In 2011, legendary hard rock pioneers Deep Purple took to the road with an orchestra for the first time in many years and delivered a set of their classic tunes to rabid fans worldwide. Though the band in recent years have become true 'road warriors', adding an orchestra to the live assault is something they've dabbled in a few times in their past but it had been a number of years since the last time they went that route. Eagle Rock released the stellar Deep Purple with Orchestra: Live at Montreux 2011 a few years back, and now we have the companion Blu-ray Live in Verona with the band playing in front of a loving outdoor audience in the gorgeous Arena Di Verona, an old Roman ampitheatre in Italy, also from 2011.
Both the audio & video presentation here is strikingly beautiful, with the majestic setting adding to the stellar performance of the band and the orchestra. Familiar classics like "Highway Star", "Strange Kind of Woman", "Woman From Tokyo", Knocking at Your Back Door", "Lazy", "Perfect Strangers", "Space Truckin'", "Black Night", and of course "Smoke on the Water" are surrounded by strong deep album cuts favorites like "Hard Lovin' Man", "Maybe I'm a Leo", and the heavy "No One Came", making for a thrilling set. Throw in the recent "Rapture of the Deep", the Steve Morse guitar vehicles "Contact Lost" and "The Well Dressed Guitar", and one of the best live versions of "When a Blind Man Cries" I've ever seen, complete with some amazing, emotional vocals from Ian Gillan, and you have a somewhat familiar but still satisfying set from the heavy rock legends. Though they've been at it now for over 45 years, the band shows no signs of slowing down, as the current line-up of Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Roger Glover, Steve Morse, and Don Airey continue to not only wow audiences around the globe, but also create new, exciting original material that only adds to their incredible legacy.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
01. Deep Purple Overture
02. Highway Star
03. Hard Lovin' Man
04. Maybe I'm A Leo
05. Strange Kind Of Woman
06. Rapture Of The Deep
07. Woman From Tokyo
08. Contact Lost
09. Guitar Solo
10. When A Blind Man Cries
11. The Well-Dressed Guitar
12. Knocking At Your Back Door
13. Lazy
14. No One Came
15. Keyboard Solo
16. Perfect Strangers
17. Space Truckin'
18. Smoke On The Water
19. Hush
20. Black Night
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