The Doors – The Soft Parade

I read somewhere that this was the last tan-label Elektra release. Seems red-label copies were released simultaneously and despite the tan-label copies being pricier and considered to be harder to come by it’s eye opening that 9.3k people claim to have this on Discogs. That’s higher than the reported totals for all the original red label pressings combined.

As for this pressing … found a VG /VG+ of this hard to find Allentown Gold label edition and was very favorably impressed by the vibrance and clarity of the sound which pushed through the vinyl noise so as to still make it a very enjoyable listen. I’ve heard a lot about the Santa Maria Doors pressings (which I don’t have enough to comment on) but I have yet to be disappointed by an Allentown. This is a good find if you can find one in decent condition and not at a price … which is not easy.

Robby and John are the only ones still standing...Hard edged in their early prime, they evolved into a more laid back and sugary sound on the LP...They were going through all kinds of personal hell at the time...Regardless, Morrison's distinct tonal qualities are on all the cuts...They remain band number two behind the Mop Tops in my chart book...Living in LA I knew of them when they were just starting out with high school gigs and lame Southland music festivals...and then BAM! They had "Light My Fire" and they were off...They burned brightly for only a short time but what remains on VINYL is classic rock...

I have the 50th anniversary expanded CD editions of Waiting For the Sun and Strange Days. It could have been fun to have the same version of Soft Parade but the 50th single CD edition comes in a lame jewel case with no extra CD or bonus tracks. Disappointed.

Soft Parade is the absolute low of their work with Morrison. And off course it is shoking to see what had become out of the band within a year. And although it became better again after, it never went as good as it had been. They really should have been taking a break and a detoxification. Sadly there where liabilities out of the contract. And off course there was this desease: alcoholism. Both the desease and the conditions of production all that exploitation of a murderous buisness, extinguished their talent and let no space for a real developement or new creativity. After that it lighted up in a few really great songs, like Waiting For The Sun or Riders On The Storm before it was over and destroyed.

In August of 1969 Rolling Stone wrote, "The Soft Parade is worse than infuriating, it’s sad. It’s sad because one of the most potentially moving forces in rock has allowed itself to degenerate. A trite word, but true." Well I don’t know about all that, what I do know is that Rolling Stone Magazine seemed to be embracing other soft breezes of the time, but for some reason felt it necessary to unhinge The Doors for the path they were taking.

August of 1969 saw the unfolding of Woodstock, it also saw me folding as much as I could stuff into an olive drab footlocker, stenciling my name across the top, and shipping it out ahead of me ... destination, Vietnam. Like Morrison, I seem to have stepped off the planet as well, though with a stack of musical rags under my arm. Let me sort through some of these issues and clippings and tell you what filtered though my head that hot August in the summer of 1969, and attempt to show you why The Doors had no choice but to release this album.

-Morrison moves full throttle from the loveliness of psychedelics, to the bottomless pit of booze ...
-Morrison even more than before doubts the quality of his voice, even though The Village Voice credits him as the vocalist of the year ...
-Morrison moves from Elvis Presley as his favorite singer to Frank Sinatra and the seamy underbelly of Las Vegas ... truly the town that never sleeps ...
-Morrison is no longer just the music, Morrison has become a spectacle, he’s unwinding and loosing himself ...
-Morrison is going crazy, no longer is he able to separate himself from the stage, the studio, or on the street, he’s become a reflection that’s colliding with the mirror, and shattering ...
-Ray Manzarek and Morrison publish individual songwriting credits ...
-The Soft Parade takes nearly a year to finish, with the band doing literally hundreds of takes, butting headlong with Rothchild’s incessant need for perfection, seamlessness, and a smooth bright quality that Fleetwood Mac would soon embrace, but due to equipment limitations just out of reach, The Soft Parade was never able to find that full bodied, fill the room sound ...

So when people tell you that The Doors have lost their edge on The Soft Parade, creating an album that’s too clean, too filtered, and lacks direction ... to them I’d say, that with the circumstances of the times, The Doors created an exceptional body of work that may not come to be appreciated for many years yet, though when it is, there will be lots jumping on board to save face. The biggest thing to come out of The Soft Parade, was the one hundred and eighty degree turn the band did on Waiting For The Sun, and more than returning to their edgy roots.

