"Spanish Caravan" opens with one of the most distinctive solo passages in The Doors' catalog: Robby Krieger's unaccompanied acoustic guitar introduction, a virtuosic display of classical and flamenco technique that sets the stage for the song's exotic atmosphere. Played freely without strict tempo, the guitar solo draws on the Spanish classical tradition that Krieger studied before forming The Doors, his fingerpicking technique producing rapid-fire arpeggios and tremolo passages that evoke the music of Andalusia. The solo in E minor gradually builds in intensity before the full band enters with a driving rock arrangement that transforms the classical prelude into psychedelic rock. Krieger's acoustic guitar work on this introduction demonstrates a level of technical accomplishment that his electric rock playing sometimes obscured, revealing his serious training in classical guitar and his deep affinity for Spanish musical forms. The track was recorded for the 1968 album Waiting for the Sun, and its ambitious fusion of classical guitar, flamenco, and rock reflected The Doors' interest in expanding rock music's boundaries beyond the blues-based vocabulary that dominated the genre. Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, and Jim Morrison join to create one of the band's most adventurous studio compositions.
