MADE IN JAPAN

Of all the live albums ever created (and there are many), this gets the reward for second best (first goes to Judas Priest's Unleashed in the East, and some say that is not a true live album). Every one of these songs far exceeds how they were done on their studio albums (with the small exception of Child in Time, which is still great). The Mule is one of the best drum solo's ever, and it definitely proves that Ian Paice is a underrated drummer. The vocals are outstanding throughout, Gillan is able to scream almost as well as in the studio. Smoke on the Water is excellent too, considerably better than the studio version (it was even released as a single). It is perhaps arguable that this is not prog rock, however, this is one of the greatest live albums ever, and most hardcore prog fans will enjoy it. Absulote Brilliance, it has stayed in my 6 CD player ever since I bought it. Highly Recommended.

A good rocknroll record,"Highway Star": definitely a killer classic. "Child in Time": another killer but a bit scandalous to my taste. "Smoke on the Water": another classic but I cannot hear anymore. "The Mule": what a dangerous animal, I really like this song, I don't like the drums solo." Strange Kind of Woman": I don't like blues." Lazy" is ok, "Space Trucking" I must say this song is proto prog to my taste, a jam and an organ solo messy and seems to go nowhere, thing that I hate, otherwise, in the attempt to sound different, unfortunately, Jon lord plugged his organ in a guitar amplifier (all his career) and not a Leslie what makes a metal boring sound to the so loved organ.

Remarkably their best selling album in the history of their career, Deep Purple finally came up on top after the success of the double LP Made In Japan (which was sold for the same price of a single album during the holiday season, but released after WDWTWA in '73). The big highlight of this album is a killer version of their hit single Smoke On The Water, which sounds, in my opinion, better than the studio original despite Ian's crippling vocals after recovering from brochitis. However, the song holds up well, at almost 7.5 minutes, with Ritchie's growling guitar licks and Jon's mega-mechanical sawtooth Hammond organ. Highway Star (also at 7 minutes) also takes the crowd by storm rolling out faster than the original (Ritchie almost loses it during his solo) but just an exciting tune to hear live. Child In Time becomes even more dramatic than its studio counterpart with a longer jam, 12.5 minutes to be exact, between Ritchie and Jon. The Mule was one minor upset by allowing Ian Paice some elbow room for a lengthy 8 minute drum solo (only a minute and a half of the melody is heard with another tagged at the end).

Gotta take a listen to Strange Kind Of Woman (8.5 minutes), wich includes the surprise guitar/vocal interplay with the audience (classic DP!). Then Lazy comes in with a lengthy blues jam (about 11 minutes worth) until the final track, Space Truckin', makes the big closer. The tune, being a gargantuan 20 minute medley, ST includes remnants of earlier DP tracks like Mandrake Root and Fools.

If one comes across the recent CD reissue, there's a bonus added: the encores. This includes the previously released Black Night (from 24 Karat Purple CD), and two unrealeased recordings of Speed King and a cover of Little Richard's Lucille.

Great live album, probably one of the very best!!

DEEP PURPLE - MADE IN JAPAN has many classics on it, the opener is Highway Star and one of my favourite Purple tracks, and I love that Japanese organ tease Jon Lord does on Child In Time and one of their progressive tunes as well, Smoke On The Water is just class and The Mule also a gret track (I think it's the one with the excellent drum solo by Ian Paice).

Disc 2 also has favourite moments of mine Strange Kind Of Woman and the Hammond Organ sound effects on Lazy and a lenghy version of Space Truckin'.

So all in all a all round great performance, excellent bass playing, tremendous Guitar playing, Great Organ effects and the solos of Paice's drumming, for a good live album start here!!

I personally recommend this album, 100% RECOMMENDED, may have it's Prog moments but in other terms it ROCKS!!!

This is the first time I EVER gave a lie album 5 stars...but this is definitly a must do!!! Probably the best live album ever?...mmm well, its certainly among the top 10. All songs are better than on their original forms, and I really mean ALL...but most definitly Highway star!!! Oh man, this is Purple at its best!!! I mean both keyboard and guitar solos are among the best Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore have ever done ( actually the guitar solo is regarded as one of heavys best!), Ian Gillans voice is less higher but more powerfull than in the album and althought Ian Piece and Roger Glove play pretty much the same as in the original form...its better!

Well, if you like music ( you dont have to love, just with liking its enought) you MUST get this one!...one word...SUPERB!!!

Well , if there is one live album that was the blueprint for all live albums to come , we are down to it! Legend has struck! And this is really the archetypal album to show that a band can be different in the studio and on stage. This vinyl of mine became almost transparent as it was so worn out from having played it so often. However , I must say nowadays I look at it now a bit embarassingly! Although still an excellent album, I will never deny the influence it had on me (and almost every teens in the 70's) , but clearly as a mature 40+ man, I can see that the album is a little self-indulgent. These lenghty jams/improvs are fighting with Allman Brother's Band for top place in complacency! I can understand where the critics from Punk fans came. But nevermind the critics this album is fun , and that is what counts!

All of the tracks are real classics and can really tell you what powers this band had especially when Lord and Blackmore improvise, sometimes forraying into Classical themes. Only The Mule is less interesting containing the obligatory drum solo, but even then Paicey manages to get you interested.

This album now comes as two Cd set with a second disc containing the encores: Speed King Balck Night and a superb and kick-arse rendition of Little Richard's Lucille. Simply devastating !

This joke on the water is a silly record that belongs alongside other unfortunate dreck-fests such as Kiss Live, Rare Earth Live, and Grand Funk Live, where long stage versions of oh- too-familiar underground late-night FM radio time-fillers occupied the over-active hallucinigenic sonic imaginations of drug-addled weekend listeners with twenty minute jams on songs that should last no longer than three minutes, content-wise. (just like that sentence) The Dj's would frollic during these long drawn-out jams, probably with the sound turned down. Deep Purple grinds and wails its way through a plethora of stolen licks and lumbering attacks with muscular if not uncoordinated non-rythmic hammer blows. What they lack in ability they sure make up for with volume...sorta like usin' an RPG on a slug. Harsh, pedantic, and pandering to ears with simple needs, this record will stand the test of time, but as a joke to be appreciated only by mocking air-guitarists of the future.

This is the best live album ever recorded! Every song sounds better than the studio version (especially Child in time and Highway star). I think this recording is Blackmore's personal best. Powerfull and expressive vocals, strong bass lines, astonishing guitar and keyboard solos, these are the ingridients for a perfect live album, a perfect combination beetween progressive and rock'n'roll.

Conclusion: a superb album, full of energy. Just listen to it and you won't need coffee for the rest of the day. 5 stars.

I used to enjoy this live double LP as a teenager, but there are not anymore much progressive elements present in DEEP PURPLE's music when they recorded this. "Child In Time" is performed here very well, as well as "The Mule" and "Lazy". The album highlight is the extended "Space Truckin'" which occupied my turntable heavily during my teenage years.

Made in japan,achieve's what most live albums fail to do,and thats turning studio tracks into live adrenalin charged music and more,the production on this album is absolutley brilliant,and thats not even taking into the fact thats its from 1972,its incrediable mainly due to the great venue's in japan when it was recorded.

Deep Purple at the time of made in japan were considered the loudest band in the world,and live were just about untouchable,considering they were able to turn 4 minute studio tracks into 20 min sonic progressive metal,shows the power of Deep purple. All the tracks on Made in Japan are hugely more powerful than their studio versions,and all are considerably longer,which places this album firmly into the category of progressive rock.

Made in Japan,is in a class of it's own,comparing it to other live albums of hard rock or progressive rock is a waste of time,if live albums are about power,performance,and production,then Made in Japan is it.It's the greatest live album in the histiory of rock.