Now, I’ve had this argument before, and at this point, what the other person says here is, “But Jenell, Soft Parade is limited to a mere three great tracks ... Touch Me, Shaman’s Blues, and Wild Child.” And I’m supposed to argue with that? No way, I’ll agree with that and then ask them to show me other albums that have three killer songs like those, along with the brilliant [so called] fluff of Touch Me, Wishful Sinful, or Tell All The People. The Soft Parade was an unparalleled success, it may not have been what the fans, who only want more of what they already know, wanted ... but never the less, it’s a hands down masterpiece that deserves its place in musical history.

The album charted at number 6 in the US, and did almost nothing in Europe, though if one considers that The Doors themselves did little to the release, that’s a home run in anyone’s book. Are there albums from The Doors that I’d suggest people listen to before The Soft Parade? Of course, and there are albums by The Beatles I’d suggest people listen to before Sgt. Pepper. Add to all of this the fact that The Doors so flawlessly meshed what they'd developed here, using it to resounding acclaim on L.A. Woman, and I think there are a lot of folks who sadly just want to downplay this period in the history of The Doors. So, while The Doors may not have blown a 50-amp fuse here on The Soft Parade, I certainly got what I needed.

Review by Jenell Kesler

This album from the Door;s was their most creative and poetic and definitely way ahead of it,s time, an absolute classic record!

Hey, as a Doors,non-afficionade fan I can say there is truly nothing better on a Saturday night to-let-your-hair-down-to-and-do-mad-danc ing-to than this album:Jim - thank you for the music and for the 'follow me down' best funeral EVER! (Ok. Slightly warm.)

I am a big doors fan. I seem to like all of the doors albums. Some are obviously better than others. All of the of the doors are going through life just like everybody else. I do not agree with jadedtom's review but that is just my opinion. It seems everybody is a critic. A sellout album, I think not. Jim Morrison never sold out to anybody. Not as strong an album as most of their other work but it is still the Doors. Maybe jadedtom just grew up and sold out. 3.5 out of 5

"The Soft Parade" sees the Doors in new territory. It was a land that many of their fans were not embracing. The dark, carnival rock is but a memory, as the Doors turn to some truly fine studio work coupled with some of the weakest songs from their catalog.
I have a curious fascination with "Tell All the People" as Morrison lyrically positions himself as some sort of messiah, a la Manson. I'm wondering how much this is all just a put on by the Lizard King. But the song, musically rather interesting, was a bomb, probably due to the addition of a robust horn section accompaniment, which was definitely not "Doors" music.
There was a vague feeling that the group was selling out. "Touch Me" enters the realm of jazz, and I suspect Doors' fans were cool to it, although I seem to recall it sold well as a single. For whatever it is, "Touch Me" is masterful studio work with an unforgettable hook.
"Shaman's Blues" is a meandering riffless mess. Morrison, who could be a skillful poet at times, often wrote terrible lyrics. Along with "Do It" and "Easy Ride", "Shaman's Blues" is very forgettable. I frankly don't see why the band even released these tunes.
Side two begins on a plus side. "Wild Child" recalls some of the dark rock style that the Doors were best at. "Runnin' Blue" is a strange hybrid of country and jazz. It's obvious why Krieger was given few vocal chores, as his voice on the chorus is weak and just plain dorky. Once again, dreaded horn arrangements intrude on a Doors' song. The overall effect is just bizarre.
What follows is to my ear a Doors' classic. "Wishful Sinful", replete with strings, is a beautiful, haunting song. Krieger's music complements Morrison's word images. In short, despite its commercial success and its string arrangement, "Wishful Sinful" succeeds as a hit and as a genuine Doors' song.
Perhaps hoping to end the album on a monumental note, a la "The End" and "When the Music's Over", we are presented with the title track "The Soft Parade". But there is the feeling of a tired retread here. Once again, unwanted jazz is included, and Morrison's lyrics are just plain silly. I find it very hard to listen to.
I don't know how depressed Morrison was at the time, but this lp has all the sound of a group that has lost its way. Morrison himself probably suspected that even good songs like "Wishful Sinful" and "Touch Me" were sell outs. As much as I like the Doors, this is easily their weakest release. With the exceptions of "Wild Child", "Touch Me" and "Wishful Sinful", the album does not stand up well as important Doors' music.