Morrison Hotel

Untitled

Morrison Hotel (sometimes referred to as Hard Rock Cafe from the name of the first side of the LP, whose second side is titled Morrison Hotel) was an album released by The Doors in 1970. After their experimental work The Soft Parade was not as well received as anticipated, the group went back to the basics and back to their roots. On this album there is a slight steer toward blues. This would fully be explored by The Doors in their next album, L.A. Woman. The strategy worked, even though no major hit singles were drawn from the album, for the album reestablished The Doors as favourites of the critics, and when they followed with L.A. Woman the next year, they were rewarded with two more US Top 20 hits.

Additional musicians include harmonica whiz G. Puglese (aka John Sebastian) and blues master Lonnie Mack on bass.

The cover photo was taken at the actual Morrison Hotel located at 1246 South Hope Street in L.A. The band asked the owners if they could photograph the hotel, and they declined, so the band went inside when nobody was looking, and took the photograph.

Track listing

All songs written by Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, and John Densmore, except where noted.

1. "Roadhouse Blues" – 4:04
2. "Waiting for the Sun" – 4:00
   • Begun during The Doors' sessions for Waiting for the Sun in 1968.
3. "You Make Me Real" – 2:53
4. "Peace Frog" – 2:50
5. "Blue Sunday" – 2:12
6. "Ship of Fools" – 3:08
7. "Land Ho!" (Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger) – 4:06
8. "The Spy" – 4:17
9. "Queen of the Highway" – 2:47
10. "Indian Summer" (Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger) – 2:35
    • Outtake from The Doors' debut album sessions, recorded in August 1966.
11. "Maggie M'Gill" – 4:24

Personnel

• Jim Morrison – lead vocals
• Robby Krieger – lead guitar, rhythm guitar
• Ray Manzarek – organ, piano
• John Densmore – drums
• Lonnie Mack - bass guitar

Miscellanea

• The casual dining restaurant chain Hard Rock Cafe was reportedly named after the first side of the album.
• Part of "Waiting for the Sun" was used in the soundtrack for Gran Turismo.
• Part of "Peace Frog" is featured in the soundtrack to the movie The Waterboy.
• "Peace Frog" is featured in Tony Hawk's American Wasteland.
• "Peace Frog" also featured in an episode of the HBO series Entourage.
• The band Smash Mouth covered "Peace Frog" on the tribute album Stoned Immaculate: The Music of the Doors.

External links

• Morrison Hotel lyrics
• Morrison Hotel Goes on the Market - Information about the Morrison Hotel/Hard Rock Cafe photo shoot