Deep Purple

The reunion of the classic Deep Purple lineup (sometimes referred to as the bands Mark II line-up) in 1984 was a huge success. The year before, 1983, the music industry saw some big reunion tours with Simon and Garfunkel, The Hollies (with Graham Nash back in the fold), and The Animals (the original lineup). As the tours encountered different levels of success, the Simon and Garfunkel tour was the huge draw (they did some stadium dates), and was the fuse that lit up what could be a great cash cow for bands, and by the end of the decade, - the reunion tour craze was in overdrive (1989 was the year The Who, The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, The Doobies Brothers all hit the road again after long spells of touring inactivity).

But it really seems that it was the 1984-85 Deep Purple tour that set the blueprint for how to re-launch a classic rock era band, as Purple once again filled up hockey areas as quickly as they did during their early 70’s heyday.

This DVD (also available as a 2CD/DVD or DVD/2CD/2LP set), “Perfect Strangers Live,” was taken from the bands December 12, 1984 gig at the Entertainment Centre in Sydney, Australia. The fear of any musical "cobwebs" the audience may have had was quickly dispensed when the quintet assaulted the crowd with the opener, a killer version of “Highway Star,” where powerhouse vocalist Ian Gillan easily hits the iconic high/yelling notes of the classic chorus (he is even more impressive later in the set on “Child In Time”).

Showing early on in the show that they did not want to ever be referred to as an “oldies act,” the band proceeds to play five tracks from their 1984 reunion album (the straight set of new cuts was interrupted by only by “Strange Kind Of Woman” from 1971’s “Fireball” album), “Perfect Strangers.”

Ritchie Blackmore appears to haven been in great spirits this night as he reinstated his “guitar god” status, especially during his mind-warping solo on “Space Truckin.’ Just as impressive is “Difficult To Cure,” which leads into a phenomenal keyboard solo from the late Jon Lord. And seeing the set-closing classic rock standard, “Smoke on the Water,” performed by all the members who recorded it is more than priceless.

This live DVD is more than ample proof that the Deep Purple comeback was a well-timed success. Since Lord passed in 2012 and Blackmore is no longer interested in playing with Purple ever again, owning this collection is the only way to witness the classic Mach II gang live.