Exactly 30 years ago some older schoolfriends made me a cassette of this LP. It was the first time 'real music' came to my ears. With the introduction of CD players this was one of the first CD's I bought. Recently I noticed a newer one, remastered and extended with 3 numbers not originally present.

The album itself is a true masterpiece. Even the original version was wel recorded, exceptionally well played live and much warmer then the studio versions. In fact the album was an example of how live playing and recording should be.

About the 7 original numbers all is said in other reviews. I must say that the older I get the more I respect numbers like 'Lazy' and 'The Mule' which I didn't like in the old days. New added 'Black Night' is nice but not 'Masterpiece' worth. Same for 'Speed King'. The last number is 'Lucille', an old Rock 'n Roll number, and sadly brings no added value to this version.

If you own older versions of 'Made in Japan' the remastered album brings you no extra's. If you're new to Deep Purple, then buy this remasterd version. You will then own all necessary DP stuff. Forget any other DP album as they are not so good, possibly 2 or 3 stars (24 Carat Purple for instance).

REALLY: 4,71

Certain the best "live album" of the hard rock and one of the best live of all times! (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) A merger of sound, a hurricane of violence (for this time) and a bearer of huge destructions of brains! This is "Made In Japan"! (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Certainty that "Higway Star" here is is superlative, that "Child In Time" does to materialize its text before our eyes, that "Smoke On The Water"... It cannot be described to words, that "Lazy" is pure jazz metal, that 20' of "Space Truckin'" is pure classic music... But... Not have it erred it! (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

First as an intro. Why is Deep Purple listed on this web site!? This isn't Prog! This is heavy rock (Not heavy Metal either) this being said, there is not too many "GREAT" live album that as been recorded: 1979 UFO's Strangers in the Night and 1978 Thin Lizzy's Live and Dangerous are just 2 that as to be mentioned. This is ONE for the record books.

Here is a band is at the peak of their career IMHO and by just listening to the track Lazy you understand immediately what I mean. Also this line-up is the only Deep Purple for me. Do I sound bias? Dawn right I am! When you put the needle on the 1 track i.e. Highway Star (I'm from the vinyl generation but I also own the 1998 release 2 CD Remastered Edition. The 2nd CD as 3 extra tracks: Black Night, Speed King and Lucille) you feel the energy right through your bones.

I wish I had been there!! All the "imperfections" of a Rock Concerts are present: missed cues, feedbacks, to much bass (on certain tracks) BUT the level of energy is absolutely incredible. This is Live music at is best. It's a must in ANY record collection.

mst

I begin with what the last submitter said. This is a must for any collection. Cause you can be a fan of whatever kind of music, but at the question "which is the best live album ever?" the answer will be MADE IN JAPAN. There's no point!!! This release is absolutely perfect. In truth, I don't put it into the cd reader since a long time, and seeing the cover on this site has given me the will both to submit this review and listen to it again...Cause Made in Japan will never be out of fashion for me. This is a milestone of rock, and many nowadays bands owe something to them.

Tracks are done perfectly, and I can barely find the word to describe all the points deserving a word: I remember the sudden stop at the middle of Child in time, after the fast part...It's surgical how they stop together at that speed. Moreover, solos on highway star (by ritchie and Jon) and on the Mule (by Ian: devastating!) and the 30 second scream by Ian during the break of Strange kind of woman. But I cannot forget the work of Roger, that in a band of phenomenal musician plays very well his role of metronome. Last but not least, there are the 20 minutes improvisation of Space trucking...Who said that it's not prog ???

Ok, it won't be Pink Floyd like, but when you're dealing with monsters of rock the problem of genre disappear...And this is the masterpiece of one of the best band ever...Do you prefer to discuss if it's prog instead of enjoying?

I'm going to start this review with a very politically uncorrect (for this site) remark: forget about Dream Theater and their ilk - THIS is the blueprint for all prog metal! An unadulterated masterpiece, loud, proud and technically amazing, "Made in Japan" - after over 30 years - is still the mother of all live albums. When it was recorded, Deep Purple were at their height of their musical form, stunning audiences into submission at every live performance. However, in their case it was no mere, dumb bludgeoning in the style of many later heavy metal bands, which thought sheer volume was the only answer. Each of the members of DP was a master of his instrument (even the underrated, but always reliable bassist Roger Glover), and Ian Gillan was the voice that launched a thousand screamers (and still one hell of a vocalist at the age of 60). Last but not least... they had the songwriting skills to back up their musical proficiency - something in which many modern-day bands are sadly lacking.

The seven tracks included on "Made in Japan" are now part of rock's classic heritage. However, they are no simple renditions of the studio tracks, but rather an excuse for the band to flex their collective muscles and showcase their individual talents. Ritchie Blackmore plays like a demon, wringing all kind of weird noises and sublime sounds from his Fender Stratocaster. Jon Lord, the Hammond god, is his perfect foil, sometimes providing a solid background for Blackmore's improvisations, sometimes pulling out all the stops and showing that he was more than a match for the Emersons and Wakemans of this world. Ian Paice's drumming is metronomical in its precision, and his spot on "The Mule" is a good example of a drum solo that avoids being boring. Glover pounds his bass stoically in the background: no Chris Squire- style "lead bassist", but a perfect partner for the impeccable Paice. Then we have Ian Gillan, handsome and wild, competing with Blackmore's guitar for the highest note on "Strange Kind of Woman", screaming his heart out on the legendary, dramatic "Child in Time".

All of the tracks are extended, dilated, chock-full of improvisation and creativity. The closing "Space Truckin'" clocks in at almost 20 minutes, a lengthy jam session including pieces of other tracks, underpinned by Jon Lord's trademark buzzsaw Hammond. It may not be prog in the strictest sense, but the influences are clearly there. Without any possible doubt, an essential listen for any lover of great rock music.

"Put out that washing machine!" was my father's favorite yell when he used to enter my room while I was listening to hardrock like this legendary live album by Deep Purple. He couldn't understand that I was delighted about biting guitars, screaming vocals and furious Hammond organ runs. This week I played the remastered version (including a bonus CD with Black Night, Speed King and Lucille) and I was stunned how incredible timeless this music sounds: the high-adrenaline start with Highway Star (exciting Hammond organ), the compelling Child In Time (from the fragile Hammond organ intro to the legendary climax with Gillan's bone-chilling vocals), the great bass riff intro in Smoke On The Water, the entertaining drum solo in The Mule, the unique vocals-guitar duel in Strange Kind Of Woman, the exciting guitar work in Lazy and the sensational synthesizer play in Space Truckin', it's such a powerful, dynamic, crafty, thrilling and pivotal 'heavy progressive rock music', I am looking forward to see them for the first time in my life (I am from 1960) during the Dutch Arrow Classic Rock Festival this summer!

This was an album that has stuck with me since I was about 5 years old (Being 18 Now). I had a copy on CD and I had made a tape out of it with the old boom box. I had a small Tape Deck Walkman (Remember, its the early 90's), and would show them this album at recess, they would give me funny looks.

To this day this album had been played and replayed, since I believe it is one of the most epic live albums to date. As soon as you hear Ian Paice's drumming right from the start, this album kicks it off into high gear with 'Highway Star'. Child In Time is absolutely stunning, and in my opinion, is much better than the original. There was also a rumor that someone was shot, towards the end of the song with a huge bang. I don't believe it since I think it was just an amp blowing up or something. Nonetheless its an awesome sound.

Some interesting points in the album is phonominal version of 'Lazy'! The Jon Lord's organ intro is excellent, and this song has a slightly Jazziness to it, which plays out nicely. Also the 20 minute version of 'Space Truckin' is stunning! It is filled with excellent organ and guitar. A fantastic version in my opinion.

