Around The World Live [DVD] [2008]

Deep Purple's Around The World Live DVD is an absolutely brilliant set for any sort of Deep Purple fan who doesn't yet own the constituent parts that make up the set. Deep Purple are often more remembered for their 70s output and this set is a welcome release for shedding a little more light on the band's excellent and underrated 00s/90's era.

Around The World Live contains their Platinum Selling 1999 concert DVD Total Abandon Live In Australia, as well as 1995's Bombay Calling with around half of 1995's Live In Seoul as bonus tracks and finally Live At The NEC England from 2002, which was the legendary farewell show for original keyboard player Jon Lord.

In addition to three and a half concert films, the set features a feature length documentary called Access All Areas, which largely covers the Steve Morse era of the band, with some talk of the band's history, some comedy interviews with Australian fans and footage from around the world.

The documentary is interesting but flawed, it doesn't have a strong narrative and while there are interesting sections, it flows badly and is more of a disjointed collection of sections rather than a well made complete documentary. It is certainly worth a watch but perhaps not worth getting the whole set over if you already own the concerts separately.

The DVD is housed in a fancy thick book style box, with linear notes and photos on glossy pages stuck into the actual box.

The actual concerts are all great; with good sound and fairly competent camera work and editing, with enthusiastic crowds and great solos from most members, especially the superb Total Abandon which is held in very high regard by most Purple fans.

The track listings are all fairly similar; with a lot of the band's most famous 1970's MKII material, a lot of the band's newer Steve Morse era material and then `Hush,' `Anya,' and `Perfect Strangers,' being the only material from the rest of their long and varied career.

Overall, Around The World live is an excellent set containing a large amount of material from Deep Purple's modern era, it is definitely worth your time and money. This set would serve as an excellent introduction to the band and is an especially worth purchasing if you enjoy Purpendicular, Abandon or Bananas.

A cracking 4DVD set of Deep Purple in concert, from Bombay, Seoul, Melbourne, and the NEC.
The set also contains the documentary ACCESS ALL AREAS, a behind the scenes look of the band on tour.
A must have for any fans of the band, the set lists include a few of the classic tracks by DP, HIGHWAY STAR, WHEN A BLIND MAN CRIES, WOMAN FROM TOKYO, TED THE MECHANIC, FIREBALL, SMOKE ON THE WATER, SPEED KING, PERFECT STRANGERS the list goes on and on.
The booklet that is with the set is well worth a read too.
Give yourself a treat and buy it!!!!!

Fantastic value, 4 discs, 4 complete concerts, 8 songs from a Seoul concert as a bonus on disc 1 and an "acccess all areas" documentary. The whole lot is a mind numbing 9 hours long. There's also a 31 page booklet about the band with a load of concert and non concert photographs. What more could you want? The band are on fire throughout and have been rejuvenated by Steve Morse. If you're not a Deep Purple fan, you will be after watching these concerts.