the doors / the soft parade.
1LP on 180 black vinyl. Single Sleeve & Gatefold editions available.
Written and recorded between July 1968 and January 1969 at Elektra Sound Recorders in Hollywood following an exhausting tour, The Soft Parade marked a significant departure from The Doors' earlier psychedelic blues sound.
With lead singer Jim Morrison increasingly preoccupied with personal struggles and his poetry, guitarist Robby Krieger stepped up to write half the album's tracks, leading Morrison to insist on individual songwriting credits for the first time rather than crediting the group collectively. Producer Paul A. Rothchild—encouraged by the jazz backgrounds of keyboardist Ray Manzarek and drummer John Densmore—pushed for a lush, expansive production that incorporated full brass and string sections arranged by Paul Harris on Krieger's compositions.
The sessions were unusually protracted and perfectionist, requiring dozens of takes and extensive studio experimentation to blend jazz-rock, soul, and orchestral pop with the band's darker, stripped-back tracks.
On its release in July 1969, The Soft Parade proved commercially resilient—reaching number six on the US Billboard 200 and spawning the massive hit single "Touch Me". Over the years, the album has enjoyed a substantial critical reappraisal, with many reviewers and fans praising its bold sonic ambition, sophisticated arrangements, and the strength of Morrison's vocals.
Retrospective critiques frequently highlight Krieger's infectious, horn-driven pop craftsmanship alongside the sprawling, theatrical closing title track—which AllMusic praised as "one of the band's best attempts to mix rock with poetry"—viewing the record as a daring, richly textured high-water mark of late-1960s studio experimentation.
Side A
Tell All the People
Touch Me
Shaman's Blues
Do It
Easy Ride
Side B
Wild Child
Runnin' Blue
Wishful Sinful
The Soft Parade
Cat. No. (Gatefold) R1 75005 2020 (single sleeve) 42079 2024
the doors / the soft parade.
1LP on 180 black vinyl. Single Sleeve & Gatefold editions available.
Written and recorded between July 1968 and January 1969 at Elektra Sound Recorders in Hollywood following an exhausting tour, The Soft Parade marked a significant departure from The Doors' earlier psychedelic blues sound.
With lead singer Jim Morrison increasingly preoccupied with personal struggles and his poetry, guitarist Robby Krieger stepped up to write half the album's tracks, leading Morrison to insist on individual songwriting credits for the first time rather than crediting the group collectively. Producer Paul A. Rothchild—encouraged by the jazz backgrounds of keyboardist Ray Manzarek and drummer John Densmore—pushed for a lush, expansive production that incorporated full brass and string sections arranged by Paul Harris on Krieger's compositions.
The sessions were unusually protracted and perfectionist, requiring dozens of takes and extensive studio experimentation to blend jazz-rock, soul, and orchestral pop with the band's darker, stripped-back tracks.
On its release in July 1969, The Soft Parade proved commercially resilient—reaching number six on the US Billboard 200 and spawning the massive hit single "Touch Me". Over the years, the album has enjoyed a substantial critical reappraisal, with many reviewers and fans praising its bold sonic ambition, sophisticated arrangements, and the strength of Morrison's vocals.
Retrospective critiques frequently highlight Krieger's infectious, horn-driven pop craftsmanship alongside the sprawling, theatrical closing title track—which AllMusic praised as "one of the band's best attempts to mix rock with poetry"—viewing the record as a daring, richly textured high-water mark of late-1960s studio experimentation.
Side A
Tell All the People
Touch Me
Shaman's Blues
Do It
Easy Ride
Side B
Wild Child
Runnin' Blue
Wishful Sinful
The Soft Parade
Cat. No. (Gatefold) R1 75005 2020 (single sleeve) 42079 2024
