Deep Purple - Perihelion (2002)



Video: NTSC, MPEG-2 at 4 902 Kbps, 720 x 480 at 29.970 fps | Audio: AC-3 6ch. at 448 Kbps, AC-3 2ch. at 224 Kbps, DTS 6ch. at 1 510 Kbps
Genre: Rock | Label: BMG | Copy: Untouched | Release Date: 28 July 2003 | Runtime: 102 min. | 6,73 GB (DVD9)

Smoke on the Water. How many of you have heard that song over the years? How many of
you have sung it, or played it on your guitar, real or air? Smoke on the
Water has gone into the annals of Rock as one of its signature songs,
historically intact for all time. The creators of that song, and many
more memorable ones, were Deep Purple. In their long and varied career
as a defining rock band, typifying the 70s as the hotbed of maturing
Rock n Roll music, Deep Purple has produced some of Rock's most enduring
moments. As a youngster, I lived on a steady stream of DP's Machine
Head, Live in Japan and Who Do We Think We Are?, with Smoke on the
Water, Highway Star and Woman from Tokyo as the premier songs from those
sets. DP went on, with many changes in their lineup (including the late
guitar genius, Tommy Bolin), to create more wondrous music. Even David
Coverdale and Joe Satriani had a stint with the band.
However, the Mark II lineup was Ritchie Blackmore (who eventually left
to form and have success with Blackmore's Rainbow) as guitarist, Roger
Glover as thunderous bass player, Jon Lord as signature keyboardist, Ian
Paice's stylish drumming and the distinctive voice of Ian Gillam. We
could turn this into a college course with the lineup changes that
occurred after this, spanning as many as nine, maybe ten changes. But we
came here to discuss the DVD release of Deep Purple: Perihelion.
Perihelion, which means the point in the path of a planet's orbit when
it is nearest to the sun, may be a most accurate description of this
attempt by Deep Purple to recapture the former glory of their stardom.
The unfortunate thing here is that it looks as if Deep Purple's planet
may be spinning dangerously out of control and is in the path of
collision with the sun. Blasphemy? Maybe. But I don't think so. Let me
explain. Delicately.
I've been to a few retro concerts in my day, and I believe that more
than a lot of you will agree with me on this. Sometimes... the band
should have just stayed at home and thought of other avenues to augment
those royalty checks. Now don't get me wrong. As I've said before, I
love Deep Purple. Among the first CDs I bought for my collection were
Machine Head and Live in Japan, and they're still staples of any CD
library. But when you have a visibly aged Rock band, with the pounds
heavier front man (in this case, Ian Gillam) dressed in red leather
pants and an armless vest, sporting grayed hair and with his dynamic
vocal range noticeably diminished, it gets sad real fast.
But he's not the only problem. Roger Glover takes on a biker-like
persona to reduce his aged appearance, while Jon Lord looks like a
hipped-up granddaddy. Thankfully, Ian Paice is somewhat hidden behind
his drum kit, even though you're afforded a frightful glance now and
again. DP attempts to infuse this lineup with the guitar prowess and
somewhat more youthful looks of journeyman Steve Morse, who used to play
for the wondrous Dixie Dregs and who has appeared on numerous albums.
But this makes for a stark contrast to the much older, sonically softer
rest of the band.
Yes, DP has a decidedly softer sound. Gone are the hard edges of most of
Deep Purple's material, as defined by their earlier live works. This is
a disappointing aspect, at least for me. The coruscated aspects of DP
that I grew up on have been dieted down to a mere shadow of their past
accomplishments, musically and visually. To make up for this, DP resorts
to bouts of Rock and Jazz fusion to fill in the seeming lack of ability
(old age?) and to blow out the stacks. I actually had to visit a few
Deep Purple fan sites to replace the image that this disc implanted in
my mind. It amazed me that the band that I adored, who used to look so
cool, now look like grandpas struggling to get back to that misplaced
coolness. Then, when Ian Gillam comes out in a conservative set of
Dockers and button-down shirt for Speed King, Hush and Highway Star...
well, I'm done!
The songs, many from the long ago recordings and a few from more recent
offerings, are presented with embarrassing results, more or less. As I
have said before, Gillam's vocal range has degenerated. It's more
painful for me to watch him attempt those highs than it is for him to
sing them. 14 songs, 102 minutes, and a less than serviceable concert
gives you a stunted trip back to the great years of Rock, DP style. An
irony here - the core of the band was present for much of DP's tenure
and lineup changes, but many of those songs outside of the Gillam years
are absent. Even though the Gillam years are rich with extraordinary
material, a sampling of the rest would have been a nicer touch. At least
they look as if they're having loads of fun. But Blackmore was right to
stay away.
The disc, visually, is good. The colors appear washed out at times and
the blacks are not true blacks. To be fair, the stage lights could
produce this effect, so this will not impair your enjoyment of the show.
The disc offers DTS 5.1, Dolby 5.1 and Dolby Stereo mixes that all
sound great. The soundstage development is standard here, with the
surround channels giving mostly audience sounds. The disc is presented
in full frame video. And the rest of the DVD features a short, 13-minute
"behind the scenes" piece (filmed using a camcorder), that shows the
concert from audience lineup to sound checks to stage appearance. An
amusing scene has Jon Lord mixing a cup of coffee... a FAR cry from the
excesses of the past. Also included is a very interesting interview with
the band members, that provide not only insights to DP, but also decent
advice to would-be musicians. This ended up being my favorite element
of the DVD.
If you're a moderate Deep Purple fan, I'd steer away from this
reality-check showcase of what happens to unfulfilled, 'out to pasture'
Rock stars. If you're not aware of DP, but know the songs because you've
heard Dad play Machine Head, this disc may give you nightmares. You
might even think that you got a bad disc. This disc is ONLY for hard
core Deep Purple fans, that have followed the band all the way to this
juncture. Seriously, don't say I didn't warn you.

Artists:
- Ian Gillan: Vocals
- Roger Glover: Bass Guitar
- Jon Lord: Keyboards
- Steve Morse: Guitar
- Ian Paice: Drums

Tracklist:
01. Woman From Tokyo [7:05]
02. Ted the Mechanic [4:52]
03. Mary Long [5:53]
04. Lazy [6:58]
05. No One Came [4:33]
06. Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming [7:11]
07. Fools [9:07]
08. Perfect Strangers [8:20]
09. Hey Cisco [5:53]
10. When a Blind Man Cries [7:18]
11. Smoke on the Water [7:10]
12. Speed King [14:34]
13. Hush [3:19]
14. Highway Star [8:42]
15. End Credits [1:07]

Extra Features:
- Pavarotti
- Five People
- Changes
- The Music
- Rock 'N' Roll
- Band on the Water

Features:
- Direct Scene Access
- Interactive Menu







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