Made In Japan [Live, Original recording remastered, Extra tracks, Double CD]

When this was originally released I was only ten, and when a copy appeared in my house, shortly after I was hooked.
And has it stood the test of time? You bet.
This is the definitive live album. No overdubs, just blistering performances all round. Ian Gillan later complained that his own performance was poor but to these ears this is as good as it gets.
Highway Star is a killer set opener featuring brilliant soloing from both Lord and Blackmore. Child In Time follows on, mesmerising, from the subtle keyboard introduction through Gillan's screams and a frantic Madame Butterfly influenced Blackmore guitar fest, right back full circle to the start. Gillan screams even louder second time around leaving the listener exhausted as the track explodes and dies at the end.
Just when you thought the music couldn't get any more involving up pops, probably, the best version of Smoke On The Water captured on album. The band is so tight everything seems perfect. Into the Mule with a typically superb drum solo from Ian Paice. Listening to the Mule lulls the listener in to a relaxed state before the band hit the stratosphere with superb interplay and sonics. Strange Kinda Woman just bounces along and the interplay between vocal and guitar just make you grin, mainly for the sheer tongue-in-cheek attitude. A few screams from Gillan and onwards we go into Lazy, a stunning piece of R'n'B (the real stuff). Lord kicks off with some organ torturing, a bit of jazz and off with the lick. The band is in full flow by now with superb soloing and tightness unsurpassed. Space Truckin' is the set closer complete with more ethereal soling from Lord and Blackmore, incorporating sections from Fools and Mandrake Root. The encores added to this anniversary remaster don't disappoint either. Frenetic versions of Black Night and Speed King just confirm that this was a band at the peak of their powers. A reworking of Lucille finishes it all off and the band are clearly knackered from delivering such a fast paced show. This is still the best live album some 29 years on and I still play it now. There is a triple CD collection with most of the performances from the associated Japanese tour, in some ways to a fanatic that's even better. But this is the original release revamped and timeless. A must.

Live albums were not in rerum natura, as they say. DP took their first tour in Japan seriously, and brought the Rolling Stones mobile with them to record it. No stranger to live recordings (or being bootlegged!) the Mk II line-up was taped on all 3 dates at Osaka and Tokyo. The result was a staggering success, and captured the band's stage show at it's electrifying best. Blistering harmony & unison interplay between Blackmore and Lord, a rhythm section containing the world's best rock drummer in Ian Paice and the hugely underrated Roger Glover on bass was capped off by a storming performance of Ian Gillan's silver throated vocal. Having just recorded "Machine Head" the bulk of the set comes from that LP - but "Child in Time" (from In Rock) is an astonishing testament to how good DP were at the time. The best live rock band on the planet, by some considerable margin. I'm sure there will be a few who will argue that Led Zeppelin had that accolade, but some of their live performances were long-winded and unrehearsed. DP's instrumentals were well crafted, and had some huge cues. If you listen to any of their live stuff in any depth you'll see what I mean. The opener, Highway Star, introduces you to the band and is followed by Child in Time. Nuff said. Smoke on the Water is considered to be the band's most memorable riff by the public (check out any music shop on a Saturday afternoon!) and The Mule is a Paice solo spot. Strange kind of Woman is the standout track for me - Blackmore and Gillan (so often at odds with each other)united on stage with the question and answer phrasing and posturing. Lazy is Jon Lord's tour de force. The LP is finished off with a rousing 20 minutes of "Space Truckin' - a bit of everything in this, really, and a very powerful set closer. I listened to this as a 13 year-old when it was released, and my opinion has not diminished over 30 years. Best Live Album - Ever. Bar none. The later releases contain some of the encores "Lucille" "Back Night" and "Speed King" but the core 7 tracks tell you who this band are.

A friend showed me this album a while ago and I was very impressed then, though we were playing it so loud I didn't get to hear it properly. So I bought and every time I listen to it I am simply stunned. There is not one bad track on this album, it's as simple as that. The rendition of "Lazy" is nothing short of incredible, though you may want to turn the cacophonous intro down a little to save your eardrums.

One of the great things about this album is the sound quality. Often when you listen to a live track, it can sound gritty or distant. Every song on this sounds brilliant, with an incredible energy to match. The musicianship is nothing short of outstanding - every member sounds on top form (though according to the inside cover, which contains the story of made in Japan and some good photos of the band, Ian Gillan wasn't happy with some of his performances after having just got over bronchitis). Deep Purple show how well they can rock while mucking about like noone else can (see "Lazy" for prime examples of this).

There's two problems with this album, however. Firstly, when you next listen to one of Deep Purple's studio albums, it will sound dull. That's just how good this album is. Secondly, you shouldn't play either disc in your car because you WILL speed.