Following on from the release of 'Live In New York' as part of the 1997 'The Doors' box set, 'Bright Midnight' captures 13 highlights from their 1970 tour as a taster for full releases of some of the shows.
It also serves as a good introduction to the many facets of the band, as it includes the hits - a lengthy romp through 'Light My Fire', a brooding 'Break On Through' - as well as classic album tracks like 'Roadhouse Blues' and 'The End', and rarities like 'The Crystal Ship' and 'Touch Me'.
What is immediately striking about the recordings is the minimal nature of the band's live sound, with plenty of room for each instrument to breathe, although at times this can emphasise the limited nature of the tools at their disposal. The interplay between Ray Manzarek's keyboard and Robby Kreiger's guitar on 'Five To One' is particularly impressive.
Morrison is on typically prosaic form, prefacing 'Been Down So Long' by declaring that "We're all in the cosmic movie". Turning his attentions to the song, though, his gruff bear's howl is on impeccable form. In contrast to the power of that performance, 'The Crystal Ship' proves he could do soulful equally as well.
The climatic version of 'The End' emphasises just what it was about The Doors that made them unique - Morrison's other-worldly voice coupled with the dynamics of the three instrumentalists made for a mesmerising live spectacle and, more than thirty years on, still makes for pretty fascinating listening.
