Another vote for Detroit, and I kinda like that version of "The End". I think the Pittsburgh version of "Roadhouse Blues" is their best ever. Jim's vocal, especially his almost scat singing, is special. He just seemed so comfortable and confident in his voice. When I listen to the Bright Midnight series, I realize how much better Absolutely Live could've been.
Well, they were both excellent improvisational bands (the Doors deserve their respect in that regard). They just went about it in different ways. Agreed, though, in that they sounded vastly different. Anyway, we're getting off topic. Back to Live in Detroit.....
Pigpen could improvise blues/R&B lyrics extremely well. It may not have been poetic or pretentious like Morrison, but he was very good in his own way.
Yeah, that is a good point that I forgot to consider. The version of 'In the Midnight Hour' on Fallout From the Phil Zone being a good example (love it when he tells Bobby to go dance with the girl in the front row). That said, IMO, it's nowhere near what Morrison was capable of when he was 'on'.
I don't hear it. I have listened to a lot of Doors concert performances (both official and unofficial) over the years, and I don't hear a band that was extremely improvisational in concert in terms of stretching out the music in any complex, virtuoso manner. Just listen to When The Music's Over from Absolutely Live; it just plods along with very little musical interaction, other than recycled organ and guitar solos. Ray plays the same monotone bass notes over and over as Morrison talks. Light My Fire could go on and on, but Robby was limited in where he could take his soloing. The longer, versatile pieces such as Celebration Of The Lizard (rarely played) or Mystery Train were both rehearsed and the band did not really deviate from the extended musical sections, as great as they were. I certainly can appreciate that you like how the band stretched things out, but I have difficulty seeing how anyone can assert The Doors were better than The Grateful Dead at in-concert improvisation.
Just my opinion...I own everything the doors ever did. Not one Dead item....Never will...just my opinion. Doesn't make right, wrong, or smarter. Just me.....I liked some of the san fran period stuff....Like Quicksilver. The dead just never did anything for me. Love paul Butterfield stuff...Airplane....not sure why, the dead just never touched me.
Have to agree to disagree. The Dead were better improvising instrumentally (not debating that), but the Doors were better lyrically. Some of the 1968 versions of 'When the Musics Over' are good examples; Houston, Singer Bowl, etc. I wish I had 1966 versions of 'The End' to use as examples, where they built the song up from a 3 minute good-bye love song, to the epic it became from improvising it in concert (but, I don't). Anyway....Live in Detroit...
I consider Philadelphia the weakest and least interesting of the Bright Midnight releases. It does have decent sound quality, which seems to have been the main criteria for why it got released.
IIRC (it's been a long time since I've listened to it), it's a fairly low-key show. Not too long, not much banter from Jim, pretty straightforward. It's good but nothing special IMO.
At the time the Philadelphia show was announced as an upcoming release, fans were pretty excited about it because for some reason the general consensus was that it was supposed to be a great show. That said, after it was released, it seemed like a lot of people felt the concert was a bit underwhelming, lacking the firepower and intensity that was expected (and aggravated that the promoter intro was not intact). Still, over time, I have come to appreciate it and feel it is a bit underrated. One of the problems with the Philadelphia set-list (similar to what partially impedes Vancouver) is that it is a bit hampered by three extended tracks, which take up nearly 40 minutes of concert time, ultimately shutting out the possibility of other songs being performed. For example, the NYC Felt Forum shows had a better balance of shorter catalogue tracks and extended war-horses. Nevertheless, there are some great moments throughout the Philadelphia concert, and I find it a bit more cohesive and consistent than Detroit (despite Detroit's very strong first half).
I don't think they had that many concerts recorded in that quality from other years/tours to carry on. That particular tour was really heavily recorded for what was to become the Absolutely Live album, afaik. It is a shame that wasn't done all through their touring career, imagine how great that would be.
I think I have to revisit some of these titles soon as I haven't listened to them much lately. The NY Felt Forum-box and both Aquarius shows are probably my favorites from the series, it was nice also to get first Aquarius-show also on vinyl (which sounds really good to me). Detroit was good also aswell as Pittsburgh. Matrix was disappointment due to quality and some of the other shows were not really up to bar with the best of the series. Philadelphia was one of the shows were some people had claimed to be great one, but as the show was released it turned out to be one of the disappointments in the series. Also I feel that the series emphasis was too heavily on the later years and too much shows were released from 70's.
source: MildEquator.com Live in Detroit - Cobo Hall Venue Address: 300 Civic Center Drive - Detroit, MI Promotion: WABX Event: In Concert Also Performing: John Sebastian Blues Image Setlist: Roadhouse Blues (Vamp) Hello To The Cities (Poem) Break On Through -Dead Cats, Dead Rats Alabama Song > Back Door Man > Five To One Roadhouse Blues You Make Me Real > Ship Of Fools When The Music's Over Mystery Train -People Get Ready -Away In India -Crossroads Carol Light My Fire The Cosmic Movie (Dialogue) Been Down So Long* -Blues Jam (Instrumental) Love Hides > Manzarek's Blues* -Carol -Close To You I'm A King Bee** (Ray & Jim On Vocals) > Rock Me** -Heartbreak Hotel The End -Across The Sea -Vast Radiant Beach -Wake Up! * Featuring John Sebastian on Harmonica ** Featuring John Sebastian on Guitar Recordings / Film: Multi-track Recording (Absolutely Live) Photographers: John Collier Tom Copi Gail Guilbault (Amateur) Robert Matheu Ric Siegel Thomas Weschler Unidentified (Amateur & Professional) Reviews / Info: -8:30pm scheduled start time. -Robby Krieger wears leather pants at this show, and Jim Morrison does not. -Setlist includes the only known performance of 'Dead Cats, Dead Rats' at the start of 'Break On Through'. -John Sebastian joins The Doors onstage during the final performances. -John Sebastian plays a harmonica obtained from an audience member. -Robby Krieger plays bass guitar during the final performances. -The Doors are banned from performing at the Cobo Arena following this show. -This is The Doors 2nd and final performance in Detroit with Jim Morrison. -The Doors return to Detroit in 1971 following Jim Morrison's death. -This performance is recorded for 'Absolutely Live' on an 8-track machine in a remote truck. -Longest concert recording known to collectors.
Bright Midnight Sampler great set any one remember getting it in a CD case with no cover then getting a replacement free of charge complete with cover ? Fortelling the incompetence with which The Doors catalog has been treated ever since, though this was pre Jampol I believe
First time played in live performance of the doors.also including in absolutely live. other infos for dead cats,dead rats?
What the band planned to accomplish with BMR was different that what BMA became. Danny intended to release way more than the Absolutely Live tapes. Just look at the initial batch of releases: a vinyl rip of the late-1970's No One Here Gets Out Alive radio show; two interview discs; the rowdy Backstage & Dangerous tape (which Jampol later admitted on the band's message board he never would have approved for release); Detroit; and the Aquarius shows. Danny told fans he wanted to release the Vince Treanor tapes (Jampol subsequently allowed Vancouver to be released); LA Woman outtakes; a two disc set of studio outtakes and a download series; Rock Is Dead; the post-Morrison material (recently released via Elektra); the Fillmore tape that would require newly recorded instrumentation; Isle of Wight; other non-multitrack live tapes; etc. Danny allegedly wanted BMR to be a diversified vehicle for archival releases. Jampol merged BMR into BMA and mainstreamed it, he limited what the label would release. If the 1970 Isle of Wight show is released in 2017 (as rumored), the BMA logo may appear on the packaging, but it will be a Warner/Rhino mainstream release. BMR/BMA no longer functions in its intended capacity.
