A Knight In York [DVD] [2012]

I have seen the band on numerous past UK and German tours and for this specific tour we chose the following night's Buxton concert rather than the York show at which they filmed this DVD. It has been an eagerly awaited DVD as a record of another wonderful UK tour.

Other reviewers have mentioned the extreme editing of the show, which I can understand their frustration particularly if they were present at the show. There was a significant amount of jokes and crowd banter from Candice and particularly Richie (who was very much in fine form) during the song intervals. I assume the reason for the editing is that they have chosen to focus on the more recent songs from the last two albums on the set (with the exception of Fires at Midnight which they slightly reworked) and hence the reduced running time.

So what do we get: an absolutely crystal clear blue-ray picture of the concert with so much detail and wonderful deep rich colours. The DTS 5:1 sound is mind blowing. First job is to adjust the sub-woofer volume down, even if like me, you like excess bass in the mix. It is very easy to damage the ears and any free moving object in the room. The 5:1 mix is not too elaborate and all the instruments are clear within the surround-soundstage without any sonic gimmicks. OK it is not on par with being present live at one of their shows but it is still extremely impressive to the ears.

Very predictable as I am an veteran Purple/Rainbow fan the stand-out favourite parts of the concert are when the Stat comes out in The Circle and Journeyman. It appears from what I can remember from the Buxton show the electric guitar solos in these two song were extended for the York video. However, the whole concert is very good and I do not think there is a bad song on the release. I still love watching Richie Blackmore playing any type of guitar/renaissance instrument. He appears so happy in this band and his enthusiasm for playing is still very much in evidence.

The band seem to improve every time I see them. However, I do miss Sisters of the Moon, I felt they laid down an extreme melodic sound-stage and complemented the wonderful lead vocals of Candice so well. However, the band have adapted well and continue to mature playing as a solid unit. Every new member coming into the band continues to be a very high calibre musician. The violin on this DVD sounds brilliant and has become more pronounced in the songs over the last two albums with the arrival of 'Gypsy Rose' .

To conclude, I gave it four stars for what's present rather than what's not and I recommend this blue-ray version particularly for established fans. However, if you are new to the music of Blackmore's Night and what to see what all the fuss is about, I recommend you purchase the Castle of Dreams DVD first. Although its older material it gives a much more in-depth overview of a brilliant band than does this release.

The sound quality is excellent and most of these fine songs are from the most recent albums Secret Voyage and Autumn Sky. It's good to hear new songs (such as Journeyman, Crystal Ball, Peasant's Promise) played with slightly different arrangements, as some of the old songs (Home Again, Renaissance Fayre, Minstrel Hall) were getting a little too familiar. There are some earlier songs (Fires At Midnight, World Of Stone) and a few moments of banter / humour. It's a pity we get just 80 minutes on 1 disc, when we should surely expect to hear the full concert across 2 discs (hence 4 stars instead of 5). Surely music fans just want someone to start recording 1 minute before the start of the show and stop recording 1 minute after the end of the show ! We want to hear it all, including stage buzzes and a few errors, instead of edited highlights. For those who accept that Mr Blackmore is fully committed to minstrel music, with no thoughts of ever returning to heavy rock, this is a fine and bewitching album. Embrace it and enjoy it.

Despite the many CDs and DVDs that I have purchased from Amazon, this is the first time I have felt compelled to add a review. I too was at this concert and can confirm that it was a magical night with excellent music with a few laughs thrown in, Ritchie conversing with the audience no less. The DVD does not convey that warmth that the band have with their fans, particularly those who take the trouble to enter into the spirit by donning the garb. The running order has been severely edited with the old favourite Home Again being condemned to the rubbish bin and weaker tracks introduced. I still rate the effort as they are a very accomplished set of musicians and Candice's voice continues to amaze me but why, oh why did they not leave the concert as it was and treat everyone to a what was a very special Blackmore's Night.