Product Description

Few bands are more closely associated with Montreux than Deep Purple and there was simply no other contender when it came to choosing the act to headline the closing night of the 40th Montreux Festival in 2006. The band duly delivered one of their finest live performances, sprinkling songs from their latest album "Rapture Of The Deep" through a set chock full of their classic tracks. There was even a brand new song "Too Much Fun" written especially for the occasion and, of course, a show-stopping performance of "Smoke On The Water".

A companion CD with highlights from this show is being simultaneously released.

Tracklisting: Disc One - Live At Montreux 2006 : 1) Pictures Of Home 2) Things I Never Said 3) Strange Kind of Woman 4) Rapture Of The Deep 5) Wrong Man 6) The Well - Dressed Guitar 7) Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye 8) When A Blind Man Cries 9) Lazy 10) Keyboard Solo 11) Space Truckin' 12) Highway Star 13) Smoke On The Water 14) Hush 15) Too Much Fun 16) Black Night Disc Two - London Hard Rock: 1) Fireball 2) I Got Your Number 3) Strange Kind Of Woman 4) Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye 5) Rapture Of The Deep 6) Wrong Man 7) Lazy 8) Perfect Strangers 9) Highway Star 10) Smoke On The Water

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40316 in DVD
• Brand: RED DISTRIBUTION
• Released on: 2007-06-12
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Live, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 186 minutes

Amazon.com
Almost 40 years after the band's original formation, Deep Purple is in fine form in They All Came Down to Montreux. The band's history is intimately connected with the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival (which also includes rock music), so it was only fitting that DP was invited to headline the closing night of the festival's 40th anniversary on July 15, 2006. On disc 1 of this two-disc set, DP's 100-minute Montreux gig is included in its entirety, and even those who prefer the band's earlier "Mark II" lineup (which included previous keyboardist John Lord and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore) will agree that this band can still rock your socks off. By the time keyboardist Don Airey launches a playfully jazzy prologue to the band's biggest hit "Smoke on the Water" (a song inspired by a spectacular fire that occurred while the band was preparing to record Machine Head in Montreux in 1971), DP has the packed Montreux in an arm-waving state of hard-rock bliss.

While it's obvious that lead singer Ian Gillan's voice is not what it used to be (he's obviously struggling with the high notes in "Highway Star"), he still makes it through the set with his vocal cords intact, and he's got stellar support from Airey, bassist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice, and guitarist Steve Morse (the latter joined DP in 1994), all delivering the kind of ace musicianship that can only come from years of diligent touring. Morse is especially strong in this concert, while Glover and Paice achieve a flawless symmetry of rhythm. And while this is essentially a "greatest hits" gig, the performance of tracks from DP's 2005 release Rapture of the Deep suggests that this band could be going strong for years to come, if fans don't mind the occasional misstep and a stage full of aging rockers with expanding waistlines. As a bonus feature, 25 minutes of band interviews are also included. Disc 2 features an hour-long gig from London's Hard Rock Café, recorded earlier in 2006. With the exception of two tracks ("I Got Your Number" and "Fireball"), it's a shorter version of the Montreux set-list, more intimate in its club setting, but equally indicative of Deep Purple's impressive longevity. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

4.5 stars for terrific Deep Purple concert DVD
OK. It's not Deep Purple live 1972, but the band still rocks here. This DVD was filmed and recorded very well. Sound is full and fat, with nice balance between instruments. The camera crew and, later, DVD editors, knew what they were doing. When Glover has a bass solo or even a snazzy bass run, it's caught by the cameras. Same for Morse on guitar, Paice on drums, and Airey on keys/Hammond. Lots of nice closeups of the hands of Morse and Glover (musicians will rejoice!). A camera catches Paice drop a stick over the high-hat early in the set, and Paice, always the pro, quickly grabs another stick from below without missing a beat. Airey sounds good on keys. Long-time DP fans will probalby wish it was Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore in the band still, but the current DP still is a great band. Ian Gillan, who looks mysteriously more and more like actor Patrick Duffy these days, is in pretty good voice. He also has fun, moving from one side of the stage to the other, and all around. The guys look like they're having a really good time. Glover makes a few "rock guitar faces" without ever slipping into cheesy territory. Makes me want to go see them this summer in St.Louis, even though I'm broke. Ha.

The older classics are always favorites, but "Wrong Man" on this DVD rocks. It's a great version and makes me appreciate Deep Purple's recent work, too. Same for "Rapture of the Deep"'s title cut, also heard and seen in this film. Enjoy!

good release, but one thing to nitpick.
Excellent 2 DVD release, but...for whatever reason, "Perfect Strangers" is omitted from the Montreux set! The band played it, but it's not on the DVD or the companion CD release. Why this happened is a mystery to me. It's a pleasant surprise to have the London Hard Rock Cafe set included here. A few of the tracks were issued on the Rapture of the Deep Special Edition CD, but I didn't realize the show had been filmed. Well worth the buy, and in my opinion, a better one than Montreux 1996, which was a bit of a truncated performance (11 songs, barely an hour and twenty).

Deep Purple Live at it's Best
I have been a Deep Purple fan for over 25 years and own many records, cds and dvds of them in concert. This particular dvd is one of their best period. Whenever Deep Purple plays at Montreux, it is bound to be a special event, and this show lives up to any expectation anyone could have. The band is tight w/ all their arrengments yet loose enough that they can improvise on some of their most known and popular songs and maintain the essence of what Deep Purple has always been. Steve Morse's guitar playing is immpecable, presice and fluid. Don Airey had some big shoes to fill w/ the departure of Jon Lord, but he shows on this dvd that he is on par w/ any keybord player in the history of rock music (as well as classical and jazz). Ian Gillan's legendary voice still rocks like it did when he first sang about the Montreux Jazz Festival back in '71. Ian Pace and Roger Glover show us why they still are one of the best drum and bass combos ever. In short, if you are a Deep Purple fan you will like this dvd. After all, can the 40th Anniversay of the Montreux Jass Festival get any better then Deep Purple headlining it?