Product Description

Synopsis Deep Purple are one of the most successful and revered British rock bands of all time. This new two disc set covers the initial phase of the band s existence through four different line-ups from 1968 to 1976. This era produced the classic Deep Purple albums such as In Rock , Fireball , Burn and Machine Head that created their legend and still provide the backbone of their live sets today despite the ongoing commercial success of the band post their 1984 reunion. Combining full performances and a small number of archive interviews featuring much rare and previously unreleased live, studio and TV footage this superb set is the definitive collection of the early years of Deep Purple. Bonus Features Photo gallery on disc two. Includes fantastic full length performances from all four line-ups of the original Deep Purple. Packaged as a double amaray case inside a slipcase with lavishly illustrated booklet of memorabilia. The ultimate collectors package for early Deep Purple. Features the classics: Smoke On The Water , Hush , Speed King , Black Night , Child In Time , Strange Kind Of Woman , Burn , Mistreated and many more.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2933 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-06-01
• Rating: Exempt
• Formats: Best of, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 287 minutes

Synopsis
HISTORY, HITS AND HIGHLIGHTS is the definitive Deep Purple anthology, collecting hits and rarities from the band's early years and various line-ups. As its title suggests, the programme is divided into three sections, each representing a different aspect of the band's career. 'History' comprises a 20 minute retrospective, 'Hits' features 22 full performances of their most recognisable songs, and 'Highlights' delves deeper into the Deep Purple catalogue with bonus performances and interviews.
Tracklisting: 'Help', 'Hush', 'Wring That Neck', 'Hallelujah', 'Mandrake Root', 'Speed King', 'Black Night', 'Child In Time', 'Lazy', 'Strange Kind Of Woman', 'Fireball Writing Session', 'Fireball', 'Demon's Eye', 'No No No', 'Into The Fire', 'Never Before', 'Highway Star', 'Smoke On The Water', 'Burn', 'Mistreated', 'Love Child', 'You Keep On Moving'.

Customer Reviews

No No No ? Yes Yes Yes
Excellent compilation of Deep Purple Hits and Misses, Not always the familiar studio versions but live in the studio pop shows. You have to love continental Pop shows fro the 70's marvel at the special effects.
Also enjoy Hugh Heffner enjoying Deep Purple Mk 1 brilliant colour video and lovely bouffant hair cuts.

As a trip into nostalgia this is excellent almost but not quite chronological compilation, many clips I have not seen before. Yes it's a shame that the same version of Burn appears on both discs, it's a mystery why all the playboy clips are not together on one disc. But you get three versions of `No No No' from the same show recording, and all different. And the fireball rehearsal film is definitely poor quality but the sound is great.

Another pet peeve for me is the fact that music DVDs come with just a Dolby stereo soundtrack rather than a PCM sound track. Its music it's about the music the sound the video is a bonus give the best quality sound as well please.

...history, hits, highlights and misses...
There have been a lot of Deep Purple DVDs over the years, mainly patchy ones of the various reunion lineups but, finally, here's one that is worth the price of admission. As the title says, it's a collection of history, hits and highlights from 1968 - 1976, which to a Mark I, III and IV fan like me, promises much.

It doesn't get off to the best of starts with a cut and paste documentary, which seems to largely consist of clips from later on in the DVD. Think of it more as an extended trailer, rather than a real documentary, and you might look upon it more favourably. Sadly, for me, there is a paucity of Mark I material, with only the much seen Playboy TV performance of 'Hush' and the earliest known footage of the band miming to 'Help' in a car park on Disc 1. There are a couple of clips over on Disc 2 as bonus items, but it seems a shame not to have more from the early Purps.

Most of the space is taken up with Mark II material. Not surprising, given the historical revisionism that picks them out as the best of the lineups, but at least there is plenty of material here that has rarely been seen. The 1969 performance of 'Wring That Neck' is particularly enjoyable, as is the 'Speed King' clip from the Vicky Leandros TV special, "Ich Bin". It was groundbreaking stuff at the time, with the show going on to win the 1971 Bronze Rose of Montreux. Spooky! A lot of the Mark II stuff has been out before, so the clips of 'Black Night', 'Child In Time' and 'Lazy' will be familiar to most. I did, however, enjoy the Purp free Top Of The Pops performance!

On to the Mark III and IV stuff, and there are definitely some treats here, although not nearly enough. There's a 1974 colour performance of 'Burn', the much seen 'Mistreated' from the California Jam and 'Love Child' and 'You Keep On Moving', filmed in Tokyo in 1975. There really should have been more of this, but that may just be the Bolin freak in me screaming at a missed opportunity. Over on DVD 2, you'll get the chance to see 'Burn' again in a feature filmed at Leeds Polytechnic and a few overseas TV specials with the Bilzen Jazz Festival show from 1969 my favourite, ahead of Pop Deux, a French TV film from 1970 and a rather pointless New Zealand documentary.

The booklet is definitely a visual treat, chock full of memorabilia, and I spent just as much time poring over that as I did the second disc. Overall, it's worth owning, despite some of the material being barely watchable. But, it is out at a reasonable price, and you can happily while away several hours replaying your favourite clips.

It's actually a 3.5 but Amazon don't do halves.

Must Have for Mk II fans
This is the definitive Deep Purple video collection we've been patiently waiting for. The emphasis is on the famous Mk II line up that defined this band and inspired a new generation of musicians. Despite the excellence of Mk III, without the groundwork of the preceding MK II years shown here they would not have enjoyed half the success they did.

It shows Purple at their most inventive and creative, especially Ritchie Blackmore whose guitar playing and improvisational skills around the time of the Fireball and Machine Head LPs was peerless - a true master and band leader at work. No wonder the TV cameras are so often on him. It is a sheer pleasure to watch him soloing and changing songs on the spot as he goes along - the band following as though it were all rehearsed beforehand. The inclusion of two takes of No No No show just how different the songs could turn out each time they were played them.

It makes me remember why I love rock music so much - the music of this band was passionate, powerful, inventive, dangerously on the edge, at times wild and chaotic and at others tight and technically brilliant - it moves head, heart and hips. What more can one ask for.

Definitley a MUST SEE!