Editing Waiting for the Sun

{{other uses|Waiting for the Sun (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox album
| name         = Waiting for the Sun
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[the Doors]]
| cover        = The Doors - Waiting for the Sun.jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = {{Start date|1968|7|3}}
| recorded     = November 1967{{snd}}May 1968
| studio       = [[Sunset Sound Recorders|Sunset Sound]] & [[TTG Studios|TTG]], Hollywood
| genre        = [[Psychedelic music|Psychedelia]]<ref>{{cite magazine
|first=Richard |last=Buskin |title=Classic Tracks: The Doors 'Strange Days' |url=https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/classic-tracks-doors-strange-days?amp |magazine=[[Sound on Sound]] |access-date=May 9, 2021 |quote=Engineer and producer Bruce Botnick recorded some of the greatest artifacts of West Coast psychedelia, among them the first five albums by the Doors.}}</ref>
| length       = 32:49
| label        = [[Elektra Records|Elektra]]
| producer     = [[Paul A. Rothchild]]
| prev_title   = [[Strange Days (The Doors album)|Strange Days]]
| prev_year    = 1967
| next_title   = [[The Soft Parade]]
| next_year    = 1969
| misc         = {{Singles
 | name        = Waiting for the Sun
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[The Unknown Soldier (song)|The Unknown Soldier]]
 | single1date = March 1968
 | single2     = [[Hello, I Love You]]
 | single2date = June 1968
}}
}}
'''''Waiting for the Sun''''' is the third studio album by the American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[the Doors]], released by [[Elektra Records]] on July 3, 1968. The album's 11 tracks were recorded between late 1967 and May 1968 mostly at [[TTG Studios]] in Los Angeles. It became the band's only number one album, topping the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] for four weeks, while also including their second US number one single, "[[Hello, I Love You]]". The first single released off the record was "[[The Unknown Soldier (song)|The Unknown Soldier]]", which peaked at number 39 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. It also became the band's first hit album in the UK, where it reached number 16.

Having released two records that drew from a large pool of previously composed songs, the Doors began to improvise for their third album in late 1967. Due to the shortage of original material, the group suffered what drummer [[John Densmore]] described as the "third album syndrome", struggling to compose sufficient good material to fill the album.{{sfn|Densmore|1991|p=159}} The recording sessions also proved difficult for the group due to lead singer [[Jim Morrison]]'s worsening [[alcoholism]].

The album provoked mixed reactions upon release, with many deriding its diversity and songwriting quality as detriments and inconsistent. However, it has attracted more sympathetic appraisal for its mellower sound and experimentation with other genres.{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=156}}<ref name="Unterberger" /><ref name="Cinquemani" /> To coincide with the 50th anniversary of the album's release in 2018, a 1-LP/2-CD deluxe version of the album was released by [[Rhino Records]]. This was overseen by long-time Doors sound engineer [[Bruce Botnick]].

==Background and recording==
The Doors started recording ''Waiting for the Sun'' in late 1967 at [[Sunset Sound Studios]],{{efn|According to music journalist Gillian G. Gaar, the album's recording started in January 1968,{{sfn|Gaar|2015|p=54}} but engineer [[Bruce Botnick]] confirmed the date as being in late 1967.{{sfn|Botnick|2007|pp=3–4}}}} with early versions of "The Unknown Soldier" and "Spanish Caravan". The group soon moved at [[TTG Studios]] in Hollywood, California, where the majority of the album's recording took place; the same time [[Frank Zappa]] was recording.{{sfn|Botnick|2007|pp=3–4}}  The band had used up most of frontman [[Jim Morrison]]'s original songbook, a collection of lyrics and ideas, for their first two records. Consequently, following months of touring, interviews and television appearances, they had little new material. The band attempted to record a longer piece called "[[Celebration of the Lizard]]" and intended the piece to occupy the second side of the album; this was later shelved. However, a recording of the "[[Not to Touch the Earth]]" segment was included and the full lyrics to "Celebration of the Lizard" were printed inside the album's [[gatefold]] sleeve.{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=197}}<ref name=classicrock/>

