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Deep Purple

They All Came Down To Montreux – Live at Montreux 2006 DVD

Review by Gary Hill

When it comes time to figure out a list of the best videos of the year, this one will be very close to the top. While I enjoyed the DVD of Purple’s earlier Montreux appearances, this one is heads above that one. In fact, this might be the quintessential live recording of the Steve Morse incarnation of the band.

With a set that combines both classic Purple cuts like “Pictures of Home,” “Space Truckin’” and “Highway Star” with more recent numbers including several from their Rapture of the Deep disc, the show is the best of both worlds. For my money, I could have lived without “Smoke on the Water,” but to expect DP to do a show without that one is naïve. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I dislike the song, but my god, it’s been played to death. I’m sure it’s the band’s least favorite part of the set, feeling like drudgery. In any event, the show is a killer rocking extravaganza and all members of the band (Don Airey, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice and Steve Morse) put in strong showings. The videography and sound quality are also excellent. If they had stopped there this would have been a great DVD, but they weren’t content with that.

DP showed their desire to give the fans the goods but also including video of a recent London Hard Rock Café, show. This means that it is a bonus, and therefore the bar is lowered a little in terms of expectations. The thing is, that show is also a classic that is well recorded, too. So, it’s a win-win scenario. By the way, those of you out there who got the extended CD of Rapture of the Deep have heard a few of these performances as they were included (audio only, of course) as bonus tracks on that release.

So, the bottom line? This DVD is a great one that should be a “must have” addition to any Deep Purple fan’s collection. Before I saw this one I was all over the other Montreux set. While I still like that one a lot, I’m sure I’ll find myself watching this one even more often. Nice job, guys!

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2007 Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.
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