Bright Midnight: Live in America (Limited Edition)

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Decades after Jim Morrison's death effectively ended the Doors' career as an active band, the surviving members' legal efforts to wrest control of their legacy from others yielded some pleasant surprises. Found during the effort were a dozen or so professionally recorded concerts from late in the band's career--recordings they began to self-distribute online through their own Bright Midnight label. This 13-track from-the-vaults anthology effectively culls together a new Doors live album that chronicles some edgy moments from 1969 and '70. With singer-provocateur Jim Morrison ever the focus, the band has bravely eschewed sonic revisionism in favor of a largely unvarnished historical snapshot. Kicking off with an 11-minute-plus take of their signature "Light My Fire," the band quickly shows that its jam-ethos was more about emotionally charged musical consciousness expansion than about showcasing their licks to a perfect groove. Morrison leads the charge throughout, whether playfully crooning during a 1969 Hollywood Aquarius Theater take of "Touch Me," carousing through "Been Down So Long" and "Roadhouse Blues" in bluesy/boozy 1969 shows in Detroit and Boston, respectively, or playing the role of mad shaman poet to the max in a rare, 16-plus-minute live invocation of "The End." --Jerry McCulley

Album Description
'Bright Midnight - Live In America' is a limited edition release features 14 live performances recorded at various cities between 1969-1970. Includes one of three live versions ever recorded of 'The End', with Jim's improvisation of some free-form poetry. Bright Midnight/Rhino Records.

Tracks:

Light My Fire [Philadelphia]
Been Down So Long [Detroit]
Back Door Man [Pittsburgh]
Love Hides [Pittsburgh]
Five to One [Pittsburgh]
Touch Me [Hollywood]
Crystal Ship [Hollywood]
Break on Through (To the Other Side) [New York]
Bellowing [Boston]
Roadhouse Blues [Boston]
Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) [New York]
Love Me Two Times/Baby Please Don't Go/St. James Infirmary [Bakersfield
End [Detroit]

Album Description

Exclusive version of this title which is now deleted domestically. This 13 track CD is a sampler of the current 'Internet Only' releases from the 'Bright Midnight' label. All 13 tracks were recorded live at various venues across the USA & are previously unreleased. Collector's take note, the import edition carries a completely different sleeve (and much cooler) to the US internet edition! Warner. 2001.

Customer Reviews:

pretty great.......2006-10-25

No, Jim is generally not as "hungry" or as vocally flexible range-wise here as in the first couple years of the Doors' existence, perhaps (check out the Soundstage DVD for sheer perfection). But to dismiss these performances as drunken poetry recitals is just plain false--but then, similar criticisms were launched even in 1968 by those who had a set notion of what goods the Lizard King should be expected to deliver. Not only is the sound quality superb, but to these ears there's plenty of energy and magic. I mean, how much more inspired of a performance of "Been Down So Long" could you want from Jim? Or how much more beautifully sung a "Crystal Ship?" "The End" also--though the beginning lines are less than ideal with the band & Jim getting out of synch, some serious mojo is stirred up in the middle, with Jim in a deep poetic space. No, you don't get "the killer awoke before dawn;" why should Jim have to always visit that particular room (fans were singing along to those lines by 1968, for crying out loud) when he had so many others to choose from. The beauty is that, like the Grateful Dead exploring Dark Star, Jim is free to wander wherever he wants each time out so that each is unique & special, for both audience, and just as importantly, for him & the band.
"Touch Me" is a big treat, with Robbie jamming instead of a saxophone--nice to hear this with just the band filling all the space. Really like the "St. James Infirmary" back into "Love Me Two Times," too.
Perhaps this isn't the hottest Doors ever played, but it's pretty damned great--I know I'd have counted myself lucky to have attended one of these shows. And I'm very happy to have this document as consolation.

Past Their Prime.......2005-12-14

Its too bad because there are great live recordings out there (HELLO, will someone officially release the 1967 Matrix Club appearences) but this ain't it. The reason is not the sound quality (which is excellent) or the song choices (wisely focusing on earlier more solid albums) but the performances. By this time Jim Morrison had turned into a bloated, Charles Bukowski-ish parody of his former self. The songs meander and jam unwisely and Morrison mutters some lyrics here and there. This is not to say that the Doors were not good live (consider the official 1968 Roundhouse performance dvd- a solid concert right there) but that due to personal reasons as well as the band kind of running out of steam the live shows had declined into an impromptu poetry recital with musical back up. There is quality material out there. Wait until they release it.

Excellent Live Album.......2005-10-10

I picked this album up several years ago while in Spain, and was blown away. Simply a great collection of live performances by the Doors. Being a big fan, but far too young to have seen them live, I have to settle for tidbits like this to get a taste for their live performances. The variety of different venues is nice as well, and I believe it is certainly a pick of the best live performances. I highly recommend this collection for any Doors fan, especially if you're not quite ready to put out big bucks for the more expensive Bright Midnight Label releases.

