5/5 Great Concert Footage, Yesssss!!!!!!
  by Richard C. Woodhouse (Bradford, PA USA)
As a Deep Purple fanatic, I just had to write and say thank you to Eagle Rock for putting this out. I have craved some of this type of concert material from them for ever, it seems. I have seen them 10 times since 1985, and though they have been and still are an awesome live act, some of this material shows them at the very peak of their improvisational period. The instrumental parts from the Amsterdam and Paris shows just had Me mezmorized! Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore, are two giants of Rock. Some of the passages and sounds that they come up with are just so cool and unique. It seems as though they could read each others minds. Lord's organ work in the Blitzen concert is the best ever from him I think, and that is really saying something. He is easily the best Hammond player of all time in my opinion. If in doubt, check out his 2003 live at the basement concert with the Hoochie Coochie men down in Australia, especially the song, "Back at the Chicken Shack" the Jimmy Smith classic Organ orgy of sound. Anyways, I recommend this DVD and to those who were disappointed with it, You are too critical. We all should be glad that this was put out. Count your blessings folks! Thanks for listening. Richard, from Bradford PA

5/5 Splendid Compilation.
  by Stanley N. Cole
Even though there are a few questionable parts in the filming as a previous reviewer had brought out, in which are really not that important in the overall content of the package. This is an excellent collection of rare film footage in the series of work by Eagle Production of one of the greatest hard rock acts in the history of modern, contemporary music. This two disc collection presents Deep Purple in their early formative years when they were a supreme, high energy jam band in the same calibre as Led Zepplin and the original Grand Funk Railroad.
This DVD set is a "must have" in anyone's video library.

3/5 A MUST FOR THE FANS, BUT SLOPPY PRODUCTION
  by T. Bien (Cabrieres D'Avignon, France)
Hi Hard Rock fan,

I shurly don't want to be too negative about this product but i have to explain why the H,H & H DVD is just rated 3 star for me.
There is plenty of remarkable good stuff such as:
Disc One:
The synchronised Made in Japan bit in the History part, The Help version of Mark I, The Fireball writing sessions, Demons Eye and Into the Fire Versions of The RBB-Berlin sessions! and Fireball from Ilja Richters DISCO and some interview bits, especially the Blackmore interview on Disc two is marvelous. The rest is already released on other DVD's such as Masters from the Vaults, Live in Concert 72/73, Machine Head and Live and Rare among others.
On Disc two:
Off course there are the wonderful first shots of Deep Purple Mark II in action at the Jazz Bilzen festival in Belgium! Although it's a compilation of 3 songs (W,T,N, Paint it Black and Mandrake root) and not just Wring that Neck as indicated, but still a Jewel.
The well synchronised Wring that Neck and Mandrake Root versions of Pop-Deux from 1970.
The "unphsycadelisized" version of No,No,No (as on disc one)complete from A to Z. The first Take is also worth having. Wonderful!!
And the Leeds Polytechnic Student Project is interesting, but it gives me the creeps looking at the immature behaviour of Glenn Hughes, but there it is.

Now the flaws:
As a hardcore Purple fan i wanted to have the Made in Japan immages which are recently found and partly included in the History bit, BUT WHAT DO WE GET??, indeed a never seen before shot of Deep Purple walking on stage on the first Gig in Osaka where Gillan says; "can we have a little more atmosphere on the lights please" as Highway Star kick's in. But there is a f...g voice over of an earlier Glover interview on Made in Japan and the worst of all the images are flicking from left to right in a kinda funny presentation...not funny at all!
Than there is finaly the version of Demons Eye, but they've found a version with a intermezzo bit of ignorant, nitwit german "fans" who don't like the Deep Purple thing at all and an overtiteling of producers, camaramen and so on. Horrible!!! On You-Tube you can find the full uncut version, so it is available out there and somebody didn't do his homework properly, what a shame.
How blunt can you be when you write on the cover that you have clips from NO,NO,NO from a ROCKPALAST rehearsal!!! Rockpalast didn't exist in the early 70's it just appeared in the early 80's! So don't be fooled, it is no footage of Deep Purple Mark II after the 1984 reunion, but it's the Beatclub Rehearsal Sessions recorded just before or after the RBB Berlin footage and the recording of the classic Machine Head Album. the producers must have been blind because the footage of No,no,no starts with a clipboard saying "BEATCLUB" Take 1/1....but OK. (Probably a selling trick)
Than there is the Burn cut on Disc one, which is exactly the same as the one on Disc two, they've better included the California Jam bit than having the poor sound quality version of the Leeds Polytechnical Student thing twice. And than finally track 13 on disc 2 should be a Smoke on the water version of Mark IV, probably the images are, but the sound is from one of the S.o.t.W. versions of the Made in Japan concerts......silly
The comments on the other reviews where helpful, and still i think it's a MUST HAVE, but they've could have done (much) better.
So: Geoff Barton would better have said; "Sit back, relax and enjoy the (bumpy) ride!!"

Theo Bien (France)

4/5 Great Vintage video of the Masters of Heavy metal!!
  by Dennis J. Samuelian
This is a great DVD of one of the pioneers of heavy metal music. Since becoming a fan of Deep Purple, I had never had the chance to view many videos' of Nick Simpler, and Rod Evans. Even then Deep Purple was a great band to enjoy. This DVD shows a wonderful complication, of all the former members of the band.

4/5 Outstanding in some areas, lacking in a couple minor ones
  by Xarkon (Colorado, USA)
This is my first review - and while I have watched most of the 2-disc set, I have not completed all of it. Nevertheless, here are a couple observations for those contemplating this set:

1. The "history" on the 1st disc really isn't much of one. More of a collage of clips and music, very little interview or spoken material. You do get the 90-odd seconds of B&W footage from the Made In Japan concerts - pity there isn't more of it, because Purple was at the top of their game then.

2. A couple of the tunes on disc 1 (Hits) are also on the Live in Concert 72/73 set. However, that overlap is small, so you're getting a fair amount of material that has (as far as I know) not already been commercially released.

3. A few of the things on disc 1 were also clearly originally recorded for promotional shows and therefore are lip-synced etc. Still worth watching though for the novelty.

3. The best part, so far, in my opinion, is that "Pop Deux' Paris Concert" on the Highlights disk. Good stuff.

Recommended. Enjoy!