["L.A. Woman"] stands as [The Doors'] nadir, a spunkless, sterile effort that sounds as if it's been put out just so's everyone won't forget the name, and of course, the name is Jim Morrison. The Doors have always had two things going for them: an ability to throw some catchy riffs together in a brief context …; and Jim Morrison, who was built up as America's answer to Mick Jagger. Morrison, as Mick Farren pointed out in this paper last week, has always been a mediocre singer, but he's disguised it to an extent by his ability to come on like some rock Messiah.

Michael Watts, "Stale and Sterile Mister Morrison," in Melody Maker (© IPC Business Press Ltd.), July 10, 1971, p. 43.

What ["Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine"] shows is that the Doors changed very little in the four years between "The Doors" and "L.A. Woman." But what...