My first review, and hopefully more to come :D

Deep Purple's 1972 japan tour, was originally scheduled for may, but ended up to be scheduled for august 15,16 and 17. "Made In Japan" is recorded mostly from the last night, when the band was at their absolute peak. Anyway, it starts off with "Highway Star", which is a fast early hard rock song with very nice soloing from both Jon and Ritchie. "Child In Time" is the song where ian screams for all he is worth. I's really an emotional song, even if i never figured out what the lyrics was all about. The jamming/soloing in mid-song is really, really tight. "Smoke On The Water" starts with Richie Blackmore that plays the riff wrong (he did it to be mean to ian gillan). Then it's just the regular song, exept from extended soloing in the end, really good! "The Mule" is actually my least favourite song from this album, but i love the riff and Ian Paice's drum solo is simply stunning! "Strange Kind Of Woman" is a blues song (about a true story, means ian gillan). It's also extreamly tight played, and Ian's/Ritchie's Vocal/Guitar Duel is really cool. Ian Gillan has an amazing voice and he reaches the exact notes of the guitar playing. "Lazy" starts with organ experimentation from jon lord. He blows up the speaker and plays around with Jimi Hendrix "Wild Thing", before the "Lazy" riff starts. Amazingly bluesy song, i love it! "Space Trucking" Closes the set, and clocks in at 19:54. it starts with some funky interplay before the original song starts. After that comes the "Freakout" part. If you have heard the 1970 live versions of "Mandrake Root", you'll understand. It also contains Gustav holst "The Planets: Jupiter" played by the organ, and the mid-section of "Fools", played by guitar. This album is unbeatable and absolutely a masterpiece!

IMO, in the sixties and in the seventies Rock bands worked harder. They were expected to release at least one studio album per year, and a live album was almost "an obligation". The seventies in particular was the time when great live albums were released, and they were almost always recorded and released when most of the bands were at their peak, musically speaking (with a few exceptions). This album was released in December 1972, after their "Machine Head" album. Unfortunately, by then there were "personality clashes" between the members of the band, particularly between Blackmore and Gillan, who wanted to leave the band before recording their next studio album, but was persuaded to not do it. Unfortunately, he and Glover left the band in mid 1973, and Deep Purple was never the same without them. But fortunately, this is a very good live album which demonstrates the very good "chemistry", at least at the musical level, which this band had in the early seventies.

These live albums from the seventies also showed some excesses, very characteristic of Rock music in general in those years. The excess in this album is demonstrated by some songs which had a very long duration played in concert, IMO, but despite these excesses, almost all the songs shine, particularly "Highway Star" (more energetic than the studio version), "Smoke on the Water", "Child in Time" (with Gillan shining in his vocals), "The Mule" (great drums solo) and "Strange Kind of Woman" (one of their best songs, IMO).It was also another "obligation" to include dums solos in live albums then!

In conclusion: one of the best Rock music live albums of all time. I only wish that many of the new Rock bands of this 21st century could make very good music and to play with more feeling like the "old Rock bands fom the past century". I think that this is the reason why many young people in the present look for older albums recorded by old bands. Bands like Coldplay are good, but they lack something in their music, like playing with more energy and feeling like the old bands did, IMO.

This is IMO THE BEST LIVE ALBUM OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!!! The only other live who can compete with that one is "LIVE" by "Bob Marley", but it's another story. In this album you have most of the grestest hits by Deep Purple but... Longer, better and more solo :) In fact, the guitar solo in "Child in Time" is my favorite guitar solo of all time, you can't do better than that!!!!! The only solo who can almost beat this one is "Machine Gun" by "Jimi Hendrix". The version on "Space Trukin'" is 20 min long, wow! A big and marvelous jam with lots of soloing by Mr. Lord & Mr. Blackmore, you can't go wrong with that, IMO more solo and jams = joy, happiness and cool listening pleasure. Do yourself a favor, go by the album this instant, trust me you won't regret anything ;)

One thing first: I recognize it by the applause even before Highway star starts! This is of course a masterpiece, and I don't want to discuss if it's prog or not! Milestones of music have not genres boundaries!

Anyway, I think it's useless to say "child in time is amazing" or "Ian's drum solo is unbelievable"...Those guys are simply geniuses! Because we don't have to consider this one as a modern time album (we're not talking about Dream theater, in other words): it has been released in 1972! Precision in extreme fast sections, harmonizations, jamming, duets (especially the fabulous one between Ritchie and Ian G. on Strange kind of woman) have been performed in an era in which not just the progressive was newborn, but rock itself! Believe me, get this album as soon as you can, cause when spontaneously your head starts shaking and your arms raise to the sky, you may say you're listening to something unique!

During the seventies I wore out my vinyl album of MIJ and had to buy it again! Then I had to buy the CD and then the remastered version of the CD.

According to Bruse Dickinson of Iron Maiden, this is the best rock album of all time. I would have to agree. There are no overdubs or doctoring, what you hear is what it was like!

The album kicks off with "Highway Star" and from the word go, this is a fantastic live opener. The tone of Blackmore´s guitar is perfect!

What can possibly be said about "Child in Time" Gillan delivers the performance of a lifetime, actually going up and screaming in octaves! And this is a live performance! The man has perfect pitch. Blackmore´s guitar solo is known to be one of his best on this track.

"Smoke on the water" was rated as the number one riff of the century. I actually prefer this live version to the studio one just for the amazing guitar solo.

"The Mule" gives Ian Paice the spotlight. He delivers one of the best loved drum solos on his small Ludwig kit. This solo is also rated very high in the drum world and has become a benchmark for great rock drum solos.

The interplay of vocals and guitar on "Strange Kind of Woman" where Gillan imitates Blackmores guitar is just incredible, making it sometimes quite difficult to know if you are indeed hearing a guitar or Gillan´s voice!

"Lazy" is a great rhythm and blues number which features yet another great solo by Ritchie. There isn´t a weak number on this album!

On "Space Truckin" Jon Lord unleashes a barrage of space sounding keyboards, supported by Glover´s driving bass and Paice´s drums.

This is the ultimate Deep Purple album and most probably the ultimate hard rock album ever! If I could, I would give it six stars!

This is one of those albums that have had a big importance on Rock, but this time I'm talking about the live classic "Made In Japan". Three dates in Japan were recorded on that time (with the classic lineup: Blackmore, Lord, Paice, Gillan and Glover), initially for a japanese only release, but the huge commercial potential of such an album lead to a worldwide release. So, in December of 1972, this was available everywhere. Sadly, maybe this was Deep Purple's last great album. There's no doubt this album became a blueprint for other artists about how a live Rock record should be produced. Today I picked up my bass and started playing some of the songs here and one more time, I enjoyed this a lot. Three words describe this perfectly: RAW, JAMMING and ROCKER !!

This immensely important album starts with the classic "Highway Star", that discharges a ton of adrenalin, rocking a lot. The fantastic solos are a bit changed and improvised, as with most of the songs here.

The version of "Child In Time", another classic that sounds similar to the studio, but shows that Gillan can really do all that screamings live, for thouse who were doubting about that. The solos here are very different, but the way they're improvised makes them to have 'orgasmic' moments.

Obviously, here has to be the classic "Smoke On The Water", with the most recognisable riff on Earth, which surprisingly is played a bit different during the intro. A real unique moment !! I must say this version is better than in the studio.

"The Mule" features a fantastic and dynamic solo by Paice, that has become a classic. Incredible !!

"Strange Kind Of Woman" lasts more that 9 minutes, this time with a lot of jamming, with some pauses and the unique touch of the interplay between Gillan and Blackmore, both go veeeery high here !! Another powerful and rocker version.

"Lazy" has some rare effects in the intro followed by the very recognisable first notes of the riff, when the crowd starts to get crazy (and me too). I would prefer of this song to be longer, with more jamming, but is a very good version, not as good as in the studio.

