"The Mosquito" is an extended jam from The Doors' 1972 album Full Circle, credited to Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore. This track exemplifies the improvisational direction the band pursued after Jim Morrison's death, featuring solos from all three surviving members. Manzarek leads off with an organ solo that draws on his classical training and his affinity for the droning, hypnotic textures that had always distinguished The Doors' sound. Krieger follows with a lengthy electric guitar passage that builds in intensity, while drummer John Densmore closes with a brief but energetic drum solo. All three solos unfold over a rock groove in the key of E at approximately 147 beats per minute. The track's open-ended structure, lacking a conventional song form, allowed each musician to stretch out in ways that the band's earlier, more tightly arranged material had not always permitted. "The Mosquito" stands as one of Full Circle's most adventurous moments, revealing how the trio reimagined their collective identity as primarily an instrumental ensemble. The interplay between Manzarek's swirling organ and Krieger's guitar creates a dense sonic landscape that nods to the psychedelic explorations of the band's earliest work while pushing into new improvisational territory.
