A review by
Daniel Bengtsson

AN INTERNET ONLY (well, almost) RELEASE AVAILABLE FROM:
The Official Deep Purple Online Store

So, it's finally available. The well anticipated first Deep Purple DVD ever - Total Abandon. The main purpose of this thing is serving as a souvenir of Purple's 1999 Australian tour. And what a souvenir it is. This is Purple at their peak for you. Divided into a couple of different parts, it features a full-length concert recorded at Melbourne Park on April 20, 1999, as well as band biographies and an excellent documentary on the current Purple era, and the band's relationship with the land down under in general. The DVD clocks in at more than three hours. Power to the Purple indeed.

Having not hit Australian turf since 1984, the band's tour was a great success, with practically sold out shows everywhere the band went, as well as massive media coverage (most of which can be found within the A Band Down Under documentary).

The Melbourne recording really captures the band as it is now. Oozing with power and enthusiasm. Steve shines in particular (listen to the solo spot!), and somewhat dominates the stage. Jon Lord has become slightly more subdued on stage over the years, but clearly proves why he is el maestro. Apart from the wild Hammond pushing in the old days, nothing's changed. The extended duels with Steve have become somewhat of a trademark (not to mention highlight) of the band's shows, and the ones featured on this disc are nothing short of breathtaking. Other than that, the conductor that he is, steers the ship nicely along, adding steaming organ solos, as well as spicy rhythm sections where appropriate. Ian Paice is on top form here, drumming away and making it all look so easy. It's mindboggling really. Some people say things are meant to be. The snare drum was surely meant for Paicey. Big Ian (Gillan) sings well, although this probably doesn't rate as one of his best performances. His enthusiasm and approach to things makes up for it though. His "conversation" with Steve in "Speed King" is brilliant. Roger Glover seems to have improved his playing over the last five years, and throws in a groovy performance. He even gets an extended solo in "Speed King", which has become a solo vehicle in itself, lasting more than 15 minutes at some shows.

Overall, the whole production is ace. I've never seen a more professionally shot video. The 14 cameras were put to good use, and it shows very well. The sound mix is great, with Lordy finally coming through clearly, up loud where we want to have him. The only real gripe I have about the concert is the set list, which has seen better days to be honest. I'd much rather see the band do more new songs (obscure oldies are also welcome by all means), instead of the obvious ones we've heard so many times. However, I know the band did as many as seven songs from Abandon earlier on the tour, so I know the potential's there. The crowds are certainly up for it too. The decision to do an "oldies but goldies" set down under might also have had something to do with the fact that they hadn't been there for 15 years. Neither had Purpendicular and Abandon (although the latter one was issued together with EMI's "30: Best of" CD in time for the tour) seen the light of day there. Hopefully, the tour and the kind of media treatment the band received will help generate a wider fan base. However, my complaints about the set list are in fact minor. The things happening within the songs are of more interest to my ears at least. The playing is some of the most intense and tight I've ever heard coming from the band. This has a lot to do with Steve's inexhaustible input. Picture him (Paicey and Glover deserves one big mention too) as the glue that holds everything together.

So, what is there to be said about the "A band down under" part of the DVD other than it's excellent? Since there's never really been a good documentary on the band, this one certainly fills the void. Highlights include Gillan's rain forest walkabout, behind the scenes coverage from the band's appearance on one of Australia's top entertainment TV shows (interesting snippets include manager Bruce Payne more or less deciding what kind of version they will do of "Smoke" on the show), as well as a filmed radio interview with Steve and Roger, looking fairly absent-minded. No wonder when questions of the "Smoke On The Water" calibre rear their ugly heads. Of course, there's also three songs from the LA House of Blues show in January 98. "Seventh Heaven" rocks big time (check out Steve's solo mid-song and Paicey's stunning drumming throughout), and "When A Blind Man Cries" shows Gillan at his best. Steve goes fairly emotional on this one too. This documentary is actually a bonus on the DVD, but I believe it's just as entertaining as the actual live concert.

So where will you find this precious pearl? Well, it's only available through the band's official online store, which you will find here.

Still reading? Get yer credit card out and order it while you still have the chance. This is not something you want to miss! Luckily, there are more DVD's out there. One features yet another full length concert. This time around it's one from India in 95, featuring an exciting set from the revitalized band. The other one is a compilation of live work from the last five years, which is worth checking out as well.