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Waiting for the Sun recording session.jpeg|thumb|The members of the Doors (John Densmore excluding) developing during the recording sessions for ''Waiting for the Sun'', with producer Paul A. Rothchild. [[Robby Krieger]] recalled that the group didn't have enough compositions during the album's making and several tracks were composed in the studio, either through jam sessions or concepts.<ref name="Kielty" />]] -->
The removal of "Celebration of the Lizard" drove the band to resort to composing many of the album tracks in the studio and digging up older songs that they had previously decided against recording, such as "Hello, I Love You", to fill the gap of material.<ref name="Kielty" />{{sfn|Wall|2014|p=251-252}} The production by [[Paul A. Rothchild]] led to multiple takes as a result of his growing perfectionism, which was becoming an issue for the group. Morrison's increasing alcohol consumption also caused tension and difficulties in the studio,<ref>{{cite web |first=Alan |last=Paul |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/robby-krieger-the-doors-retrospective |title=The Doors' Robby Krieger Sheds Light — Album by Album  |website=[[Guitar World]] |date=January 8, 2016 |access-date=May 27, 2021}}</ref> and at one point drummer [[John Densmore]] walked out of a session frustrated at his behavior.<ref name=classicrock>{{cite web |first=Dave |last=Swanson |date= July 11, 2013 |url= https://ultimateclassicrock.com/doors-waiting-for-the-sun/ |title=How the Doors Scored Their Only No. 1 LP with ''Waiting for the Sun'' |website= [[Ultimate Classic Rock]] |access-date= July 11, 2020}}</ref> [[Alice Cooper]] was around during the recording sessions and he was reportedly worried about Morrison's health.{{sfn|Botnick|2007|pp=3–4}} During the recording of "[[Five to One]]", Morrison was in intense state of intoxication, to a degree that the studio's assistants needed to support him to complete his vocal parts.{{sfn|Taylor|2006|p=89}} Each song on the album required overall at least 20 takes with "The Unknown Soldier", recorded in two parts, requiring 130.{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=179}}

In her 1979 essay "The White Album," [[Joan Didion]] described a day at Sunset Sound during the recording of the album. The mood is highly desultory, as Manzarek, Krieger, and Densmore wait for an AWOL Morrison to arrive to lay down his vocals.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-24 |title=The Doors' John Densmore remembers Joan Didion, Eve Babitz and Jim Morrison |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-12-24/the-doors-john-densmore-remembers-joan-didion |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.reachcambridge.com/wp-content/uploads/Friday-5th-August-Afternoon-Session-Oversharing-Joan-Didion-The-White-Album.pdf | title=The White Album | first=Joan | last=Didion}}</ref>

==Composition==
''Waiting for the Sun'' includes the band's second chart topper, "[[Hello, I Love You]]",{{sfn|Luhrssen|Larson|2017|p=97}} one of the last remaining songs from Morrison's 1965 batch of tunes. It had been demoed by the group for Aura Records in 1965 before guitarist [[Robby Krieger]] had joined the group, as had "[[Summer's Almost Gone]]". In the liner notes to ''[[The Doors: Box Set]]'', Krieger denied the allegations that the song's main riff and vocal melody were stolen from [[Ray Davies]], with a similar riff having been featured in [[the Kinks]]' "[[All Day and All of the Night]]". Instead, he said the song's vibe was taken from [[Cream (band)|Cream]]'s song "[[Sunshine of Your Love]]".<ref name="liner"/> Densmore said that when recording the song, Krieger had advised him to imitate [[Ginger Baker]]'s drumming on "Sunshine of Your Love", and he followed that advice.{{sfn|Wall|2014|p=252}} The courts in the UK determined in favor of Davies and any UK-based royalties for the song were paid to him.{{sfn|Wall|2014|p=252}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/may/11/the-kinks-ray-davies-brexit-is-bigger-than-the-berlin-wall |title=The Kinks' Ray Davies: Brexit is 'bigger than the Berlin Wall' |first=Adrian |last=Deevoy |magazine=[[The Guardian]] |date=May 11, 2017 |access-date=November 12, 2018 }}</ref>

''Waiting for the Sun'' contains two songs with military themes: "[[Five to One]]" and "[[The Unknown Soldier (song)|The Unknown Soldier]]". Journalists [[Nathan Brackett]] and [[Christian Hoard]] speculate that "Five to One" seems to be a revolutionary anthem,{{sfn|Brackett|Hoard|2008|p=255}} spouted by the "hippie/ flower child" hordes Morrison saw in growing numbers. Regardless of this interpretation, Morrison confirmed that the lyrics were not political.{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=193}} The lines "Night is drawing near/ Shadows of the evening/ crawl across the years" may have been lifted by Morrison from the 19th-century hymnal and bedtime rhyme "Now the Day is Over" ("Now the day is over/ Night is drawing nigh/ Shadows of the evening/ Steal across the sky").<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/now_day_over.html |title=Now the Day is Over |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia Titanica]] |date=October 12, 2005 |access-date=July 5, 2013}}</ref>

