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Blackmore's Night: Castles & Dreams (DVD)

This is something all of Blackmore's Night fans have been waiting for, a DVD of a live performance with interviews and all the extra goodies. It is all here on Castles & Dreams. I have completely enjoyed all of their studio work and I often wondered how it would be to watch them perform some of their best material live. Well now I know, Blackmore's Night is just as good live as they are in the studio. All of the appropriate visual effects are in place, the stage setting, and all the clothing everyone wears in the band. A lot of audience members dress for the occasion as well. It is very similar to a Renaissance Fair complete with a traveling minstrel show.

The two generous DVDs offer quite a selection of songs, spanning their career. The extras and behind the scenes material is quite interesting. Interviews with band members, Ritchie and Candace, and commentary from their manager Carole Stevens are included. One thing I found out was how long Ritchie and Candace have been together. I like many others, figured they started the band together and their relationship developed from there, this is not the case at all, they have been together for over 15 years now. So Candace was with him when he was with Rainbow and his brief stints with Deep Purple.

Since this band has so many loyal fans all over the world, the DVD is in several languages so everyone can enjoy it. They are all about their fans and this DVD is a perfect example of how they feel.

Some of the more amazing performances are impromptu takes inside a castle. It is an amazing thing to witness. Because of the acoustic instruments they play it's the perfect setting, the sounds resonate as the building serves as the amplifier. The Concert Burg Veldenstein offers only two tracks where Blackmore picks up the electric guitar, which surprised me. After hearing all of the studio albums you think I would be used to this by now. Even though I have enjoyed their entire output immensely, it still seems odd that most of the music he plays now is on an acoustic. It must be because I am such a big Rainbow and Deep Purple fan. This is definitely an entirely different phase of Blackmore's career and those days are nothing more than a memory and one he would rather not talk about. He prefers to focus on the here and now and where the music is going from this day forward. There is nothing commercial or flashy about this music and the way they present it, which the band prides itself on. I think that is why the band and their fans are such a closely-knit entity. This one thing allows them to stay under the commercial radar and continue making the music they truly enjoy. They are not concerned with making millions of dollars only in the quality of their music and that their fans enjoy it with them.

This band is so down to earth. There is some footage of them at a restaurant with people gathered around and they are talking and singing. It is all in the spirit of the music and the fellowship it encourages.

For me this really put everything into proper perspective regarding Blackmore's Night. It was like visiting with them for a while to get to know them better. If you are an ardent fan like me you will relish this set, it has everything you could possibly ask for.


Track Information
DVD 1 (Concert Burg Veldenstein 2004):
01. Intro
02. Cartouche
03. Queen For A Day I
04. Queen For A Day II
05. Under A Violet Moon
06. Minstrel Hall
07. Past Times With Good Company
08. Soldier Of Fortune
09. Durch Den Wald Zum Bach Haus
10. Once In A Million Years
11. Mr. Peagram's Morris And Sword
12. Home Again
13. Ghost Of A Rose
14. Mond Tanz / Child In Time / Mond Tanz
15. Wind In The Willows
16. Village On The Sand
17. Renaissance Faire
18. The Clock Ticks On
19. Loreley
20. All For One
21. Black Night
22. Dandelion Wine / jo jo bizarre adventures
23. Credits
24. Behind the Scenes
25. Ritchie Blackmore's Guitar Special


DVD 2:
01.I Think It's Going To Rain Today (acoustic)
02. Christmas Eve (acoustic)
03. Shadow of the Moon (Burg Abendberg 2004)
04. Queen For A Day (Burg Abendberg 2004)
05. Under A Violet Moon (Burg Abendberg 2004)
06. The Times They Are A Changin' (video)
07. Way To Mandalay (video)
08. Once In A Million Years (video)
09. Hanging Tree (video)
10. Christmas Eve (video)
11. Blackmore´s Night – The Story
12. Once upon a Time / The Candice and Ritchie Story
13. Tourstart St. Goar 2004
14. Hanging Tree / making music with our friends
15. Schlossgeister – German TV special
16. Goldene Henne - German TV appearance
17. ZDF-Fernsehgarten – German TV appearance feat. All Because Of You
18. Discography - Blackmore´s Night
19. Biography - Candice Night
20. Biography - Ritchie Blackmore
21. Interview - Band & Members
22. Slideshow
23. Candice's Private Cam