"Space Truckin' " really lasts 5 minutes but then there's a nice improvisational and experimental moment by Jon Lord, who shines here and keeps jamming up to 19 minutes !!

My remastered version also contains dirty and LOUD versions of "Black Night", "Speed King". When I hear the solos here I think, "What were whese guys thinking about ?" ... they improvised totally in the soloing time giving this songs a very raw feeling and they sound totally LOUD and POWERFUL, as the other 'bonus' (?) track, the Rock n' Roll classic "Lucille" to close this masterpiece.

Overall, the characteristic sound, the jamming, the power and the immense importance of this album makes it be a masterpiece of live albums and essential for every Rock fan. If you want a big example of how a live record should be, you'll have to buy this !! Enough said.

Rating: 4,7/5

along with Live at Leeds (by The Who), is the best Live performance ever made. Just listen to "Child in Time" live version, and to the studio versin in In Rock...there are no doubts, the one performed live is absolutely better, above all Ian Gillan's voice manages to overpass his own limits, and listen to Highway star guitarsolo too: not very difficult if you are used to listen to Satriani or Van Halen, in fact it's played on cromatic scales...but this way to play the guitar influenced all the 'heavy? guitarist in the '80s, such as Steve morse, Van Halen, Malmsteen... This line-up, known as mark II, inspired lots of bands in the '80s, and testifies in my opinion the birth of Heavy Sound, and from here to Heavy Metal. Although there aren't many prog elements I can't give less than 5 stars...This is an inspiration, this is a page of history, this is a document that demonstrates what signify playing live concerts.

Maybe a best lives forever

Made in japan,achieve's what most live albums fail to do,and thats turning studio tracks into live adrenalin charged music and more,the production on this album is absolutley brilliant,and thats not even taking into the fact thats its from 1972,its incrediable mainly due to the great venue's in japan when it was recorded. Deep Purple's 1972 japan tour, was originally scheduled for may, but ended up to be scheduled for august 15,16 and 17. "Made In Japan" is recorded mostly from the last night, when the band was at their absolute peak. Anyway, it starts off with "Highway Star", which is a fast early hard rock song with very nice soloing from both Jon and Ritchie. "Child In Time" is the song where ian screams for all he is worth. I's really an emotional song, even if i never figured out what the lyrics was all about. The jamming/soloing in mid-song is really, really tight. "Smoke On The Water" starts with Richie Blackmore that plays the riff wrong (he did it to be mean to ian gillan). Then it's just the regular song, exept from extended soloing in the end, really good! "The Mule" is actually my least favourite song from this album, but i love the riff and Ian Paice's drum solo is simply stunning! "Strange Kind Of Woman" is a blues song (about a true story, means ian gillan). It's also extreamly tight played, and Ian's/Ritchie's Vocal/Guitar Duel is really cool. Ian Gillan has an amazing voice and he reaches the exact notes of the guitar playing. "Lazy" starts with organ experimentation from jon lord. He blows up the speaker and plays around with Jimi Hendrix "Wild Thing", before the "Lazy" riff starts. Amazingly bluesy song, i love it! "Space Trucking" Closes the set, and clocks in at 19:54. it starts with some funky interplay before the original song starts. After that comes the "Freakout" part. If you have heard the 1970 live versions of "Mandrake Root", you'll understand. It also contains Gustav holst "The Planets: Jupiter" played by the organ, and the mid-section of "Fools", played by guitar. This album is unbeatable and absolutely a masterpiece!

This is arguably the live prog album, but agreeably the proto-prog album. Many bands' live works are just the studio version with cheering. This album goes so much further: The usual 10 minute Child In Time is now 12, the 5 minute Smoke of the Water is now 7, the 5 minute Mule is now 9 (with one of the greatest drum solos of all time), the 7 minute Lazy is 11, and (the big one), the 4 minute Space Truckin' is now a whopping 19:53! That means that the performances go far beyond the studio version. This performance of Strange Kind Of Woman is my personal favourite Purple song, what with its catchy, funky, groove and guitar/vocal battle. It's very energetic, creative, psychedelic, and plain fun. Child In Time is very beautiful, with fantastic lyrics, amazing musicianship and a huge amount of energy. Highway star has one of the best guitar solos to have graced my ears. If you look at Paice's set, and you know anything about drumming, you'll be amazed at what he can do with such a tiny set.

This is may be greatest live album I've ever heard, and I commend Purple for their creative and energetic performance. For a lack of polish, and a few artistic elements missing, I round downward. Good stuff!

Yes, this album was one of rock albums that colored my childhood. When this live album was released, I kept playing the cassette everyday especially "Strange Kind of Woman" because I like the improvisation part when Ritchie Blackmore's guitar screams in adjacent to Ian Gillan's. It's so powerful, so captivating and so memorable. In fact, when I got the CD version, I always repeat this track whenever I play this CD. Oh so long that I have never played this CD anymore - because I have a bunch of great prog CDs in recent years. Sometimes I got lazy to spin the classic CD like this because to me it brings me to "Living In The Past" nuances. We need to move forward in life, don't we? But it's OK to spin this CD for this review as this album can be considered as masterpiece of classic rock live album.

"Highway Star" (6:42) is well suited as album opener. It demonstrates how powerful Ian Gillan's vocal combined with stunning guitar and pulsating organ work of Jon Lord. (Hmm . how come we have not considered Jon Lord's albums which most of them are prog at this site?). "Child In Time" (12:18) and "Smoke On The Water" (7:47) are classic tracks which were performed excellently by the band. Another favorite of mine is the concluding track "Space Truckin'" (19:53) which was performed much longer than the original version. What I don't favor is "Lazy" as it has too long organ effects and it never got landed smoothly at my ears.

It's an excellent hard rock live album which has now become a legendary one.

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

I begin with what the last submitter said. This is a must for any collection. Cause you can be a fan of whatever kind of music, but at the question "which is the best live album ever?" the answer will be MADE IN JAPAN. There's no point!!! This release is absolutely perfect. In truth, I don't put it into the cd reader since a long time, and seeing the cover on this site has given me the will both to submit this review and listen to it again...Cause Made in Japan will never be out of fashion for me. This is a milestone of rock, and many nowadays bands owe something to them.

Tracks are done perfectly, and I can barely find the word to describe all the points deserving a word: I remember the sudden stop at the middle of Child in time, after the fast part...It's surgical how they stop together at that speed. Moreover, solos on highway star (by ritchie and Jon) and on the Mule (by Ian: devastating!) and the 30 second scream by Ian during the break of Strange kind of woman. But I cannot forget the work of Roger, that in a band of phenomenal musician plays very well his role of metronome. Last but not least, there are the 20 minutes improvisation of Space trucking...Who said that it's not prog ???

Ok, it won't be Pink Floyd like, but when you're dealing with monsters of rock the problem of genre disappear...And this is the masterpiece of one of the best band ever...Do you prefer to discuss if it's prog instead of enjoying?

I bought this record( my mum paid for it I recall) whilst I was on holiday and put it on the moment I got home, to be honest I found it a little heavy for my tastes but as it cost a deal of cash at the time I persisted and was rewarded by one of the finest Live recordings that I have ever owned. I still have the same copy today and I still listen to it now and then. "Child in Time" is very well done but the treat on this record is the amazingly good version of" space trucking" which is extended and takes up a side on its own. Jon Lords organ is a little reminiscent of Emerson at his very best and the whole band play faultlessly throughout this mega number. If it contained no other tracks it would still be worth all of its price. As it is this is by far my favorite deep purple recording of them all and the only one I do not hesitate in giving 5 stars to. A must own record for all heavy prog fans. Only the Who's live at Leeds is a better live record this one is an absolute classic.

Additional comment 19-06-12

I believe I paid £3.35 for my original copy, which is still playable. I recently bought the CD version of this, whilst the sound is mostly a great improvement the vocals do sound rather harsh at times. I would only give the cd 4 stars.