BOOOO!!!!.......2005-06-19

this cd not only had horrible quality
but jim morrison is so drunk he cannot even stay in key
this is a waste of time and money
do not buy this

Pretty Neat , Pretty Neat, Pretty Good, Awright.......2001-09-14

These new releases from Bright Midnight Records are very exciting. The Doors recorded numerous concerts during their career and now, with the authority and supervision of the remaining Doors, these concerts are now being released. This particular CD is a sampler of some eight shows throughout 1969-1970. The performances rate from amazing (Touch Me from the Aquarius Theater, 1969) to unusual (Love Me Two Times w/Baby, Please Don't Go/St. James Infirmary medley from Boston, MA 1970). When these guys were on, they were an unbelievable performers. For the most part, the three remaining Doors were always on. The question was Jim. Did he want to put on a great show, or did he want to just have himself a good time. When he wanted to do a great a show, it was just that. These releases are a treasure trove of music just waiting to be enjoyed by true Doors fans. This particular CD gets 4 stars due to the fact that it is a sampler and therefore the lack of continuity detracts from the CD as you get various songs from various shows. However the full concerts recordings are impeccable. It is as if you are there from start to finish. You should seek out the new CD entitled "The Doors at the Aquarius Theater, Second Performance" This is the second show from their 1969 performance which was partially released in 1983 on the Alive, She Cried album. If you recall, the track, "Gloria" this was a rehearsal that was recorded in the venue prior to that evening's performance. Great Stuff and you should check it out. Let's Roll!

Bright Midnight: Live in America (Limited Edition)

Average customer rating:

Three Stars For John, Ray, & Robby
"let me tell you about heartache and the loss of god..."
Great music, but another shameless Doors release
hard-core or moderate fan?
not morrison at his best, but entertaining

Bright Midnight: Live in America (Limited Edition)
The Doors , and Doors
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Live in Detroit (Cobo Hall, 05/08/1970)
Live in Philadelphia
Live at the Aquarius Theatre: The Second Performance
In Concert
Backstage and Dangerous: The Private Rehearsal

ASIN: B00005Y1Y3
Release Date: 2002-02-19

Tracks:

Light My Fire
Been Down So Long
Back Door Man
Love Hides
Five To One
Touch Me
The Crystal Ship
Break On Through (To The Other Side)
Bellowing
Roadhouse Blues
Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)
Love Me Two Times/Baby Please Don't Go
St. James Infirmary
The End

Amazon.com

Decades after Jim Morrison's death effectively ended the Doors' career as an active band, the surviving members' legal efforts to wrest control of their legacy from others yielded some pleasant surprises. Found during the effort were a dozen or so professionally recorded concerts from late in the band's career--recordings they began to self-distribute online through their own Bright Midnight label. This 13-track from-the-vaults anthology effectively culls together a new Doors live album that chronicles some edgy moments from 1969 and '70. With singer-provocateur Jim Morrison ever the focus, the band has bravely eschewed sonic revisionism in favor of a largely unvarnished historical snapshot. Kicking off with an 11-minute-plus take of their signature "Light My Fire," the band quickly shows that its jam-ethos was more about emotionally charged musical consciousness expansion than about showcasing their licks to a perfect groove. Morrison leads the charge throughout, whether playfully crooning during a 1969 Hollywood Aquarius Theater take of "Touch Me," carousing through "Been Down So Long" and "Roadhouse Blues" in bluesy/boozy 1969 shows in Detroit and Boston, respectively, or playing the role of mad shaman poet to the max in a rare, 16-plus-minute live invocation of "The End." --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

'Bright Midnight - Live In America' is a limited edition release features 14 live performances recorded at various cities between 1969-1970. Includes one of three live versions ever recorded of 'The End', with Jim's improvisation of some free-form poetry. Bright Midnight/Rhino Records.

Customer Reviews:

Three Stars For John, Ray, & Robby.......2004-12-28

Here I will insert my detailed review of this album which is taken from the comments section over at MarkPrindle.com
I can be reached at cddude24@yahoo.com for any questions or comments.
----------------------
I'll start this off by saying that I'm a huge fan of The Doors. I have all six of their albums with Jimbo, Other Voices, Full Circle, In Concert, I've heard their box set, and I attended one of their concerts this year under the name "The Doors Of The 21st Century." It was with a live bassist and drummer that was actually better then John Densmore, singing for them was Ian Astbury, {yeah the 80s Cult singer who belted out 'Fire Woman,' to Mtv,} who was absolutely astonishing. Whether you actively despise the Cult or not...this man could sing those songs margins BETTER than the untrained Morrison and the soul and the energy that night was unbelievable. You can purchase Doors Of The 21st Century live albums at http://www.disclive.com ...it'll blow your mind. And you're wallet if you're not careful.

