I don't mind "Easy Ride" (which is a forgettable pastiche) or "Do It" nearly as much as "Tell All the People", the weaker parts of the title track (which sadly live up to the unkindest criticisms of Morrison's lyrics), and especially the disastrous "Runnin' Blue". Those songs just make me embarrassed for the band. The biggest problems with "Do It" are that the mixing is weak (especially the intro), the title doesn't connect to the lyrics, and the lyrics (what there is of them) are preachy and lightweight. Musically there's a lot to like about it, though. I can imagine it being grafted into the title track and working well. As everyone and his uncle has said already, the omission of "Who Scared You" is pretty mystifying. I guess Robby's guitar is slightly out of tune at the key change but it's a better song than half of what was on the album. A version of The Soft Parade with that, "Waiting for the Sun", and "Indian Summer" would have been a different experience, though those latter two songs sit wonderfully well on the next album of course. "Whiskey, Mystics & Men" could've worked too, though it does come off a bit like "My Wild Love (Part 2)".
The "Tell All The People" lyrics are poor (aren't they Krieger's?), but the song never seems to fail to lift my spirits when I hear those blaring horns kick in. "Who Scared You" definitely deserves a spot. I just can't see "Indian Summer" on Soft Parade, fits much better on the following album. "Whiskey, Mystics & Men", perhaps. When was "Orange County Suite" recorded?
Interesting -- I have the opposite reaction, maybe because they don't sound "tight" to me (a little sloppy and out of tune). It just seems like such a misguided way to start the album; I think it might be easier to take if it weren't the leadoff track. And yep, the lyrics are Krieger's, and Morrison wasn't a fan. "Where milky babies seem to be" and "It's just me!" are the lines that really clunk for me. But hey, the band played it live, so credit to Morrison for giving it a go, I guess? Agreed that "Indian Summer" is perfect on Morrison Hotel. I can imagine "Waiting for the Sun" working very well, though. "Orange County Suite" could have been included, sure -- it dates from February 1969, I think? -- though it rambles and would need some arranging. This album could tell a completely different story with a bit of resequencing and a few cuts/swaps -- but that's a conversation for another day, I suppose.
Essential Rarities back cover says they were both recorded in 1970. Soft Parade was released on July 18, 1969.
If they haven't done so on a Soft Parade reissue already, it might be fun to issue it with gold LP labels, as was done originally at the Allentown pressing plant. 50th, "Gold" anniversary.
I also remember reading that Morrison objected to the line "Can't you see me growing / get your guns". And yet he still sang it. In another thread on here, we were trying to mess with the running order, or actually just slot "Who Scared You?" into the track listing. The album is a bit of a house of cards, and once you start re-sequencing things, it falls apart. I think the sequencing is actually as tight and logical as it can be with these songs (for what it's worth, @gonz had the idea that "Who Scared You?" should come after "Wishful Sinful" and before "The Soft Parade" on side 2, which I think would've worked very well). Yeah, if they had "Orange County Suite" around then, it might have fit were it reworked (it's a remarkably dreary song even for the Doors). Lacks most of the precocious energy of the rest of The Soft Parade tracks. In regards to other leftovers, I wonder if something like "Someday Soon" could've been reworked for The Soft Parade? Maybe with a jauntier arrangement?
Every song off of this album except for the title cut and "Shaman's Blues" was released as a single. The A-sides were all Robbie Krieger songs and the B-sides were all Jim Morrison songs. I'm sure, the sudden recent rise in popularity of "Blood Sweat & Tears" caused Jack Holzman to take notice, and thus, he thought he could squeeze more juice out of the LP's horn-dominated tracks.
And both were treated to modern overdubs. (and then remixed and featuring perhaps even newer work for the Perception campaign. Whiskey has more backing vocals, and Orange County Suite has subtly different drum/percussion track. And I've always thought that the Adagio was mislabeled too. Sonically it has more in common with the Soft Parade outtakes than anything from Waiting For The Sun.
Loved the album then -- love the album now. Though I remember being surprised at how good "Touch Me" sounded live and without brass on one of the Midnight releases. They were a great live band, on occasion. I'd like to see any live tracks from '69, more outtakes, cold cutz.
Please no. It's awful, largely unmusical nonsense and complete or not deadly dull and boring. It won't happen either way.
The album is a bit of a stiff overall. The strings are overused and rarely add anything other than the less than vague suspicion that some of the material was sub-par. It even lacks the cohesion of other Doors albums including even Other Voices!
I don’t know, Morrison’s swagger goes a long way for me on this record. The band cooks on quite of bit of tracks as well. Far better than anything I heard on Full Circle at least.
Soft Parade is my least favorite Morrison led album but I welcome a 50th Anniversary Edition with a few gems. Count me in.
I'd like to reinstate the 45 stereo mix of "Touch Me", for the second song as it does not contain the silly "stronger than dirt" tag line at the end of the song. I remember hearing it on the radio as a little kid, and when I heard the LP remix a few years later, which became the standard mix- it annoyed me!
I wasn't originally a huge fan of the album, but it has grown on me, especially with the remix which I feel really worked and lifted it, for me that was the only remix that was truly valid, apart from Soft Parade and Strange Days, I generally disliked the remixes of the other albums for various reason and much prefer the original mixes - this is the one album where I actually prefer the remix over the original!