One of those rare exceptional Live albums to come out of the 70's. Remember Traffic's - On The Road, Genesis - Second's Out, Yes - Yessongs, Tangerine Dream's - Ricochet, Jethro Tull's - Bursting Out??? To name but a few....this is another one of the same vintage quality and indelible stamp that left it's mark on those live releases in the 70's. The entire album is a classic from the opener HighWay Star to the epic sign off to almost 20 minutes of Space Truckin'. My personal favourite on this live set is ' Strange Kind Of Woman'. There are not enough superlatives to describe what this very definite Prog Metal offers. If you do not have this in your collection I strongly recommend you seek therapy to find out the reason as to why not! 5 stars, no contest.

Made in Japan is THE archetypal metal live album. Though the band is not heavy metal, this album is a blueprint for metal live documents. The band is in top form on the Machine Head tour as they jam through Purple standards with style. Each member shines on tracks: Paice on The Mule and Space Truckin; Blackmore on every track; Lord on Highway Star and Child in Time; Glover on Smoke and Space Truckin; and Gillan on Child in Time and Strange Kind of Woman.

Some of the jams are a bit long, but they're still superb. Gillan's and Blackmore's duel in Strange Kind of Woman, Paice's extended break on The Mule, and Lord's duel with Blackmore on Highway Star are all incredible. The reissue contains the encore performances of Speed King, Black Night, and Lucille, all of which are rocking.

This album stands with The Who's Live at Leeds and the Allman Brother's At Fillmore East as a defining live document that no one should be without. The insanely technical improvs give this prog credentials, and they also helped to lay foundations for prog metal.

This is the best live album ever recorded! Every song sounds better than the studio version (especially Child in time and Highway star). I think this recording is Blackmore's personal best. Powerfull and expressive vocals, strong bass lines, astonishing guitar and keyboard solos, these are the ingridients for a perfect live album, a perfect combination beetween progressive and rock'n'roll.

Conclusion: a superb album, full of energy. Just listen to it and you won't need coffee for the rest of the day. 5 stars.

This is the best live record ever. Until I find a better one. Some came pretty close, but non overtook DEEP PURPLE's "Made In Japan".

There is a extended version of this record - a CD reissue with additional tracks. I don't know anything about that version, so I will stick in my review with the old, "common" edition.

This is a lengthy record; it contains two vinyls - a welcome feature compared to, let's say, Genesis "Live" or Jean-Luc Pony "Live" - they are excellent live records, but way too short, abruptly ended. This one is more than 75 minutes in it's full glory. And there is no weak track or filler.

The weakest track, in my opinion, is "Smoke On The Water": a hard rock riff milestone. The song is so overplayed that I can't stand it anymore, but to do justice I must say this version is excellent, sincere and performed beautifully."Strange Kind Of Woman" sounds fresh, and Ian screams above 15000 Hz again, cleverly accompanied with Ritchie's guitar solos.

"The Mule" is another drum solo nine minutes long. I am not big fan of drum solos, and most of them are just plain boring, unless you're the drummer's girlfriend-wannabe. However, Paice is doing his job like a possessed maniac, and this solo is really able to keep your attention during all of its length. The intro and the ending are proggier than the majority of the band's catalogue.

Everything else - are the highlights: "Lazy" being perfect bluesy blend of Hammond organ and guitar (with most astonishing Hammond intro that Lord ever did - how?!?), "Child In Time" immortal song, this time in equally magnificent version, again with Gillan singing on top of his voice.

And last but not the least, the side-long "Space Truckin'". The prolonged part (the one that's not present on a studio version) is actually an excerpt from "Mandrake Root" tune, and it is the best combination of organ-psychedelia and hard rock ever, hands down. It's bass-driven, with furious protracted Hammond soloing, Blackmore's guitar mannerism and most notably Lord's experimentation with ring modulator effect. It sounds spacey, indeed.

Having that said, I can only conclude that this live document deserves no less than five stars.

The mother of all live albums ! (on par with "Live" from Uriah Heep, "Slade Alive!", "Rock'n'Roll Animal" from Lou Reed, "Genesis Live" and "YesSongs" IMO). I saw the Purple performed this tour in Brussels (March 20, 1973 - I was forteen) in a packed Forest National and it is quite a souvenir. At that time, I was listening to MIJ again and again. I had even taped it so that I could go out and walk carrying my cassette recorder to be able to listen to MIJ away from home (kind a precursory version for a walkman). I knew already by heart the seven songs of this incredible live effort.

"Highway Star" was their classic opener in those days (they will re-use it later on again as such). If I would be critical and honest, I would say that two songs are better in their studio versions "Child" and "Space". Two are on par "Highway" and "The Mule". What is incredible here is the way the band copes together. The extreme complicity between Gillan and Blackmore at the time is enormous on stage (only to be equalled / surpassed with the Page / Plant one). The way Ian responds to Ritchie in "Strange Kind of Woman" is superb and will be a Purple standard. This version is superior to the studio one. "Smoke on the Water" is another song that surpasses the studio work. It will make this average song (it had never been one of my fave on "Machine Head") an anthem for millions of fans and for more than three decades to come (it is still played during their live sets in 2006). This version of "The Mule" is gorgeous. It has little to do with the original and brings Ian Paice on the front end. He supplies a fantastic drum solo which definitely belongs to the era. It is said that during some live renditions of "Fireball" (the track) he was the fastest drummer in the world. He should also be considered as one of the top ten drummer of all time.

Each member of the band (except Roger) will produce an extensive solo part while the others will take a break. this might sound boring, but it was the trademark of live concert in those times.

I never understood why "Space Truckin" should be extended to almost 20 minutes but anyway it fits within the ensemble and closes the first release of Made In Japan. On the 25th anniversary edition, in 1998 some bonus tracks will be added. Each of them is an encore : "Lucille" from the Osaka concert on August 16th, "Black Night" and "Speed King" from the Tokyo concert on August 17th (the latter was previously unreleased).

To cash in, their record company released a triple album called "Live In Japan" which represents almost the entire three mythical Japanese concerts. I say almost because to get it truely completed, the fan will need to get the fabulous six CD set "Listen, Learn, Read On (not yet mentioned on this site) to get the sole lacking track of those great moments : The Osaka encore "Black Night" from August 16th. This makes it quite expensive to get the whole stuff, doesn't it ? Made In Japan will reach Nr. 6 in the US and 16 in the UK charts.

Although the sound is not always great and that the Purple will release a double live album called "In Concert - BBC" in 1980 but recorded in March 1972 for its "Machine Head" part which is IMO better than MIJ I will rate this album five stars.

To be complete since I have read here and there some erroneous information about the tracklist, I will outline where and when each track has been recorded : Highway Star : Osaka (August 16th, 1972) Child In Time : Osaka (August 16th, 1972) Smoke On The Water : Osaka (August 15th, 1972) The Mule : Tokyo (August 17th, 1972) Strange Kind Of Woman : Osaka (August 16th, 1972) Lazy : Tokyo (August 17th, 1972) Space Truckin' : Osaka (August 16th, 1972)

Keep on (hard) rocking.

A legendary live recording of the legendary hard rock band Deep Purple. Is this prog? It most certainly is, all songs going well over 6 minutes and all of them are very rich in instrumentation and do things that normal rock songs would never imagine of doing!

At first though, before hearing this album, I was a bit cautious. Cos the vocals by Ian Gillan on the studio albums are among the best ever. His screams are just incredible, but can he do it live too? The answer luckily is yes, he's almost as good as on the studio albums.

If you don't know Deep Purple but you like hard rocking prog then this CD is a good place to start, if you're a real neo-proger then this might not be such a great album for you, but hey, not every album can please everyone's tastes right?

