Deep Purple: Phoenix Rising

This combination concert film and documentary opens with Deep Purple Rises Over Japan, a rare live recording of the classic rock band's 1975 performance at the Budokan Hall in Tokyo. Former lead singer Ian Gillan has been replaced here by future Whitesnake front man David Coverdale, who sports a simple T-shirt and proto-grunge beard, in contrast with fellow vocalist and bass player Glenn Hughes, who dressed for the occasion in a white jumpsuit open to the waist, with a rising sun design emblazoned on the breast pocket. Coverdale's vibrato-laden voice is too high to do justice to a heavy-rock classic like “Smoke on the Water” but works better on “Highway Star” in this brief five-song, 30-minute set. The accompanying feature-length documentary Gettin' Tighter explains why the group went through so many lineup changes in the 1970s, along the way incorporating live footage from other shows, including 1974's infamous California Jam where frustrated guitarist Ritchie Blackmore destroyed a camera (costing the band $75,000). After Blackmore left the group, Tommy Bolin—who appears in the Budokan segment—took his place. Hughes and keyboard player Jon Lord don't hold back in their comments about drugs and other complications, but unfortunately they're the sole contemporary speakers (although others, including drummer Ian Paice, offer their thoughts via archival interviews). Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 (concert only) and stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and stereo on Blu-ray, extras include audio-only tracks and a 1975 interview with Lord and Hughes. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)