THE DOORS In 1969

Two years after The Doors' breakthrough in 1967 with “Light My Fire” and their debut album The Doors, 1969 saw the group plunged into controversy, with the resulting turmoil almost breaking up the band. Though they were back on track by the year’s end, it was nonetheless a trying time. After the band’s lead singer, Jim Morrison, was arrested on charges of lewd behavior and indecent exposure following a concert in Miami, the tour meant to promote their upcoming album, The Soft Parade, was cancelled. And when the album was finally released, it failed to do as well as the band’s previous albums, with every single released post-Miami failing to even crack the Top 40.

At the time of its release, The Soft Parade also faced criticism that The Doors were abandoning their rock roots; the songs not only featured horns, but also a string section. That hadn’t hurt the pop friendly single “Touch Me”; released in December 1968, it reached No. 3. But when the album came out, judgment was swift. Rolling Stone was particularly harsh, writing, “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.” The band’s keyboardist, Ray Manzerak, begged to differ, saying, “The Soft Parade is Doors music just like all the other albums. We just brought in a little whipped cream to put over the top.” But even guitarist Robby Krieger later admitted, “I’d like to re-release that album without any of the horns or strings.”

Now the fans will be able to decide for themselves. The 50th anniversary reissue of the album, set for October 18, will not only have a remastered version of the album (by Bruce Botnick, the band’s original engineer