5/5 for me no doubt.

4.5 stars. This record proves that DEEP PURPLE were one of the most talented bands to ever get up on a stage and play. And the album title was tongue and cheek because back then it was understood if it was made in Japan the quality was poor. The opposite of course is true today.

The opener "Highway Star" is one of the best driving songs ever ! And check out the freaking guitar solos from Blackmore ! "Child In Time" is quite atmospheric to open with reserved vocals as organ and drums create the mood.Things intensify greatly and build and Ian's vocal melody is spellbinding. The organ solo and drums are fantastic. Blackmore's turn ! And there are no words for that solo that seems to go on forever. "Smoke On The Water" features perhaps the most famous riff in rock history ! Enough said. How many live albums can boast of 3 songs like these to lead off with ?

"The Mule" has a pretty amazing drum solo from Mr.Paice. "Strange Kind Of Woman" is a catchy song with some more great guitar solos and some cool vocal and guitar interplay. Ian seems to be able to do whatever he wants with his vocals as he screams at will, and can hold a note for an incredibly long time. "Lazy" is where Jon Lord shines ! The song is experimental sounding in the beginning with even a melody from "Louie Louie", you can tell Mr.Lord is having a lot of fun. "Space Truckin'" features some more great vocals from Ian, and some excellent organ play, while the drumming holds it all together.

This is almost a perfect live record if there is such a thing. I confess a fondness to the way Ritchie Blackmore plays and I love his work on RAINBOW's "Rising". The guy has a beautiful style.This is one of the greatest live records ever recorded.

Long before there was metal (much less prog metal) there was Deep Purple. Back in the early 70s there were millions of rock music fans (myself included) who had a "need for speed" but weren't getting it on a consistent basis from the heavy hitters of the day like Led Zeppelin (who would slip in a ballad or laid back tune on every album). We didn't always want our headbanging to be interrupted and that's why we cherished both "In Rock" and "Machine Head" studio albums. What DP delivered was high-torque rock and roll, one song after another, without any pretense of being sensitive or soft and sometimes that was the only music that would satisfy the tiger in our tanks.

I must confess that I haven't listened to this record (yes, it's a vinyl copy) in decades but I got a bit nostalgic and grabbed it off the shelf recently. Before I even pulled the LPs from the sleeve the photo on the cover got my attention. I saw them in concert in the early 70s and that picture brought back vivid memories. Arena rock shows were still in their infant stage for the most part and a no-frills approach was all you expected and what you got. No props, no fancy lights, and no lasers. There's not even a drum riser! One lonely vocal monitor in the frame, no bank of effects for the guitarist, and a battered organ with its insides exposed. It was totally up to the band to create all the fireworks and that's what these guys did. Starting with the supercharged organ and guitar leads on "Highway Star" you can tell that they weren't trying to just recreate their studio version. This was LIVE, baby! And nobody was shredding any better than Ritchie Blackmore on his Stratocaster in that era. "Child in Time" showcases Ian Gillian's incredible vocal range despite the primitive conditions. Other than a little reverb there's nothing to aid him and he shines brilliantly, hitting every high note spot on. "Smoke on the Water" wasn't yet the worldwide hit that it would eventually become but I think they knew they had a winner with the tune and they play it straight until the end when Jon Lord (organ) and Blackmore trade a few licks to add some drama. "The Mule" is just a vehicle for Ian Paice's drum solo and it adequately showcases his considerable skills. "Strange Kind of Woman" is a rockin' shuffle that features Blackmore's most controlled solo on the album and a call/answer segment at the end between him and Gillian that ends with a spine-tingling scream you have to hear to believe. "Lazy" has a lot of wild organ feedback and grandstanding from Lord before they storm into the blazing tempo of the song. "Space Truckin'" is over 20 minutes of a typical concert- ender of that epoch in that it's basically time for the band to showboat and take things over the top. Even Roger Glover on bass gets a moment of his own. These guys knew they were at the apex of their game and that no other band on the planet could keep up with them on stage so they gave their rabid audience exactly what they came for. It's a feedback crazy, noise-indulgent and take-no-prisoners exhausting ride to the finish.

There's an ambient "room" sound to these recordings that you don't get on modern concert albums that adds additional authenticity, as well. No overdubs or studio do- overs to correct incidental goofs that occurred in the heat of battle here, just a snapshot in rock and roll history that captured the way things were in 1972. Nothing particularly "prog" to be found, just a lot of tear-your-head-off rock and roll. Drink it in.

5.1 stars!

Raf couldn't have said it any better. This is the definitive start to all that is progressive metal. Everything is here in this record! The amazing riffs, the tight rhythms the intense musicianship. One of the best live outings of any band of all time, this album ranks way up there in my books.

"Highway Star", as I learned, from family and friends, was the classic Deep Purple concert opener, and I think I actually prefer the studio version to this for some odd reason. Soon after, they kick into "Child In Time" and then the good times start to roll. "Child" absolutely blows its studio counterpart out of the water here! The trend of outdoing the studio carries into "Smoke On The Water" with Ritchie Blackmore's incredible solo that never seems to end but yet it keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. "The Mule" is by far the best performance on this album, because without that intense Ian Paice drum solo this outing would have been nothing. Paice is living proof that you don't need a drum kit bigger than some small countries to produce great solos.

"Strange Kind Of Woman" is an intense song, and half of the time you are trying to figure out if you are listening to Ian Gillan screaming or Ritchie slashing away at his guitar. That kind of potent combination makes for an awesome stage show and an even better song. "Lazy" is another favorite because of the incredible organ effects presented by Jon Lord. Honestly, you couldn't have found 5 finer musicians at the time to put on this show. The 20 minute epic jam session that is "Space Truckin" takes the show away in a blaze of encore glory.

The true live album! There was nothing like this before it, and there was and most likely won't be anything like it to follow. Every single musician knew their spot and it payed off handsomely with a solo for each. Yes, even lonely Roger Glover got that bass solo in there. Like I said before, there was not a finer tuned line-up than this in the history of rock n' roll and their most likely won't be for another 100 years.

Deep Purple totally rocks hard. Made in Japan is one of those amazing live records where you can practically see the energy flowing out of the speakers. Better yet, you can feel it. To put it simply, all of the songs showcased here are harder, faster and more powerful than their studio counterparts. The band takes extended solos and jam sessions to really show that they are in charge. Actually, the only place where the jamming isn't totally cool is on "Space Truckin'". The band manages to keep everything very interesting throughout the extended jam, but it gets a little superfluous at the end. Oh well, it was probably better if you were actually there. Anyway, every band member gives a top-notch performance and Gillian pulls off "Child in Time" quite well. This record is a total blast to listen to, so have fun!

Standout tracks: "Highway Star", "Lazy"

This is my preferred live that I listen to from Mandrakeroot's collection. I think that "Made In Japan" is a great manifesto of 70's musical scene. All musicians are gods. In my opinion this is the real confirm of the Purple like a Rock Stars. And the definitive born of Classic Metal and Proto Prog Metal. Is also a Prog live because the true Prog music is contained in various songs. I speak of "The Mule", "Lazy" and "Space Truckin'". Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice... 5 possessed men and in this live 5 teachers of emotions. This live is from 1972. But in true is from immortal year. Long life to "Made In Japan".

This was an album that defined my youth. I wanted to be Ian Gillan and sing like he did on Child In Time. I wanted to be Ritchie Blackmore and play the riff from Smoke on the Water. Sadly, I had no talent and I soon gave up Deep Purple as their next few albums did nothing for me.

