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Beyond the Sunset: The Romantic Collection Blackmore's Night (SPV 087-6990L)   Since forming in 1997, Blackmore's Night, a rock-renaissance fusion group spearheaded by Deep Purple alumnus Ritchie Blackmore and vocalist/lyricist Candace Night, has given fans a succession of increasingly sophisticated recordings, supported by strong concert performances. Although not their strongest recording, Beyond the Sunset offers 14 well-crafted songs and instrumentals, a bonus CD with three Christmas tunes, and even a DVD of the group's best live performance at Schloss-Burg, Germany. Subtitled The Romantic Collection, the CD strays from the group's renaissance roots and guitar pyrotechnics to offer listeners a retrospective of previously released and re-recorded versions of love songs. Night's lyrical soprano is quite subtle yet remarkable for its delicate and precise phrasing, shown to the best advantage on Henry VIII's "Past Time with Good Company," which is sadly not included on Beyond the Sunset. While tunes such as "Castles and Dreams" and "Wish You Were Here" are a bit too ethereal for my liking, Night's voice soars on "I Still Remember" and especially on Joan Baez's 1975 masterwork "Diamonds and Rust," a bittersweet tale of love lost and the emotional vulnerability that leads us to crave love and ache at its loss. Arranged without embellishments, the song relies on the power of Night's performance and the tasteful but blistering electric guitar solos by the indomitable Blackmore. The DVD features a mini-concert filmed flatly with intercut group shot angles, medium close, and tight shots. Sadly, the Identakit direction and cutting is unimaginative and shows no genuine cinematic technique or imagination. Be that as it may, it is still a pleasure to watch Blackmore perform with the cool confidence of a veteran master guitarist. But not even the DVD's lackluster direction can obscure Night's natural charm and her gift for addressing a large audience as if she were speaking to an old friend. Although Beyond the Sunset is not without its flaws, it is nonetheless a fine CD. While fusion fanatics may not be totally satisfied with the CD's romantic orientation-and die-hard Deep Purple fans may feel a flare of frustration-their music can and should be enjoyed and appreciated in its own right. — Marc Alexander

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