You can get off to a fast start. You can sustain your opener with the main course, not filler. But can you end on a high note? Sometimes I wonder if recording a strong closer is the most difficult thing to pull off when it comes to album rock. When it comes to the cream of the crop in music, I can think of more strong openers than strong closers. Nonetheless, I still have my favorites which I’ll be featuring on Mental Jukebox all month.
The amalgamation of sound from The Doors was unique, irreplaceable and captivating for many music fans, including me. The compositions often felt truly epic. And, of course, the sound felt truly their own largely because of Manzarek’s keyboard contributions and Morrison’s presence, one of the greatest frontman to ever take the stage. The debut album is exceptional, packed with several classics and ending on a high with “The End”.
“The End” keeps going, and stretches for nearly 12 minutes. It’s a breakup song that has become far more than a breakup song. It’s pure poetry. Riding on a wave of rock, psychedelia, blues and even Middle Eastern and Native American musical explorations, the song doesn’t fit neatly into one category. This is probably the one characteristic that has made it such a celebrated and highly recognized song. If you’re going to make a powerful statement to end your album, you’d be hard pressed to make something as truly epic as “The End”.
“THIS IS THE END, BEAUTIFUL FRIEND. THIS IS THE END, MY ONLY FRIEND, THE END. OF OUR ELABORATE PLANS, THE END. OF EVERYTHING THAT STANDS, THE END. NO SAFETY OR SURPRISE, THE END. I'LL NEVER LOOK INTO YOUR EYES, AGAIN.”