Waiting for the Sun

Recording began in late 1967 at Sunset Sound and moved to TTG Studios in Hollywood, where most of the album was made. The band had used up most of Morrison's songbook on the first two records, and Densmore called the shortage of material third album syndrome. They tried to record a long suite, Celebration of the Lizard, for the second side. It was shelved, only the Not to Touch the Earth section made the album, and the full lyrics were printed inside the gatefold. Each song needed at least 20 takes, and The Unknown Soldier, recorded in two parts, took 130. Hello, I Love You was one of the songs from the 1965 demo, and Krieger said its feel came from Cream's Sunshine of Your Love.

The album topped the Billboard 200 for four weeks and reached 16 in Britain, their first hit album there. The Unknown Soldier, the first single, peaked at 39. Many critics at the time found the record pretentious and over-arranged.