I then put this album away for over 30 years and got it out last week to review. And does it still do it for me? Emphatically not. The playing is full of energy but far too loose and imprecise for my more mature and demanding tastes. I don't like The Mule or Lazy at all and Space Trucking drags on far too long. Strange Kind of Woman is a great song and the first 3 tracks are timeless classics, but the thrall it once held me in has gone. Greatest live album? God no - Rush, Camel, BJH, Renaissance, Gentle Giant and Yes (to name a few) have all done far better live cuts than this. That's not to say it's bad; it just isn't in the top league. There are some fine organ solos, some great guitar playing and Gillan's voice is powerful and usually tuneful. It just isn't cutting edge.

You should listen to it, you may like it enough to buy.

Yes I like Deep Purple... And this album is one of their best. Is it progressive? Well, in some aspects...

It would be a hard rock forum, I would give them 5 stars. Just remaining the pleasure I had to listen to them, I'll judge them with more prog c riteria which they partially meet.

Unfortunately it is not as crative as the best Prog bands in their deepness of reseach: less risks, less unusual ways to play the riff played by "just another monkey" as Ian Anderson said in a very humble and self-conscious interview (Aqualung live). Usual instruments, usual hard parts, with some ballads parts.

NO, I am not too severe: it is a question of category. They are one of the very best in hard rock of history, but, this is not a Rock site. Prog Rock is only part of it, and one of the most diversified, complicated and maybe unfair. People hoping for Prog want more than expectedc melodies and rythym.

You better bow your head

Often cited as one of the greatest live albums ever released, "Made in Japan" is indeed a worthy record of a band at its peak. Recorded in 1972, mainly in Osaka but with a couple of songs from the Tokyo gig the same week, the album fits in the Deep Purple time line just after "Machine head". It is no surprise then that four of the seven tracks on that album are featured, including a 20 minute version of "Space truckin'". The rest of the set list is made up of the sublime "Child in time" from "In rock", "Strange kind of woman" (A non album single) and the "The mule" from "Fireball".

The double LP sold for about the same price as a single album at the time, making it an attractive proposition for those looking to investigate the music of this rapidly ascending band.

It is perhaps astonishing now to think that the prime motive behind the album was the record company's wish to fight back against the bootleggers, the band initially being reticent about the idea. In one of a number of parallels with Uriah Heep's subsequent "Live '73" several gigs were recorded, but fate dictated that for technical reasons by and large only one of the recordings was considered entirely fit for purpose, the Budokan tapes being overlooked altogether.

The overriding plus from this album is the incredible sound quality. The band assert that no overdubs have ever been done to the original recordings, the remastered version simply using modern technology to further enhance the original tapes.

Most of the renditions here are faithful to the studio originals, whilst featuring variations in the solos and of course an obligatory drum solo (on "The mule"). "Strange kind of woman" becomes a 10 minute affair, due in part to call and response section between Blackmore and Gillan, and the band allow themselves to indulge in a jam on "Space truckin'".

In all, a fine live album indeed, which has over time become the yardstick by which other such releases are judged.

The remastered CD puts the four sides of the original LP on a single disc. A second disc of CD single length is added containing 3 songs played as encores during the tour. These include the single "Black night" plus "Speed king" from "In rock". Both these performances are Tokyo recordings, while the third encore, a cover of the Little Richard (with Albert Collins) song "Lucille", was only performed in Osaka. The sleeve of the remastered CD is different to the original European release, the front picture of the band being surrounded by a black (it couldn't be more black!) edging.

The 70's were great years for live albums. Mainly because bands could feel less inhibited about stretching out without getting accused of self indulgence. For me there's little point in a live album if it's just a straight interpretation of the studio version unless of course it can be improved on. On Made in Japan, Deep Purple managed to do both making it one of the greatest live albums ever. On these Japanese dates the band was on fire playing the definitive version of every track here.

What we get here is most of the classics, most of which still feature in the live set to this day. There's very few set opener's the equal of Highway Star, the way it builds up before exploding into the first verse of this fast heavy Rock song. The solos from Lord and Blackmore are fantastic too, in fact Blackmore in particular excels on just about every song here justifying his reputation he had gained at the time of being one of the best Rock guitarists ever.

Highway Star is pretty hard to beat but the band try hard with superb versions in particular of Child in Time (Gillan hitting those high notes perfectly), Strange Kind of Woman and of course not forgetting Smoke on the Water. Familiarity has somewhat dimmed the power of this song but there's no getting away from what a classic it is.

Lots of people find Drum solo's boring but being a Drummer myself it's always a pleasure to hear a virtuoso at work. Ian Paice never disappoints and is on great form on The Mule.

I can't end this review without mentioning Space Truckin. What was a four and a half minute studio album track has turned into a twenty minute jam. I love the dynamics of this track, the way it fades away to an almost total silence before bursting back to life with an explosion. Awesome Stuff!

So there you have it, a 5 star rating for a strong contender for greatest live album ever. Even Purple couldn't beat it on their numerous live releases since.

The classic live rock album and one of the most popular ever. It is not something I would still enjoy today, but live versions of "Child in Time", "Lazy", "Strange Kind of Woman" and "Smoke on the Water" are definitely superior to their studio versions. Very good sound and production provides nice almost "easy" listening, despite certain over-solo moments.

PERSONAL RATING: 3,5/5

P.A. RATING: 3/5

There has been heaped so much praise on this album I can keep this review short. We think it's the best live recording ever made said the record company's advertisments for the album in Japan - and damn right they were and are. I came across a good deal of very good live recordings by other bands and artists but here something special happened, something that was beyond the control of any group of individuals. If you want to own an album that was recorded during magical nights and that can do magic to your mind, get your hands on this one. The magic somehow has been transferred onto tape. But maybe the magical word is rather determination - I always get this impression when I listen to the fantastic version of Space Truckin'. It's like they played with a vengeance. 5 stars - what else?

This album is basically perfect.

Once I heard the audience cheering I realized it was a live performance (I just borrowed the tape for the first time last week, literally ignorant of it's origins) and my admiration increased drastically, number one due to compositions. The marksmanship and precision achieved through the instrumentation. Nice and Heavy for it's time, constantly moving, I was head-banging to the whole song of Highway Star. It just doesn't stop.

The guitar solos are relentless, it just goes to show how well versed these musicians were. The sound does not give you any time to stop and think, just feel, constantly feeling the music.

This recording truly grasps the aura of the band, something no studio album would ever compete with.

Grooving. Always grooving.

You just got to love it.

DEEP PURPLE FOREVER!!!!

Wow! What a great live sound. So raw, yet everyting can be heard clearly! All the five musicians are on brilliant form, and special credit to Blackmore, Lord, Gillan, Paice and Glover (Oooops I mean the whole band then). These are one of those bands who are all virtuosos at heir particular instruments (other examples are Rush, CTTE era Yes, and The Who).

'Highway Star' begins the show with a bang and is pulled of exceptionally well. 'Child in Time' then explodes forth mindblowingly. It stays faithful to the original, but doesn't quite capture the right mood. If ever there was a live tack that blew the studio version out of the water one only has to look to this version of 'Smoke on the Water'. As the main riff is belted out and improvised upon, one can shake off all their preconceptions of this song as a hard rock cliche. 'The Mule' starts off pretty average but once Paie goes crazy on the drum set it is amazing. 'Strange Kind of Woman' is a brilliant song as it is but in the middle of this version includes a guitar/vocal duel which is simply stunning (if not slightly self indulgent). 'Lazy' is another great song, but I slightly prefer the studio version. 'Space Truckin'' falls nothing short of amazing. The core of the song is only the first five minutes of this version, and the remaining fifteen are taken up by a wild improvisation with brilliant solos and especially brilliant drumming. This is really totally self indulgent but who cares when such amazing results are achieved?

Let's also mention the bonus disc (not on original album) which while not being as good as the album main includes strong versions of 'Nlack Night', 'Speed King' and Little Richard's 'Lucille'.

