The concert shown on the DVD, which was shot in Melbourne, Australia, during their lengthy mid-'80s reunion tour, is the only full-length recording of the band from that time.
The Mark II version of Deep Purple — Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice — had reunited to record a killer of a comeback album, 1984's Perfect Strangers, marking the first time the lineup had worked together since 1973. Blackmore has said the title track is his favorite Deep Purple song of all time.
According to Eagle Rock: “Perfect Strangers Live is a stunning concert with the band in incendiary form. The setlist mixes then new tracks from Perfect Strangers with favorites from the early '70s, culminating in the brilliant "Smoke on the Water" finale. This is without doubt one of the finest Deep Purple concerts ever filmed — and a must-have for their legions of fans.”
Perfect Strangers Live Tracklist:
01. Highway Star
02. Nobody’s Home
03. Strange Kind Of Woman
04. A Gypsy’s Kiss
05. Perfect Strangers
06. Under The Gun
07. Knocking At Your Back Door
08. Lazy (including Ian Paice drum solo)
09. Child In Time
10. Difficult To Cure
11. Jon Lord Keyboard Solo
12. Space Truckin’ (with Ritchie Blackmore guitar solo)
13. Black Night
14. Speed King
15. Smoke On The Water
Check out "Highway Star" filmed in Paris in 1985. NOTE: This video is NOT from the new DVD. It merely represents the band at that time. Blackmore's guitar solo starts around 4:50.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
