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  Directed by
  Starring
  Specs
  • Full Frame
  • Dual Layer ( 74:31)
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • English: DTS 5.1 Surround
  • English: Dolby Digital Stereo
  Subtitles
  • None
  Extras
  • Animated menus
  • Behind the scenes footage
  • 5 Interviews
Deep Purple - Perihelion
Warner Vision/Warner Vision . R4 . COLOR . 102 mins . E . PAL

  Feature
Contract

Deep Purple formed in 1968, and were one of a number of bands who changed the face of hard rock music. The band is still together (though there have been a couple of personnel changes in the last 30 years), and Deep Purple – Perihelion is their latest DVD release. Unfortunately they don’t play any songs from their outstanding Abandon album. Their most famous song is, of course, Smoke on the Water, one of the most recognisable songs from the 1970s. They give a sterling performance of this and many more of their famous tracks on Perihelion, so without further ado here is the track list:

Woman From Tokyo
Ted the Mechanic
Mary Long
Lazy
No One Came
Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming
Fools
Perfect Strangers
Hey Cisco
When a Blind Man Cries
Smoke on the Water
Speed King
Hush
Highway Star

This live performance was recorded at the Sunrise Theatre in Florida on June 5, 2001. The stadium looks to have been packed from the shots of the crowd. There were a few songs that were cropped from the live performance, along with a few other minor things (such as the intro to Smoke on the Water). This was Jon Lord’s final live performance with the band. There is plenty of improvisation on many of the tracks, and most of it is fantastic.

There are a few small annoyances that detract slightly from the performance. The first is that no shot seems to last for more than five seconds. It would be nice if the editor allowed a little bit of sustained viewing of some of the band members doing their thing. Only a small quibble, but it gets a little annoying. Secondly, there seem to be a few too many shots of the audience… particularly when the band is in the middle of a song. Oh, and one more thing; there are no details on the cover about when and where the concert was held. You have to dig that information up for yourself which seems a little odd.

  Video
  Audio
  Extras
Contract

It is hard to pick a fault with the transfer. Both the video and audio are impressive; quality wise this is definitely one of the better music DVDs on the market at the moment.

The image is nice and sharp for the most part. It is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (full frame). It is a little bit of a shame it is not in widescreen. There aren’t any obvious visual blemishes, with everything looking nice and sharp. The detail is good in general, and shadow detail is fine.

The English DTS 5.1 surround track is quite stunning. The subwoofer is used very aggressively throughout the whole performance with good results. The surround use is very nicely presented; channel separation is spot on. There are two other audio options: English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Dolby Digital 2.0. If you have the capabilities to play the DTS track, that is the one you should go for. If you can only play Dolby, you won’t miss out on much though as the 5.1 is almost as good as the DTS.

There are a few extras available on the disc; the first is a behind the scenes look at the fans queuing up to enter the theatre, the backstage work done by the roadies and sound guys, and the band preparing for their performance. Secondly, there are five interviews with the members of the group which cover various topics concerning the group. All the extras are presented in full frame.

The disc is single sided and dual layered. The layer change occurs at 74:31, and is placed just before the band launches into Speed King. There are no subtitles recorded.

Overall the Total Abandon release is still probably the best Deep Purple DVD on the market, but Perihelion deffinately gives it a run for its money. Certainly worth a look if you are a fan.


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  •   And I quote...
    "They may be getting on in years, but the Deep Purple crew can still put on one mean show."
    - Robert Mack
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Sony DVP-NS300
    • TV:
          Sony 68cm
    • Receiver:
          Sony STR-DE475
    • Speakers:
          Sony
    • Centre Speaker:
          Sony
    • Surrounds:
          Sony
    • Subwoofer:
          Sony Active Superwoofer
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard RCA
    • Video Cables:
          standard s-video
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