"The Unknown Soldier" exemplified the group's cinematic approach to their music. In the beginning, as well as after the middle of the song, the mysterious sounds of the organ are heard, depicting the mystery of the "Unknown Soldier".{{sfn|Phull|2008|p=68}} In the [[bridge (music)|bridge]], the Doors produced the sounds of a [[marching cadence]].{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=197}} It begins with military drums, plus the sound of the sergeant counting off in 4 seconds ("HUP, HUP, HUP, 2, 3, 4"), until he shouts "COMPANY! HALT! PRESENT! ARMS!", followed by the sounds of loading rifles and a long military drum roll, a pause and then rifle shots. After this middle section, the verses return, with Morrison, singing in a sadder tone to "make a grave for the Unknown Soldier". The song ends with sounds of crowds cheering and bells tolling.{{sfn|Phull|2008|p=68}}<ref>{{cite web |first=Matthew |last=Greenwald |title=The Unknown Soldier |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/the-unknown-soldier-mt0045067806 |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=March 25, 2021}}</ref> The lyrics are generally viewed as Morrison's reaction to the [[Vietnam War]] and the way that conflict was portrayed in American media at the time, with lines such as "Breakfast where the news is read/ Television children fed/ Unborn living, living dead/ Bullets strike the helmet's head" reflecting how news of the war was being presented in the living rooms of ordinary people. The band also shot a promotional film for the single.<ref>{{cite web 
|first=Sterling |last=Whitaker |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/the-doors-songs-about-soldiers/ |title=The Doors, 'Unknown Soldier' – Songs About Soldiers |website= [[Ultimate Classic Rock]] |date=May 20, 2013 |access-date=July 10, 2020}}</ref> 
[[File:The Doors in Copenhagen 1968.jpg|thumb|The Doors performing for [[Television in Denmark|Danish television]] in 1968]]

The centerpiece of the album was supposed to be the lengthy theatrical piece "[[Celebration of the Lizard]]", but in the end only the "[[Not to Touch the Earth]]" section was used. In a 1969 interview with [[Jerry Hopkins (author)|Jerry Hopkins]] for ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', Morrison said of the epic, "It was pieced together on different occasions out of already existing elements rather than having any generative core from which it grew. I still think there's hope for it."<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Jerry |last=Hopkins |author-link=Jerry Hopkins (author) |title=The Rolling Stone Interview: Jim Morrison |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/the-rolling-stone-interview-jim-morrison-19690726 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |publisher=Wenner Media |location=New York City |date=July 26, 1969 |access-date=July 19, 2020}}</ref> At the conclusion of "Not to Touch the Earth", Morrison utters his iconic personal maxim, "I am the Lizard King/ I can do anything."{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=197}} The opening lines of the song, "Not to touch the earth/ not to see the sun" were taken from the table of contents of ''[[The Golden Bough]]''.{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=197}} Krieger's skills with the [[flamenco guitar]] can be found on "Spanish Caravan", with Granainas intro and a reworking of the melody from the classical piece [[Asturias (Leyenda)]] composed by [[Isaac Albéniz]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Damian |last=Fanelli |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/amp/artists/watch-robby-krieger-play-doors-spanish-caravan-la-philharmonic-quartet-flamenco |title=Watch Robby Krieger Play the Doors' "Spanish Caravan" with a String Quartet |website=[[Guitar World]] |date=January 8, 2018 |access-date=July 17, 2020}}</ref> The optimistic "We Could Be So Good Together" had been recorded during the sessions for ''[[Strange Days (Doors album)|Strange Days]]'', even appearing on an early track listing.{{sfn|Gaar|2015|p=46}}{{sfn|Wall|2014|p=201}}{{sfn|Goldsmith|2019|p=94}} A review in ''[[Slant Magazine]]'' described the song as "categorically pre-fame Morrison," pointing out that the line "The time you wait subtracts from joy" is the kind of hippie idealism the singer had long abandoned.<ref name="Cinquemani"/> It was issued as the [[B-side]] of the single "The Unknown Soldier" which peaked at number 39 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Hot 100 - May 18, 1968|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1968-05-18|magazine=Billboard|access-date=July 19, 2020}}</ref> The single version quotes the opening theme from [[Thelonious Monk]]'s "[[Straight, No Chaser (composition)|Straight, No Chaser]]".{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=159}}{{sfn|Manzarek|1998|p=78}}{{sfn|Moskowitz|2015|p=223}}

