The Soft Parade: A Psychedelic Rock Masterpiece
Contents
In this blog post, we’ll be taking a close look at The Soft Parade – a psychedelic rock masterpiece by The Doors. We’ll explore the album’s history, its influence on popular culture, and what makes it such a timeless classic.
Introduction
The Soft Parade is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Doors, released on July 18, 1969. It saw the band continuing to move in a more experimental and political direction, with songs like “The Unknown Soldier” and “Wake Up!”. The album was not as well-received as their previous albums, but still managed to peak at #6 on the Billboard 200.
In recent years, The Soft Parade has been reappraised by critics and is now considered one of the highlights of the band’s career.
The Album
The Soft Parade is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Doors, released on July 18, 1969. It saw the band continuing to integrate elements of classical and jazz into their sound, while also experimenting with orchestration and horn arrangements on several tracks. Despite being one of the band’s most ambitious projects to date, the album was met with mixed reviews and was a commercial disappointment, peaking at number six on the US Billboard 200 chart.
The Recording Process
The album was recorded in various studios in Hollywood and Los Angeles, including Gold Star Studios, Cherokee Studios, and Western Recorders. The band used a variety of studio techniques to create the hallucinogenic soundscapes heard on the album, including reverb, echo chambers, phased vocals, and grand piano and brass overdubs. Rowntree later said that the recording process was “a bit like trying to put together a 3D jigsaw puzzle”, and that the album took longer to record than any other Kinks album up to that point.
When it was released in July 1969, The Soft Parade reached number six on the UK Albums Chart and number sixteen on the US Billboard 200. It was well received by critics and is now considered one of the band’s best albums. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked The Soft Parade at number496 on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The Songs
Released in 1969, The Soft Parade was The Doors’ fourth studio album. It marked a departure from the band’s previous work, with a more polished and commercial sound. The album was not well-received by critics, but it was a huge hit with fans, reaching number three on the Billboard 200 chart.
The album features some of The Doors’ most iconic songs, including “Touch Me”, “Tell All the People”, and “Wild Child”. “Touch Me” was the only single to reach the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 31. The other singles from the album were less successful, but “Tell All the People” and “Wild Child” both became fan favorites.
The Soft Parade is considered one of The Doors’ best albums, and it is widely regarded as a classic of psychedelic rock.
The Legacy
The Soft Parade is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Doors, released on July 18, 1969. It is the first album to feature keyboardist Ray Manzarek on lead vocals. The album was a commercial success, reaching No. 3 on the US Billboard 200, and has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album was not well received by the music critics at the time of its release. However, in more recent years, it has been reappraised and is now considered one of the band’s best albums.
The Band’s Influence
The Soft Parade is one of the most influential psychedelic rock albums of all time. The band’s unique blend of experimental rock, folk, and pop music redefined the genre and inspired a generation of musicians. The album’s influence can be heard in the work of artists like Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and The Beach Boys.
The Album’s Influence
The Soft Parade is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Doors, released on July 18, 1969 by Elektra Records. It saw the group experimenting with brass and string instrumentation on several tracks and was the first album to feature keyboardist Ralph Herbert. It peaked at number six on Billboard’s Pop Albums chart[2] and became one of the band’s best-selling albums, being certified double platinum in 1991[3] and selling over three million copies in the U.S.[4]
In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked The Soft Parade number 426 on their list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, making it the second-highest Doors album on the list after their debut album.[5] In 2019, it was ranked number 80 on Pitchfork’s “The 200 Best Albums of the 1960s” list.[6]
The Soft Parade has been cited as an influence by a variety of artists and bands, including Black Rebel Motorcycle Club,[7] Big Country,[8][9], Kings of Leon,[10][11], R.E.M.,[12] The Call,[13][14], My Morning Jacket,[15][16], Elliott Smith,[17][18], American Music Club,[19][20], Uncle Tupelo,[21] Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion[22], Patti Smith[23] and Richard Thompson.[24]