Added: January 8th 2006
Reviewer: Keith Hannaleck
Score:
Related Link: Blackmore's Night Website
Hits: 12705
Language: english

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Blackmore's Night: Castles & Dreams (DVD)
Posted by Ken Pierce, SoT Staff Writer on 2006-01-08 07:50:41
My Score:

Every so often you find yourself watching a video performance that is an absolute surprise and more interesting than you thought it could have possibly been. This was the case that I would find when watching the new live concert release by Blackmore's Night. To many the music fan, the name of Ritchie Blackmore is not a secret based upon his contributions and musical innovations with Deep Purple and Rainbow. After almost 30 years of performance as a legend in Rock, he switched gears entirely and began working with his partner Candace Night on a series of Classical and Medieval based songs. The result was the Renaissance Fair styling of Blackmore's Night and to appreciate it fully you need to approach it with an open mind. This is not hard rock or even blues but a wonderful array of traditional instruments mixed with ones from the past along with flutes, pipes and violins. The end result is truly something that merits watching. This concert film is interesting enough and filled with a number of great songs throughout the performance. Recorded at a Renaissance Fair in Veldenstein Castle the setting of the stage resembles a Medieval marketplace and the musicians (or minstrels) are all dressed in period clothing. Joining Candace Night (who performs the lead vocals) and Ritchie Blackmore are the following players: Bard David Of Larchmont, Lady Madeline and Lady Nancy (The Sisters Of The Moon), Squire Malcolm Of Lumley, Sir Robert Of Normandie, and Tudor Rose. As you can see everyone keeps in the character and the spirit of the music they are performing. It works better for the effect they are bringing across and as the camera pans over the audience you can see that they are also largely dressed in period clothing.

As I watched the video I was amazed at how many of the songs I found myself enjoying right off the bat. I stress it like this as I lean to the classic rock and traditional metal but taking this for what it was allowed me better level of enjoyment as I watched a legend in guitar focus on the next chapter in his musical journey. Some of the best tunes are "Ghost Of A Rose", "Past Times With Good Company" and "Home Again". The lyrics to all the songs are largely focused around romance and spending quality time and adventure with ones who are special to you. Not a bad prospect when one looks at it. The perform "Soldier Of Fortune" which was written along with David Coverdale. According to Candice during the film he was actually there but would not come up and perform the song with them. The group also delivers a rousing song entitled "The Clock Ticks On" which is truly my favorite of the bunch as it is so rousing and moves you to your feet. Blackmore starts the piece on a Hurdy Gurdy and then horns and bagpipes add to the strength of this song. Additional players make an appearance on stage to help out as well and the whole of the audience is on their feet dancing. Blackmore does not leave out his Deep Purple fans as the band performs "Black Night" as one of their closer numbers to a great audience response. There is a lot of catchy stuff and uplifting melodies all around I think this is an easily enjoyable video for most fans of Blackmore and those who enjoy these types of festivals. The band all seem to be enjoying themselves throughout the whole performance and that is always a nice thing to see.

A hearty amount of bonus features include a number of commentary pieces by the group apparently shot right after the show which was nice as you get the instant impression that they had. There is also pre-show footage which showcases how the support team builds this stage and gets it ready for the audience. Most of the venues and locales that they have used don't have the means that conventional venues have so everything is mobile. DVD2 is where most of the bonus features can be found and they also include a number of videos from the group as well as some acoustic performances as well. To be honest there is a lot of value for the money on this product and you can spend sufficient time focusing on the bonus features after enjoying the concert. The packaging is ornate, slip cased and includes a 16 page booklet for you to flip through. The book is more a list of songs and bonus features and not enough photos as one would expect in a booklet of that size. As I close the package for this product I have a sudden urge for some mutton and a big flagon of mead. Go figure.



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