YOU ARE HERE: zharth.net / Zharth's Music Log / Week 165 (Don't Answer The Door)
(Originally finalized on October 28, 2025)
Preface: Although I wish I could take credit for it, it's just a happy coincidence that we're just around the corner from a holiday dedicated to going door-to-door (or answering the door, depending on which side of the door you're on), and I've decided to dedicate a theme to songs about doors (and maybe a couple of windows). Take care, though - at this time of year the veil between worlds is at its thinnest. So, to guarantee your safety, if you're not expecting any visitors, and you hear a knock-knock-knocking, remember to play it safe and don't answer the door!
Monday: Joe Bonamassa - When One Door Opens [Royal Tea, 2020]
Comments: I'm stretching the boundaries of this music log to fill out the list this week, but I think it will be worth it. In 2020, Joe Bonamassa released an album of original material created in the style of British blues rock. For an artist heavily inspired by the genre, and who largely made a name for himself covering songs from that era, I admit it wasn't the slam dunk I was expecting. But, whether success or failure, Joe never puts less than his whole heart into his work. It's one of the things I admire about him - in addition to his impeccable musical taste and unrivaled guitar prowess.
Tuesday: B.B. King - Don't Answer The Door [released as a single, 1966]
Comments: Minus the vaguely misogynistic veneer of jealousy, as a somewhat skittish person who doesn't like to receive guests in my home, I can relate to the overall message of this song. It's surprising that I didn't realize how cool it was until I heard it on the soundtrack to erotic sci-fi/horror flick Species 2 - not the one with Natasha Henstridge escaping from a lab and wandering the streets at night in the buff (also relatable XD). That was the first one.
Wednesday: Creedence Clearwater Revival - Lookin' Out My Back Door [Cosmo's Factory, 1970]
Comments: I think it's safe to say that the release of Cosmo's Factory was CCR's commercial zenith - with six of its eleven tracks (that's over half the album!) charting as Top 5 singles, including this one. An unassuming country boogie, with lyrics partly inspired by a Dr. Seuss book, it's a pithy encapsulation - without pretension - of CCR's earthy sound.
Thursday: Deep Purple - Knocking At Your Back Door [Perfect Strangers, 1984]
Comments: At the top of this quarter, we were introduced to the reunion of Deep Purple's Mark II lineup (with Ian Gillan back at the helm) from 1984, Perfect Strangers. Even better than the title track, in my opinion, is this plodding epic, which opens the album. What is the song about? Gillan confirms that it's exactly what you thought. You pervert. :-p
Friday: The Doors - Cars Hiss By My Window [L.A. Woman, 1971]
Comments: On the subject of back doors - a popular euphemism in the blues (even if often just for a hookup done on the sly, and not the more explicit version Deep Purple implied) - The Doors (a band I just had to feature this week) have an excellent offering. But since I already shared that song on my Reinterpreting The Blues theme, this is a perfect opportunity to instead share one of my favorite overlooked Doors tracks: a slow, soulful blues that mentions a window rather than a door.
Saturday: Ten Years After - Outside My Window [About Time, 1989]
Comments: Since we're now doing windows, too, I present to you a bluesy number from Alvin Lee's brief late '80s reunion with Ten Years After, following a 15 year break in which Alvin pivoted to focus on a solo career. Overall, it's not up to the quality of Ten Years After's classic output, suffering somewhat from the music production idiosyncrasies of the era. But this slow, bluesy track is definitely one of the album's highlights.
Sunday: Jack Bruce & Robin Trower - The Last Door [Seven Moons, 2008]
Comments: Although the Robin Trower Band's original singer (and bass player) Jimmy Dewar will always be my favorite, in the early '80s Trower recorded a couple of albums with Jack Bruce. The result is an intriguing glimpse into an alternate reality in which Robin Trower was the guitarist for Cream, in place of Eric Clapton. In 2008, they recorded a followup which sounds even more musically mature. As a taste, we'll finish out the week with a track from that album.
Honorable Mention: Guns N' Roses - Knockin' On Heaven's Door [Use Your Illusion II, 1991]
Comments: As perfect as this song is for this theme, I already shared Bob Dylan's original version for Heaven And Hell. Eric Clapton covered it in 1975, but his choice to play it in a reggae style is... questionable, in my opinion. In the version Guns N' Roses recorded in 1991, I feel that Axl Rose (talented singer though he is) oversells the vocals. But I recently had occasion to learn Slash's guitar solos for it, and it's given me a newfound appreciation for this rendition.