The whimsical "Wintertime Love" and the mournful "Summer's Almost Gone" address seasonal themes, while the gentle "Yes, the River Knows" was written by Krieger.<ref name="Kielty">{{cite web |title=Robby Krieger Recalls Doors' Battle with ''Waiting for the Sun'' |url= https://ultimateclassicrock.com/robby-krieger-doors-waiting-for-the-sun/ |first=Martin |last=Kielty |date=September 7, 2018 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=February 12, 2021}}</ref> In the liner notes to the 1997 Doors retrospective ''Box Set'', Manzarek praises the latter: "The piano and guitar interplay is absolutely beautiful. I don't think Robby and I ever played so sensitively together. It was the closest we ever came to  being [[Bill Evans]] and [[Jim Hall (musician)|Jim Hall]]." In the same essay, Manzarek refers to "Summer's Almost Gone" as "a cool Latino-Bolero kind of thing with a [[Bach]]-like bridge. It's about the ephemeral nature of life. A season of joy and light and laughter is coming to an end."<ref name="liner">{{cite AV media notes |title=The Doors: Box Set |title-link=The Doors: Box Set |type=Liner notes |year=1997 |publisher=[[Elektra Records]] |id=62123-2}}</ref> While recording "My Wild Love", the band eventually gave up on the music and turned it into a work song by getting everyone in the studio to clap their hands, stamp their feet and chant in unison.{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=179}} Robby Krieger has cited "My Wild Love" as his least favorite Doors song, recalling that when a [[bodyguard]] said to him that his most-liked tune of the band is "My Wild Love", Krieger responded: "Oh shit, man, I hate that song".<ref>{{cite web |first=Devon |last=Ivie |date=September 28, 2021 |title=The Greatest and Trippiest of the Doors, According to Robby Krieger |url=https://www.vulture.com/amp/2021/09/interview-doors-guitarist-robby-krieger-on-jim-morrison.html |website=[[Vulture.com]] |access-date=November 13, 2021}}</ref> Morrison wrote "[[Love Street]]" for his girlfriend [[Pamela Courson]] and like all of his other songs about or dedicated to her, there was a hesitancy or biting refusal at the end ("I guess I like it fine, so far").{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=112}}

==Releases==
''Waiting for the Sun'' was officially released on July 3, 1968,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thedoors.com/music|title=The Doors Music|website=Thedoors.com|access-date=August 18, 2020}}</ref> although some sources incorrectly noted on the day of 12.{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=154}} As of 2015, the album has sold over 7 million copies since its 1968 original release.{{sfn|Moskowitz|2015|p=223}} Although "Celebration of the Lizard" was not included on the original release of the album, a recording of the long piece was later included along with two early takes of "Not to Touch the Earth" as bonus tracks on the 40th anniversary expanded edition release of the album (subtitled "An Experiment/Work in Progress").

===Reissues===
In 1988, ''Waiting for the Sun'' was digitally remastered by sound engineer [[Bruce Botnick]] and Paul A. Rothchild at Digital Magnetics using the original master tapes.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Waiting for the Sun|year=1988|type=Booklet|publisher=Elektra |id=7559-74024-2}}</ref> [[DCC Compact Classics]] reissued the album on 24kt gold CD in 1993 and on 180g vinyl in 1998, both versions were mastered by [[Steve Hoffman (audio engineer)|Steve Hoffman]].<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Waiting for the Sun|year=1993|type=Booklet|publisher=[[DCC Compact Classics]] |id=GZS-1045}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Waiting for the Sun|year=1998|type=Media Notes|publisher=DCC Compact Classics |id=LPZ-2049}}</ref> It was remastered again in 1999 by [[Bernie Grundman]] and Botnick at Bernie Grundman Mastering for ''[[The Complete Studio Recordings (The Doors album)|The Complete Studio Recordings]]'' box set, using [[Audio bit depth|96khz/24bit]] technology; it was also released as a standalone CD release.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Waiting for the Sun|year=1999|type=Booklet|publisher=Elektra |id=74024-2}}</ref> In 2006, the album was reissued on a CD/DVD set featuring both stereo and 5.1 remixes created by Botnick for the ''[[Perception (The Doors album)|Perception]]'' box set.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Waiting for the Sun|year=2006|type=Booklet|publisher=Elektra |id=R2 77645 C}}</ref> The 2006 stereo remix was also released on a standalone CD release in 2007 including five bonus tracks, mastered by Botnick at Uniteye.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Waiting for the Sun|year=2007|type=Booklet|publisher=Elektra |id=R2 101191}}</ref> In 2009, it was reissued on 180g vinyl featuring the original mix; this edition was cut by Grundman.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Waiting for the Sun|year=2009|publisher=Elektra |id=8122-79864-8}}</ref> [[Analogue Productions]] also reissued the album on [[Super Audio CD|SACD]] and double 45 RPM vinyl, both editions were mastered by [[Doug Sax]] and Sangwook Nam at the Mastering Lab; the CD layer of the Super Audio CD contains the original stereo mix while the SACD layer contains Botnick's 2006 5.1 surround mix.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Waiting for the Sun|year=2012|type=Media notes|publisher=[[Analogue Productions]] |id=APP 74024-45}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Waiting for the Sun|year=2012|type=Booklet|publisher=Analogue Productions |id=APP 74024 SA}}</ref>

