I have often said that I first heard The Doors in the womb, and if you know my father, you know this is the god’s honest truth. My dad is a BIG Doors fan. There was not a week of my childhood that he didn’t have Strange Days, or visit the Morrison Hotel, or simply have a Soft Parade to “Tell All the People” how much he loved their music.

I knew the lyrics before I knew the song titles or what they meant, and then, once I did, I used them as journal entries in junior high. Mr. Prybil didn’t care what we wrote, just as long as we had at least seven words to a line and filled a page, thank you very much.

So, anyhoo…I guess it comes as no surprise that I am pretty darned into them as well, even visiting Jim Morrison’s grave at Pere Lachaise cemetery on my honeymoon. An aside here to anyone who thinks it is okay to draw arrows pointing in the direction of his grave on the headstones of the other departed, so not cool. Let’s show a little respect. If you are younger, appear even slightly American, or lost, the French will say “Mor-ee-sone?” and point you on your way.

Pick an album, any album, gems abound, but here’s the low-down on each and some of my favorite songs on them in the order they were released (all, mind you, before my birth in June of 1971):

The Doors (1967) – Well, hey, try to run, try to hide, you can’t go wrong with “Light My Fire” and “Break on through (To the other side)”, but I also like “The Crystal Ship,” “The End” (especially in Apocalypse Now), and “Take It As It Comes” – don’t move too fast if you want your love to last.

Strange Days (1967) – Not my favorite cover for reasons of childhood – the people kind of freaked me out. My favorite song has got to be “I Can’t See Your Face in My Mind” – carnival dogs consume the lines. “Moonlight Drive” is here as well. Let’s all hop into a 1966 Mustang convertible and do it, man!

Waiting for the Sun (1968) – Oddly enough, the song “Waiting for the Sun,” is not on this album, but you will find “Not to Touch the Earth,” “Love Street,” and “Five to One” – baby one in five, no one here gets out alive.

The Soft Parade (1969) – The big band sound of The Doors, no joke, if you’ve never heard it. Awesome – “Tell All the People” that they’re “Wishful Sinful” and to “Touch Me.”

Morrison Hotel (1970) – Oh Jim, Ray, Robby, and John! This is awesome, just awesome, almost my favorite, almost. “You Make Me Real,” “Peace Frog,” the lush vocals of “Blue Sunday” and “Indian Summer,” the rockin’ start to “Roadhouse Blues,” hot damn!

L.A. Woman (1971) – The Doors, blues style. Back in our cassette tape days, my dear hubby cued up the title song on a driving marathon from San Francisco to Denver when I was in dire need of a pick-me-up. I’ve never felt so revitalized and lead footed; “The Cars Hiss(ed) by My Window,” and that’s no joke. “Riders on the Storm” (my very first favorite Doors Song – impossible to do now), “L’America,” and “Love Her Madly” round it out.

So there you have it. Try ’em out if you haven’t already, and when the music’s over, turn out the lights.