Deep Purple: Live in Verona Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Deep Purple: Live in Verona Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 24, 2014

Of all the accolades afforded music makers over the years, one of the funnier ones has to be the “world’s loudest band” designation afforded to Deep Purple once by the Guinness Book of World’s Record. Contemporary metal heads and head bangers in general may argue whether or not that’s still the case, but Deep Purple still puts out plenty of decibels during this well done 2011 concert performed outdoors in Verona’s ancient Arena. As if the band itself weren’t sonically boisterous enough, there’s a full symphony orchestra in attendance as well, adding a kind of silly but enjoyable element to band standards like “Smoke on the Water.” With the band consisting of Ian Gillan on vocals, Ian Paice on drums, Roger Glover on bass, Steve Morse on guitar and Don Airey on keyboards, Deep Purple still rocks with considerable fervor, delighting a huge and quite vocal crowd.

This concert's set list is:

1) Deep Purple Overture
2) Highway Star
3) Hard Lovin’ Man
4) Maybe I’m A Leo
5) Strange Kind Of Woman
6) Rapture Of The Deep
7) Woman From Tokyo
8) Contact Lost
9) When A Blind Man Cries
10) The Well Dressed Guitar
11) Knocking At Your Back Door
12) Lazy
13) No One Came
14) Don Airey Solo
15) Perfect Strangers
16) Space Truckin’
17) Smoke On The Water

Deep Purple: Live in Verona Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Deep Purple with Orchestra Live in Verona is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Vision, an imprint of Eagle Rock Entertainment, with an AVC encoded 1080i transfer in 1.78:1. Aside from just one or two minor issues, this is a standout release in terms of clarity and sharpness, with well delineated contrast and very accurate and nicely saturated colors. Occasionally when the camera is aimed squarely at one of the battery of lights, there can be minor banding and/or posterizing. Posterizing also tends to just slightly afflict things like Gillan's hair when it's bathed in blue or purple lighting.

Deep Purple: Live in Verona Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Deep Purple with Orchestra Live in Verona features both an LPCM 2.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The difference in amplitude between the stereo and surround tracks is quite startling, but that also comes with a much more aggressive sounding low end in the surround track, something that can slightly subsume Gillan's vocals at times. The sound in nonetheless crystal clear in both of these offerings, with excellent reproduction in the midrange especially.

Deep Purple: Live in Verona Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Encore Tracks (1080i; 19:02) include "Hush" and "Black Night."

Deep Purple: Live in Verona Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Eagle Rock released Deep Purple & Orchestra: Live At Montreux a few years ago which makes for an interesting companion piece to this concert. Once again Gillan and the boys are in fine form, but purists may find the overblown orchestrations a bit much at times. Technical merits are generally strong, aside from some minor reservations, and Deep Purple With Orchestra Live in Verona comes Recommended.