In 2018, [[Rhino Entertainment|Rhino Records]] released a 1-LP/2-CD deluxe edition to commemorate the album's 50th anniversary release, which was remastered by Botnick utilizing the Plangent Process.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Simpson|first1=Dave|date=September 24, 2018|title=How we made the Doors' Hello, I Love You|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/sep/24/how-we-made-the-doors-hello-i-love-you-jim-morrison|access-date=September 24, 2018|magazine=The Guardian}}</ref> The CDs are encoded with [[Master Quality Authenticated|MQA]] technology.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Waiting for the Sun|year=2018|type=Booklet|publisher=Elektra |id=603497857067}}</ref> The LP and first CD feature remastered versions of the same 11 tracks from the original 1968 release. The second CD features 14 previously unreleased tracks.<ref>{{cite web|date=June 26, 2018|title=''Waiting for the Sun'' 50th Anniversary Edition Coming September 14|url=https://thedoors.com/news/waiting-for-the-sun-50th-anniversary-edition-coming-september-14|access-date=August 18, 2020|website=Thedoors.com}}</ref> The 50th anniversary edition omits the bonus tracks featured on the 40th anniversary edition and also features rough mixes of all the album's tracks. Botnick recommended some of these versions, saying, "I prefer some of these mixes as they represent all of the elements and additional background vocals and some intangible roughness, all quite attractive and refreshing."<ref name="Bell" />

==Critical reception==
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="Unterberger">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/waiting-for-the-sun-mw0000193597 |title=The Doors: ''Waiting for the Sun''|website=AllMusic |last=Unterberger |first=Richie |author-link=Richie Unterberger |access-date=December 21, 2014}}</ref>
| rev2      = ''[[American Songwriter]]''
| rev2Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{efn|Although ''[[American Songwriter]]'' critic Hal Horowitz rated the original album with four stars overall, he gave the 2018 reissue two stars out of five.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Hal |last=Horowitz |title=The Doors: ''Waiting for the Sun'' — 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition |date=September 17, 2018 |url=https://americansongwriter.com/doors-waiting-sun-50th-anniversary-deluxe-edition/ |magazine=[[American Songwriter]] |access-date=April 10, 2023}}</ref>}}
| rev3      = ''[[Classic Rock]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Bell">{{cite web 
|first=Max |last=Bell |date=September 13, 2018
|url=https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/the-doors-waiting-for-the-sun-50th-anniversary-deluxe-edition-album-review |title=The Doors - ''Waiting for the Sun'' (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) Album Review |publisher=Louder |work=[[Classic Rock]] |accessdate=February 15, 2021}}</ref>
| rev4      = ''[[MusicHound Rock]]''
| rev4score = 3.5/5<ref>{{cite book|last1=Graff|first1=Gary|last2=Durchholz|first2=Daniel|title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Farmington Hills, MI|year=1999|isbn=1-57859-061-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/358 358]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/358}}</ref>
| rev5      = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev5score = (mixed)<ref name="Miller" />
| rev6      = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev6Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/the-doors/albumguide |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106033635/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/the-doors/albumguide |title=The Doors: Album Guide |magazine=[[Rolling Stone|rollingstone.com]] |archive-date=January 6, 2013 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 31, 2015}}</ref>
| rev7      = ''[[Slant Magazine]]''
| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Cinquemani">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/the-doors-waiting-for-the-sun |title=The Doors: ''Waiting for the Sun'' <nowiki>| Album Review |</nowiki> Slant Magazine |last=Cinquemani |first=Sal |date=April 18, 2007 |magazine=[[Slant Magazine]] |access-date=December 21, 2014}}</ref>
| rev8      = ''[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
| rev8Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&pg=PA763 |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |first=Colin |last=Larkin |author-link=Colin Larkin |date=May 27, 2011 |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |isbn=978-0857125958 |page=763}}</ref>
}}