Anyway, Live In America to me is another document of Mr. Manzarek, Mr. Krieger, and Johnny "Appleseed" Densmore being in their signature psychedelic trance that made everything the Doors ever did so enjoyable, {it's as Ray once said, "people say this is Jim's music. It's not. Jim never made music, he wrote words,"} with an often unenthusiastic [and uninspired] Morrison on top. His commentary is often philosophically brilliant however, as stated, moments like "Bellowing," are god-awful and it often doesn't get a whole lot better. Always interesting but now in the 21st century when the Doors have an extensive catalogue of official material, bootlegs [of better quality], and a touring band that features the key original members, songs, and a singer who is alive and can really keep up, Live In America I find is merely inferior.

--- Jon Blanton 2004 (C) cddude24@yahoo.com

"let me tell you about heartache and the loss of god...".......2004-03-03

Jim, Ray, John and Robbie roll, explore and climax on this recording. Excellent mood setter...sensous delivery...highly recommended if you're a Door's fan and love "this is the best trip; the part I really like," while understanding the jazz tonality and blues traditions as seamless aparitions that ensconced and nurtured this band to its height. Awesome delivery...and emplifies the lyrics: "take a journey to the bright midnight." Get it if you get off to this band.

Great music, but another shameless Doors release.......2003-03-30

Think about it. Who's going to buy this? Thank God it's limited--at least they admit they'll try to get a quick buck and run. If you're really into rare live Doors material, chances are you'll go out and get the full double-disc sets from Bright Midnight that this single disc is culled from.

BUT, of course, this disc has tracks appearing nowhere else. So now you can kindly pay the Doors once again for material you already have (if you get the other sets.)

The Doors will pretty much never miss a chance to sell you something you already have. I love this band, but the treatment of the live and recorded output by both band and record company has been shameless. At least they got Bright Midnight going. (After claiming that the tapes they're releasing now didn't exist.) But hey, they already got fans to buy a box set that had yet another greatest hits in it as well as another box set of studio albums remastered yet again...and didn't even both releasing the non-Morrison Doors albums.

If you can find this used somehow, get it to hear the stuff that hasn't been released on other Bright Midnight discs. Otherwise, go and get the full shows. The Doors are rich enough already.

hard-core or moderate fan?.......2002-12-07

I'm a hard-core fan so i didn't spent my money on this cd, i bought the two complete concerts and the rehearsal. 3 double cds that contains all that's on this one and much more. Of course, if you're just a moderate fan, this is a great deal but for a hard-core fans who wants everything and more, buy the complete concerts direct from bright midnight records, otherwise, you would be greatly disppointed to find out that there are complete concerts available and that you just buy some excerpts of the concerts. A hard-core fans buys anything, to be one of them, you must have at least 10 bootlegs like i do.

not morrison at his best, but entertaining.......2002-08-17

first of all, im sure all the doors (and sugerman) made a whole lotta money off this cd, and the so called "stoned immaculate:tribute album" which im sure morrison would have hated. and the reason is that ANYTHING by the doors will sell because so little has been released--including some of their best performances. why is this? because the other three doors are sitting on them, waiting for the legend to grow so they can finally release them at the highest price possible. maybe they should have done it when that horrible movie came out and people were doors crazed for awhile. one show from 67 in CT (at a high school, believe it or not) is, along with the roundhouse, the best recorded show from the doors i've heard. (you can get it on bootleg, and you should. jim would never have wanted his art commodified like this, and i think the doors know that--but alas, the money machine's growth may be more to them after all these years than the wishes of the man who made the band and got them successful.

i did buy this album, and was pretty disappointed. there are some cool moments("why shouldn't i feel goooood") ,but this seems to have been after morrison lost the fire.

Tracks:

Light My Fire [Philadelphia]
Been Down So Long [Detroit]
Back Door Man [Pittsburgh]
Love Hides [Pittsburgh]
Five to One [Pittsburgh]
Touch Me [Hollywood]
Crystal Ship [Hollywood]
Break on Through (To the Other Side) [New York]
Bellowing [Boston]
Roadhouse Blues [Boston]
Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) [New York]
Love Me Two Times/Baby Please Don't Go/St. James Infirmary [Bakersfield
End [Detroit]

Amazon.com

Album Details

15 Tracks Recorded at Eight Concerts During 1969-70 and Includes Unheard Performances. Features Versions of 'light My Fire,' 'touch Me,' 'break on Through,' 'roadhouse Blues,' 'love Me Two Times/Baby Please Don't Go' and 'the End.'

Average customer rating:

Bright Midnight Live in America
Doors
Manufacturer: Msi Music Corp
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0002B6XL2
Release Date: 2002-07-23

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