DEEP PURPLE WITH ORCHESTRA : LIVE IN VERONA

  1. Overture
  2. Highway Star
  3. Hard Lovin' Man
  4. Maybe I'm A Leo
  5. Strange Kind Of Woman
  6. Rapture Of The Deep
  7. Woman From Tokyo
  8. Contact Lost
  9. When A Blind Man Cries
  10. The Well Dressed Guitar
  11. Knocking At Your Back Door
  12. Lazy
  13. No One Came
  14. Don Airey Solo
  15. Perfect Strangers
  16. Space Truckin'
  17. Smoke On The Water
  18. Hush
  19. Black Night

Label : Eagle Vision

Venue : Arena Di Verona, Verona, Italy

Recording Date : July 18, 2011

Release Date : October 21, 2014

NTSC : 16:9

Length : 115 minutes

Review (Ultimate Classic Rock) : First things first, the music of Deep Purple is often full of drama and heartily lends itself to this setting. Second, the band are never outshined by the orchestral surroundings as their rock and roll remains front and center. Third, and most importantly, these guys still rock out. After a brief orchestral intro, things kick in with a rousing 'Highway Star.' All these years on, and singer Ian Gillan is still able to deliver. Though not the full-on force of nature he was 40 years ago, he is powerful throughout the entire performance. Highlights are plenty: 'Hard Lovin' Man,' 'Maybe I'm a Leo' and 'Strange Kind of Woman' are all done justice here. Though the presence of keyboard legend Jon Lord is missed, replacement Don Airey holds down the fort with respect. Meanwhile, this performance shines a bright light on the attributes of Steve Morse on guitar. He has certainly settled into his role in the band since joining in 1994. The orchestral backing here is never a distraction, and on certain songs ('Rapture of the Deep' and, surprisingly, 'Woman from Tokyo') it adds an unexpected dimension. That being said, and to be perfectly honest, they don't need any added power, especially with the main man, Ian Paice behind the drum kit. He and bassist Roger Glover still combine to make one of the finest rhythm sections ever to wander onto a rock stage. Songs from various points in the band's nearly 50-year career are touched upon. 'Space Truckin,' 'Perfect Strangers,' and of course, 'Smoke on the Water' are all rolled out here. 'Smoke' in particular benefits from the added orchestral setting. Encores of two of the band's early classics, 'Hush,' and 'Black Night' wrap things up. The DVD captures the band in fine form, seemingly right at home in these surroundings. The video as well as sound mix are both first-rate, and while it's ultimately a sidebar story for the band, the use of orchestra is tastefully done, and not overblown. In short, thumbs up all around. Fans will dig it for sure.

Review (Classic Rock Revisited) : Sometimes a DVD/Blu-Ray is nothing more than the kinda-sorta way a classic rock band chooses to release a live album. Other times, the concert visual adds so much to the experience that a DVD is the ONLY way it should be released. Deep Purple, no (perfect) stranger to either the live album or an orchestral performance, simply tore it up on Live in Verona. As good as the audio is, the visual aspect of the band, the orchestra and the amazing venue- the Arean di Verona, built in 30 AD in Rome- take this release over the top. Okay, for all you superficial glamour-type Botox-generation mean people out there I will say this: the band does look a tad-bit older than you may remember. There... we have said it, now get over it. Too many times people are worried about the fact that their idols are getting older... and yet... they do not realize that sometimes, they also get better. Deep Purple is a seasoned / strong band, musically, and they are not letting the fact they have existed as a group on this earth for several decades slow them down... -well not too much, anyway. ( I am pretty sure they drink tea instead of 'shots'.) The concert features fine performances from all. Ian Gillan still has a set of pipes, but he is smart and is not throwing his voice out during the first rocking song "in "Highway Star"." Some of the vocal hysterics are taken down a notch, but when he sings "Maybe I''m A Leo," "Woman From Tokyo" and "Perfect Strangers"" one can only smile and sing along. Roger Glover and Ian Paice are such a tight rhythm section that they snap and pop, bounce and sway the grooves in each song, making it easy for the audience to get into the same pocket the band is in. The orchestra does a fine job of adding to the show and not turning it into a classical concert with a old-guy rock band in tow. The orchestra knows how to stay out of the way, but when they can add something, they add it in a big way (insert large cymbal crash here...). The two musical heroes of the evening are guitarist Steve Morse and keyboardist Don Airey, who may be the best two replacement players of all-time. They have replaced two icons in rock music, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore who wants to hang with his hot wife and play a lute, and the late Jon Lord. It seems amazing to say, but with Morse and Airey on-board, the other guys are not sonically missed too much. Well, maybe they are missed to the point that if the planet could revolve backward and make it so those two could join in on the fun, then it would be a great thing. But sadly, Lord is gone and Blackmore is wearing tights, .so this is what we have to work with. Suffice it say that, although Blackmore wrote some ingenious riffs, Morse does an impeccable job and Airey is no slouch; let''s just leave it there. At the end of the day, Deep Purple is an iconic rock band that influenced the world. They are still alive and well and finding exciting ways to both create new music and perform their classic tunes in fresh ways. There may be some smoke on the water, but this band is not just blowing smoke... they are the real deal.

Review (No Echo) : Filmed in 2011 at Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheatre originally built in 30 AD, Live in Verona finds Deep Purple delivering some of their most beloved songs with a full orchestra in tow. Lead by conductor Stephen Bentley-Klein, the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt add majestic flair such Purple classics as "Strange Kind of Woman," "Knocking At Your Back Door," and "Perfect Strangers," but they never get in the way of the charm of the original source material. It's not suprising the British heavy metal elderstatesmen pull of the orchestral-rock thing. In 1969, Purple released Concerto for Group and Orchestra, the first-ever combination of a rock band performing alongside a complete orchestra. For those of you who haven't kept up with Purple's personnel changes throughout the years, Live in Verona features the current lineup Ian Gillan (vocals), Roger Glover (bass), Ian Paice (drums), Steve Morse (guitar), and Don Airey (keyboards). Gillan especially impresses here, hitting the higher notes of his repertoire with the kind of power usually expected from a singer half his age. Airey also does a fine job during the performance, accompanying the orchestra with tasteful keyboard runs throughout. My only real complaint is the exclusion of "Child in Time" in the setlist. I think that song would have lent itself beautifully to the orchestral setting. The Blu-ray version of Live in Verona is visually stunning, and thanks to engineer David Richards and mixers Eike Freese and Alexander Dietz, sounds like a million bucks. For those of you still damaged from Metallica's disappointing S&M live concert, don't worry, Purple are pros at this sort of thing.