Despite its commercial success, ''Waiting for the Sun'' divided critics and many derided it as pretentious and over-arranged.{{sfn|Schinder|Schwartz|2008|p=263}} Journalist [[Mikal Gilmore]] noted that many criticisms were centered to the "transparent commercial appeal" of the album's opener "Hello, I Love You",{{sfn|Gilmore|2008|p=260}} with ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' dismissing it as a "jagged [[Kinks]] ripoff on which Morrison comes out like a rapist".{{efn|Praising though other songs such as "Five to One", "My Wild Love", "Spanish Caravan", and "Summer's Almost Gone".{{sfn|Brackett|Hoard|2008|p=255}}}} Jim Miller of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' wrote, "After a year and a half of Jim Morrison's posturing, one might logically hope for some sort of musical growth and if the new record isn't really terrible, it isn't particularly exciting either."<ref name="Miller">{{cite magazine |last=Miller |first=Jim |date=September 28, 1968 |title=''Waiting for the Sun'' – Review |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/waiting-for-the-sun-19680928 |access-date=December 21, 2014}}</ref> Pete Johnson reviewing the record for ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', wrote a positive review, remarking that ''Waiting for the Sun'' contains "the smallest amount self-indulgent" songs compared to the Doors previous albums.{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=156}} The ''[[New Musical Express]]'' declared "The Unknown Soldier" as the standout of side one and "all on side two are gems, notably 'My Wild Love' and the long finale 'Five to One'."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.thedoors.com/news/doors-waiting-for-the-sun-review |title=''Waiting for the Sun''{{snd}}Album Review |date=July 13, 1968 |magazine=[[New Musical Express]] |via=TheDoors.com |access-date=May 13, 2021}}</ref>

In his retrospective review, [[Richie Unterberger]] of [[AllMusic]] wrote, "The Doors' 1967 albums had raised expectations so high that their third effort was greeted as a major disappointment. With a few exceptions, the material was much mellower and while this yielded some fine melodic ballad rock{{nbsp}}... there was no denying that the songwriting was not as impressive as it had been on the first two records." Nevertheless, he concluded that "time's been fairly kind to the record, which is quite enjoyable and diverse, just not as powerful a full-length statement as the group's best albums."<ref name="Unterberger" /> In his review of the 2007 reissue, Sal Cinquemani of ''[[Slant Magazine|Slant]]'' praised the album, writing that "Despite the fact that Morrison was becoming a self-destructing mess, Krieger, Manzarek and Densmore were never more lucid{{snd}}perhaps to compensate. This was a band at its most dexterous, creative and musically diverse."<ref name="Cinquemani" />

''[[Classic Rock]]'' critic Max Bell overviewing the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, gave ''Waiting for the Sun'' a positive rating of four out of five stars.<ref name="Bell"/> ''[[Stereogum]]'' ranked it the third best Doors album behind ''[[L.A. Woman]]'' and ''[[The Doors (album)|The Doors]]'', concluding: "This is the Doors at their strangest, their most exploratory, their most stylistically expansive. ''Waiting for the Sun'' has examples of everything the Doors did well, and it has them doing it at, occasionally, their highest level."<ref>{{cite magazine |last2=Leas |first2=Ryan |first1=Michael |last1=Nelson |date=July 29, 2015 |url=http://www.stereogum.com/1819986/the-doors-albums-from-worst-to-best/franchises/counting-down/attachment/ |title=The Doors Albums From Worst To Best |magazine=[[Stereogum]] |access-date=July 8, 2022}}</ref>

== Track listing ==
=== Original album ===
All tracks are written by the Doors  ([[Jim Morrison]], [[Ray Manzarek]], [[Robby Krieger]] and [[John Densmore]] individually). Details are taken from the original 1968 [[Elektra Records]] release.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Waiting for the Sun |type=Album notes |date=July 1968 |location=US |publisher=[[Elektra Records]] |id=EKS-74024}}</ref>

{{track listing
| headline = Side one
| all_writing = 
| title1 = [[Hello, I Love You]]
| note1 = 
| length1 = 2:22
| title2 = [[Love Street]]
| note2 = 
| length2 = 3:06
| title3 = [[Not to Touch the Earth]]
| note3 = 
| length3 = 3:54
| title4 = [[Summer's Almost Gone]]
| note4 = 
| length4 = 3:20
| title5 = Wintertime Love
| note5 = 
| length5 = 1:52
| title6 = [[The Unknown Soldier (song)|The Unknown Soldier]]
| length6 = 3:10
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side two
| title1 = Spanish Caravan
| length1 = 2:58
| title2 = My Wild Love
| note2 = 
| length2 = 2:50
| title3 = We Could Be So Good Together
| note3 = 
| length3 = 2:20
| title4 = Yes, the River Knows
| note4 = 
| length4 = 2:35
| title5 = [[Five to One]]
| note5 = 
| length5 = 4:22
| total_length = 32:49
}}

