The Doors' "Whiskey, Mystics and Men"

Here's a what-if -- Electra Records is freaked out about Jim Morrison leaving The Doors and demands the group follow up L.A. Woman with a new album featuring Morrison. But Morrison has no interest in returning to the studio. He's already left for Paris to focus on his poetry.

Digging in the archives and tape vaults the three remaining band members piece together one more album with Morrison before releasing two new Doors albums as a trio. The result is Whiskey, Mystics and Men:

SIDE A

1. Whiskey, Mystics and Men

2. Who Scared You

3. Gloria

4. (You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further

5. Rock Me

6. Talking Blues

SIDE B

1. Woman is a Devil

2. Push Push

3. Money Beats Soul

4. She Smells So Nice

5. Orange County Suite

The result isn't great; it's mixed at best. But it serves as an outlet for leftover music, and with two tracks with Ray Manzarek on vocals, it's a bit of a transition to the next two albums. The two non-album B-sides of "Who Scared You" and "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further" were obvious choices. The rest are outtakes or live recordings that have surfaced. 

All these tracks are available as bonus tracks on various Doors albums. The cover I threw together using the band's logo and a desert shot I found on the web that I thought worked. I admit it looks a bit amateurish, but I'm not a graphics artist. :)