, its true earmarks are the greasy slide guitar licks proffered by Krieger during the solo, and in response to Manzarek's lead vocal. Speaking of the guitarist, he i