===Reissues===
'''40th Anniversary Edition'''
{{track listing
| headline = CD bonus tracks
| title12 = [[Tomaso Albinoni|Albinoni]]'s [[Adagio in G minor]]
| writer12 = [[Remo Giazotto]]
| length12 = 4:32
| title13 = [[Not to Touch the Earth]] 
| note13 = Dialogue
| length13 = 0:38
| title14 = [[Not to Touch the Earth]] 
| note14 = Take 1
| length14 = 4:05
| title15 = [[Not to Touch the Earth]]
| note15 =  Take 2
| length15 = 4:18
| title16 = [[Celebration of the Lizard]] 
| note16 = An Experiment/Work in Progress
| length16 = 17:09
}}
'''50th Anniversary Edition second CD bonus tracks'''<ref name="Rhino"/>
{{track listing
| headline = Rough mixes
| title1 = [[Hello, I Love You]]
| length1 = 2:23
| title2 = Summer's Almost Gone 
| length2 = 3:23
| title3 = Yes, the River Knows 
| length3 = 2:38
| title4 = Spanish Caravan
| length4 = 2:57
| title5 = [[Love Street]]
| length5 = 3:05
| title6 = Wintertime Love
| length6 = 1:56
| title7 = [[Not to Touch the Earth]]
| length7 = 3:57
| title8 = [[Five to One]]
| length8 = 4:23
| title9 = My Wild Love
| length9 = 3:00
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Live at Falkoner Centeret, Copenhagen 9/17/68
| title10 = Texas Radio & the Big Beat
| length10 = 1:33
| title11 = [[Hello, I Love You]]
| length11 = 2:27
| title12 = [[Back Door Man#The Doors version|Back Door Man]]
| length12 = 2:06
| title13 = [[Five to One]]
| length13 = 4:38
| title14 = [[The Unknown Soldier (song)|The Unknown Soldier]]
| length14 = 4:53
}}

== Personnel ==
Details are taken from the 2019 [[Rhino Records]] reissue liner notes with accompanying essay by [[Bruce Botnick]] and may differ from other sources.<ref name="Rhino">{{cite AV media notes|first=Bruce|last=Botnick|author-link=Bruce Botnick|title=Waiting for the Sun|type=liner notes|year=2019|publisher=[[Rhino Records]]|id=R2-537344}}</ref>

'''The Doors'''
* [[Jim Morrison]]{{snd}}vocals
* [[Ray Manzarek]]{{snd}}keyboards
* [[Robby Krieger]]{{snd}}guitar
* [[John Densmore]]{{snd}}drums

'''Additional musicians'''
* [[Douglas Lubahn]]{{snd}}occasional bass, electric bass on "Spanish Caravan"
* Kerry Magness{{snd}}bass guitar on "The Unknown Soldier"
* [[Leroy Vinnegar]]{{snd}}[[Double bass|acoustic bass]] on "Spanish Caravan"

'''Technical'''
* [[Paul A. Rothchild]]{{snd}}[[Record producer|production]]
* [[Bruce Botnick]]{{snd}}[[Audio engineer|engineering]]
* [[William S. Harvey]]{{snd}}art direction and design
* [[Paul Ferrara]]{{snd}}front cover photograph
* Guy Webster{{snd}}back cover photography

== Charts ==
'''Album'''
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!scope="col"| Chart (1968–69)
!scope="col"| Peak
|-
|{{album chart|Canada|3|artist=The Doors|album=Waiting for the Sun|chartid=5809|access-date=June 21, 2016}}
|-
|Finnish Albums ([[The Official Finnish Charts|''Soumen Virallinen'']])<ref>{{cite book |last=Nyman |first=Jake |title=Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja |publisher=Tammi |year=2005 |isbn=951-31-2503-3 |edition=1st |location=Helsinki |page=127|language=fi}}</ref>
|style="text-align:center;"|8
|-
|{{album chart|UK|16|artist=Doors|album=Waiting for the Sun|access-date=June 21, 2016}}
|-
|{{album chart|Billboard200|1|artist=The Doors|album=Waiting for the Sun|refname=uschart|access-date=June 21, 2016}}
|}

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!scope="col"| Chart (2018)
!scope="col"| Peak
|-
|{{album chart|Germany4|20|artist=The Doors|album=Waiting for the Sun|id=48409|year=1968||access-date=June 21, 2016}}
|}

