13 (The Doors album)

13 is the first compilation album by American rock band the Doors, released by Elektra Records on November 30, 1970. The title refers to the thirteen tracks included, which feature a variety of songs from their five studio albums released up to that point and the cover shrinkwrap originally featured a clear sticker that read: "A Collection of Thirteen Classic Doors Songs". It is the band's only compilation album released while lead singer Jim Morrison was alive.

13
Compilation album by the Doors
Released	November 30, 1970
Recorded	1966–1969
Genre	Rock
Length	43:59
Label	Elektra
Producer	Paul A. Rothchild
The Doors chronology
Absolutely Live (1970) 13 (1970) L.A. Woman (1971)

The album reached No. 25 on the Billboard 200. It has been superseded by later Doors compilations, such as the highly successful The Best of the Doors (1985), and has not been reissued on CD.

Background

13 was a project instigated by Elektra Records, who wanted product from the band for the Christmas season, to which the band reluctantly agreed. Morrison even agreed to shave off his beard for the album cover's photo shoot, but the label opted for a younger photo of the singer, which they had also done for the group's live album Absolutely Live, released in July of that year. As author Danny Sugerman observed in his memoir of the band, No One Here Gets Out Alive, "Elektra obviously wanted the 'pretty' Jim Morrison." Morrison's image is also much larger than those of guitarist Robby Krieger, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, and drummer John Densmore, and Sugerman noted that, "Although Ray, Robby, and John had become accustomed to the attention directed towards their lead singer, it upset Jim." The album's back cover features the band posing with a small bust of Ludwig van Beethoven[1][2] (some have mistakenly claimed it is of occultist Aleister Crowley).[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Christgau's Record Guide	A–[5]
MusicHound	3.5/5[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[7]

In a contemporary review in 1971, music critic Dave Marsh wrote that although the album does indeed contain "thirteen classic songs," it fails to deliver on any purpose other than compiling the most radio-friendly hits in one place. Marsh added that "no magnum opuses" were included in the collection. "No 'The End', no 'When the Music's Over', no 'Soft Parade' ... [it] would have been decidedly uncommercial to have them included here ... Of course 'Five to One' isn't here; funny thing, outside of 'Unknown Soldier' none of the Doors' more controversial subject matter is included."[8]

Track listing

Details are taken from the 1970 U.S. Elektra album, which lists different songwriter credits than other Doors albums; other releases may show different information.[9]

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original album (year)	Length
1.	"Light My Fire"	Robby Krieger	The Doors (1967)	6:50
2.	"People Are Strange"	Jim Morrison, Krieger	Strange Days (1967)	2:10
3.	"Back Door Man"	Willie Dixon, Chester Burnett a.k.a. Howlin' Wolf	The Doors	3:30
4.	"Moonlight Drive"	Morrison	Strange Days	3:00
5.	"The Crystal Ship"	Morrison	The Doors	2:30
6.	"Roadhouse Blues"	Morrison, Doors	Morrison Hotel (1970)	4:04

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original album	Length
1.	"Touch Me"	Krieger	The Soft Parade (1969)	3:15
2.	"Love Me Two Times"	Krieger	Strange Days	3:23
3.	"You're Lost Little Girl"	Krieger	Strange Days	3:01
4.	"Hello, I Love You"	Morrison	Waiting for the Sun (1968)	2:22
5.	"Land Ho"	Morrison, Krieger	Morrison Hotel	4:08
6.	"Wild Child"	Morrison, Doors	The Soft Parade	2:36
7.	"The Unknown Soldier"	Morrison, Doors	Waiting for the Sun	3:10

Personnel

From the 1970 Elektra release:[9]

Musicians

• Jim Morrison – vocals
• Ray Manzarek – piano, organ
• Robby Krieger – guitar
• John Densmore – drums

Production

• Paul A. Rothchild – producer
• Jac Holzman – production supervisor
• Bruce Botnick – engineer

Charts

Chart	Year	Position
Billboard 200	1971	25[10]

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[11]	Platinum	100,000^^
United States (RIAA)[12]	Platinum	1,000,000^^
^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. "The Doors (Getty Museum)". The J. Paul Getty in Los Angeles. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
2. "Jim Morrison & The Doors, in garage with automobile, hand held cloth backdrop. John Densmore looking at Beethoven bust. Hollywood, California by Edmund Teske on artnet Auctions". www.artnet.com. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
3. Brett, Rachel (November 17, 2017). "Occultist Aleister Crowley's Influence on Popular Music". Retrieved April 30, 2020.
4. Eder, Bruce. "13 — The Doors". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-05-07.
5. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: D". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
6. Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Visible Ink Press. p. 358. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
7. "The Doors: Album Guide". Rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
8. Marsh, Dave (March 1971). "The Doors: 'Thirteen'". Creem. Retrieved June 22, 2018 – via Rock's Backpages.
9. 13 (Album notes). The Doors. New York City: Elektra Records. 1970. Back cover. EKS 74079.CS1 maint: others (link)
10. "The Doors Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard.com. 2019. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019.
11. "Canadian album certifications – The Doors – 13". Music Canada.
12. "American album certifications – The Doors – 13". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 

External links

• 13 at Discogs (list of releases)