Having released two records that drew from a large pool of previously composed songs, the Doors started to improvise for their third album in late 1967. Due to the shortage of original material, the group suffered what drummer John Densmore described as the "third album syndrome", meaning the difficulty of a band to have a stock of good compositions, capable of filling a third disc in a row. The recording sessions also proved difficult for the group due to lead singer Jim Morrison's worsening alcoholism.
Having released two records that drew from a large pool of previously composed songs, the Doors started to improvise for their third album in late 1967. Due to the shortage of original material, the group suffered what drummer John Densmore described as the "third album syndrome", meaning the difficulty of a band to have a stock of good compositions, capable of filling a third disc in a row. The recording sessions also proved difficult for the group due to lead singer Jim Morrison's worsening alcoholism.