'''Singles'''
{| class="wikitable"
! scope="col"| Year
! scope="col"| Single<br /><small>(A-side / B-side)</small>
! scope="col"| Chart
! scope="col"| Peak
|-
| 1968
| scope="row"| "[[The Unknown Soldier (song)|The Unknown Soldier]]" / "We Could Be So Good Together"
| [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]
| 39{{r|uschart}}
|-
| 1968
| scope="row"| "[[Hello, I Love You]]" / "[[Love Street]]"
| Hot 100
| 1{{r|uschart}}
|}

== Certifications ==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for ''Waiting for the Sun''}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=The Doors|title=Waiting for the Sun|type=album|award=Platinum|relyear=1971}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|artist=Doors|title=Waiting for the Sun|type=album|award=Gold|number=2|relyear=1967|certyear=1993|source=infodisc}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=The Doors|title=Waiting for the Sun|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1971}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Doors|title=Waiting for the Sun|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1976|certyear=1991|id=8031-616-2}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=The Doors|title=Waiting for the Sun|type=album|award=Platinum|relyear=1971}}
{{Certification Table Bottom}}

==See also==
* [[Outline of the Doors]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite AV media notes |first=Bruce |last=Botnick |author-link=Bruce Botnick |year=2007 |title=Waiting for the Sun |section=Introduction by original Doors engineer-producer |type=CD booklet |publisher=[[Rhino Records]] }}
* {{cite encyclopedia |first1=Nathan |last1=Brackett |author-link1=Nathan Brackett |first2=Christian |last2=Hoard |author-link2=Christian Hoard |encyclopedia=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |chapter=The Doors |date=January 2008 |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] 
|isbn=978-1439109397 }}
* {{cite book |first=John |last=Densmore |author-link=John Densmore |title=Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison and the Doors |publisher=Delta |year=1991
|location=New York |isbn=978-0385304474 }}
* {{cite book |first=Gillian G. |last=Gaar |title=The Doors: The Illustrated History |date=July 8, 2015 |publisher=[[Voyageur Press]] |isbn=978-0760346907 }}
* {{cite book |first=Heinz |last=Gerstenmeyer |title=The Doors – Sounds for Your Soul – Die Musik Der Doors |year=2001 |publisher=BoD – Books on Demand |isbn=978-3-8311-2057-4 |language=de }}
* {{cite book |last=Gilmore |first=Mikal |author-link=Mikal Gilmore |title=Stories Done: Writings on the 1960s and Its Discontents |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwNFJqGbpRwC |publisher=Free Press |location=New York |year=2008 |isbn= 978-0743287456 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Hopkins |first1=Jerry |author-link1=Jerry Hopkins (author) |last2=Sugerman |first2=Danny |author-link2=Danny Sugerman |year=1980 |title=[[No One Here Gets Out Alive]] |publisher=Grand Central |isbn=978-0-446-69733-0 }}
* {{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Classic Rock |last1=Luhrssen |first1=David |last2=Larson |first2=Michael |date=2017 |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |isbn=978-1440835148 }}
* {{cite book |title=Story Behind the Protest Song: A Reference Guide to the 50 Songs that Changed the 20th Century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cZRxDwAAQBAJ |first=Hardeep |last=Phull |year=2008 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0313341410 }}
* {{cite book |title=Icons of Rock |last1=Schinder |first1=S. |last2=Schwartz |first2=A. |year=2008 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0313338465 }}
* {{cite book |first=Steve |last=Taylor |year=2006 |title=The A to X of Alternative Music |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] |isbn=978-0826473967 }}
* {{cite book |first=Melissa Ursula Dawn |last=Goldsmith |year=2019 |title=Listen to Classic Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1440865787 }}
* {{cite book |last=Manzarek |first=Ray |author-link=Ray Manzarek |title=Light My Fire: My Life With the Doors |title-link=Light My Fire (book) |publisher=Putnam |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-399-14399-1 |location=New York }}
* {{cite book |first=Mick |last=Wall |author-link=Mick Wall |title=Love Becomes a Funeral Pyre |date=October 30, 2014 |publisher=[[Hachette Books]] |location=UK |isbn=978-1409151258 }}
* {{cite book |last=Weidman |first=Richie |year=2011 |title=The Doors FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Kings of Acid Rock |publisher=[[Backbeat Books]] |isbn=978-0-446-69733-0 }}
* {{cite book |last=Moskowitz |first=David |title=The 100 Greatest Bands of All Time: A Guide to the Legends Who Rocked the World |publisher=Greenwood |location=Santa Barbara, California |year=2015 |isbn=978-1440803390 }}

== External links ==
* {{Discogs master|45365}}

{{The Doors}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1968 albums]]
[[Category:Elektra Records albums]]
[[Category:The Doors albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Paul A. Rothchild]]
[[Category:Asylum Records albums]]