Robby Krieger
Electric Guitar Solo on
The End

About

Robby Krieger's electric guitar solo is the sole improvisation on "The End," the epic, nearly twelve-minute closing track of The Doors' 1967 self-titled debut album. Krieger solos at a medium 106 BPM in D with a rock feel within this sprawling, genre-defining piece that became one of the most celebrated and controversial compositions of the 1960s. The solo exists within a much larger improvisational framework—the song itself was conceived as an extended performance piece that grew and evolved over months of live performances at the Whisky a Go Go. Krieger's guitar work contributes to the track's hypnotic, trance-like atmosphere, drawing on Indian musical influences alongside blues and flamenco elements.

Robby Krieger was 19 to 20 years old at the time.