Deep Purple have gone through many personnel changes over the years, but from the mid-90's on, they have been pretty stable. During the 70's, it was a different story. The band had several classic lineups, but one of the ones that gets overlooked, known as the Mark IV line up, included some of the biggest names in rock today. Mark IV was an all-star line up that included David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Tommy Bolin, Ian Pace and John Lord. On paper, this is was a super group, that would be a force to be reckoned with, and was. This line up was short lived, but they did do some damage while they were together. There is not much visual material available from this line-up, but thanks to the folks at Eagle Rock Entertainment, they were able to un-earth some rare footage of the band in the form of their new DVD/Blu-ray Phoenix Rising.
Phoenix Rising includes a very rare live recording, of the band right before they broke up. This would also prove to be the last live film of Tommy Bolin. Bolin passed away a few months later of a drug overdose. The show was filmed on the last leg of their tour in Japan. From what we are told, the archivers were only able to save 5 songs from the band's set that night. The rest of the film was not salvageable. The live portion of this DVD, is a 30 min show "Rises Over Japan", of a band looking a bit tired, but with still enough energy to put on a solid show. It is great seeing Coverdale and Hughes performing in their youth. It is also cool seeing the great Tommy Bolin perform, even though he was suffering through some ailments. Killer show! This feature alone is a must for any Deep Purple fanatic.
It doesn't end there though, because there is also a killer 80 min. documentary included in this package. The doc features interviews with some of the members reminiscing of the short lived line up. There is also some footage included chronicling the band's show in Japan. This is a very interesting look into a band that was going through some major changes, and still trying to keep it together. A killer view for old and new fans alike.
Bottom Line: A look into a classic band, in one of their lesser known about eras. This DVD is interesting in so many ways, because you get to see some of the biggest names in rock (Coverdale, Hughes), when they were virtually unknown.
-Ragman loves all of this nostalgia. It makes him feel like a kid again.