Run, do not walk—nay, teleport yourself—to the nearest record store and take this record home with you, 'cause the Doors can still do it and we all ought to be glad and I hope it shuts up the bad-rappers for good and all.

The Soft Parade: none of it is bad; most of it is very superior music and some of it is absolutely glorious. (p. 40)

[The] real beauty of The Soft Parade (album) lies in Shaman's Blues and The Soft Parade (song)—and, to a lesser extent, Runnin' Blue. None of these songs sounds like anything the Doors have done before: they are all technically sophisticated, well-balanced, and definitely positive in statement, and I hope like hell that they are indicative of the new direction the Doors appear to be taking: because if that is the case, gonna be a lot of doomsayers standin' round...