I'm going to knock off a star for 'Lazy' and 'Child in Time' not being quite as good as the studio versions, and I won't take the second CD into account as it wasn't part of the original release. I'm no connoseur of live albums but I know good music when I hear it, and this is it. So, can we have everything louder than everything else please?

This is THE concert of Rock n Roll every song is a masterppiece, faster versions, heavier, longer, improved, etc. I can say, this is the best live album I've ever heard. They had no rules, no limits, no shame in doing awesome music, this album has incredible moments, like the faster version of Highway star, the improvisation in Strange kind of woman etc. And when you though it can't be better, they release the 2CD edition, which includes 'Black night', Speed king' (VERY VERY recomended with a guitar/vocal duet) and the classic 'Lucille'

This is ine if the albums that came to stay, and I'm telling you, this is the greatest live Rock/ metal concert recorded to date

One of the greatest live albums ever. If you're wondering where prog metal's roots lay, this may be one of the starting points, and maybe the most important of them. For it showed that heavy music and prog rock were not incompatible at all. Even the most radical proghead at the time (and boy, did I know some!) could not deny those guys were absolute masters of their instruments and at least two cases (Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord), truly genius. They not only play their classics in great versions, but they proved they could jam, improvise and create like few others during live shows.

Of course those displays of explicid virtuosism would soon become common place (even if many of artists did not have the talent nor the technique to pull that off). But at the time it caused quite a stir, since in the minds of many heavy music was something done by below average musicians, who would try to hide their lack of musical skills under a wall of noise. Deep Purple changed all that. Yes, they were LOUD. heavy and noisy, but they were also outstanding musicians, with great creativity and had vast musical background, able to play classical and jazz. Their chemistry was something quite unique and Deep Purple MKII was more than the sum of its parts.

There was also a great singer in that, under the moniker of Ian Gillan. Wow, the man had a great voice to match the incredible instrumentation around him. He was one of the first to show he could not only scream but also sing very well (Robert Plant never got even close to him live). And they were on their peak at the time. Even the obligatory drum solo is interesting and not just a self indulgent exercise like many (even if I do not see that as a highlight here).

Made In Japan is made only of classic stuff. It was very well recorded for the time and the new CD version has 3 extra tracks (I guess it was the encore part): Black Night, Speed King and a powerhouse version of Lucille. All the new additions are on par with the original tracks. Heavy music and prog were together. Things would never be the same again. Simply essential.

The best live album ever released ? When music lovers discuss music, there one discussion who are pretty short. Made In Japan has this title sown up forever. Music lovers tends more to discuss who is the second best live album ever. But that's another place; another time.

From Highway Star kicks in to the end of Space Truckin, this album rocks the planet. And it never fails to impress. This is an album where you simply stop doing whatever you are doing and simply LISTEN to the music. This is not a good idea if driving a bus full of children...... I have been a fan of this album for the best part of thirty years. It impresses me as much now as when I heard it for the first time. And I must have played it ten times a year. From a rotten cassette via a luxury CD version to a MP3 version. From the frozen Arctic wastelands, just three hundred miles from the North Pole to the sweltering heat of Florida; this album is still impressive and ********* good.

Most of all; it sends my legs, hips, torso, arms and head into some movements loosely described as dancing. It is infectious. It is rays of sunshine. It is rays of life. It is what music is about.

......then there is this drum solo. I do not like drum solos. But I guess everyone else is ignoring it and still gives it five points. I have to agree with this, although drum solos are not my thing.

And then there is this pop up window from Prog Archives telling me to use five stars very sparingly because there must be a fault with any albums. (text removed)

Edit: I have upped it to five stars after some more listenings. The reason is that this is the best ever live album on the market. Hence five stars.

Again, I don't normally review live albums, but...

Come on! This is the Deep Purple peak! The highlights from In Rock and Machine Head are here, so it serves as an extended best of jam. Each of the songs rip so much harder than their studio counterparts.

Highway star starts things off with a muscular thrust. Everyone sounds so impassioned and fiery. That electric blasting solo is amazing. Blackmore hasn't ever done much better than what he does on this album. Everything shrieks where it only purred in studio. This is ridiculous! In the best way. Child in Time follows, and the organ introduction is as nice as it was in studio. Ian seems so wild and fierce. the guitars dance all over the middle section.

The Smoke on the Water jam is forcefully Punching. I have said it before, but the studio albums lose so much momentum and strength compared to the wild live album. The extended additions to the songs are solid, and everything is as it should be, in a composition stand point.

If I must call out one flaw on here, it is The Mule. Serves only as a drum solo. A great drum solo, but 10 minutes of drumming is just too much. At least black Sabbath kept it down to only a couple minutes. The ending kicks it up, though. Strange Kind of Women starts off violently, and in a good way. The best flaring groove rocking Deep Purple ever prescribed to. Classic. Again, I enjoy all the live counterparts to their studio brethren. Lazy is the same here as it was on Machine Head, in spirit. That is, A big show-off session.

At least they have something to show off, I say! It works so well in this environment. If even that weird little funky vibe near the beginning is a bit pedestrian. Then it just absolutely rips. Solo after solo after eye melting solo. The organ trade offs are great, and they get almost as much time as the guitar, here. It is a bit shallow, but it is fascinating to hear them go at it so skillfully. And it just explodes at the end.

The 20 minute long Space Truckin' jam is a testament to the excess and extravagance of a Deep Purple show. The guitar dances and wails. It sings and screams. Very interesting. Although the song tends to meander quite a bit. There are several sections that make me wish it was cut in half, because a lot of it is rhythm section droning over a few guitar "shavings" that aren't much. Progressive? maybe. Boring? You bet. The rest of the song is grade A rocking in the highest caliber, and that drumming is great. The organ gets some spotlight here, as well. Still feels like it goes on for far too long. But, the ending is absolutely smashing.

Best song - Everything but half of The Mule and half of Space Truckin'

Worst song - The Mule and half of Space Truckin'

Pros - Everything gets turned to 11, full of passion, brilliant playing from everyone

cons - A bit bloated, a bit too excessive for my tastes, and some boring parts.

**** very strong stars. The greatest Deep Purple album.

Made In Japan is the culmination of Deep Purple's most prosperous years,concerning everything written by the Mk II between mid 69 and late 71.The trio of albums found in between this wonderful years for rock music are the essence of the band's career,and fit as a powerful and rich repertoire for the shows.Everything made after this was faded to be forever overshadowed by the furious roaring of the Mk II's live act.The glory and majesty of the band's performances by 1973 was recorded here and presented to us in it's unparalelled rawness,with no overdubs at all.Yet the most gratifying merit of Made In Japan is to flawlessly capture the spur of the moment,the magic of that particular point in time for Deep Purple.Even though it's clear that,by that summer,inner relations were already tense and threatening(and apparently Gillan and Blackmore were no longer talking to each other....),the band simply could not make it wrong on stage.

Because it magically makes you feel as if you were just there,in Tokyo/Osaka by mid 1973(and most importantly because it is unbelievably spontaneous ),this is the perfect live album.

It's also worth mentioning that Made In Japan comfortably achieves what is apparently impossible:every single one of the songs in the set list are arguably better than their studio originals.In some cases,the difference is absurd.The Highway Star we hear in Machine Head,for instance,is trampled by this live opus that is one of the ultimate rock experiences of all time.The fury and brutality of the Mk II is brought back to life,quite in the fashion of In Rock.By the time Jon Lord is playing his wild Hammond solo,you get the dimension of this album.Faster,agressive and simply...majestic.

Child In Time,one of the finest pieces of music ever wrote,fits perfectly as the direct follower to Highway Star.Even tough the guitar solo is not as amazing as what was heard at In Rock,the sum-up of it's elements makes it the most atmospheric live number ever recorded.If Ian Gillan's screams weren't mind-blowing enough on studio,here it's almost unbelievable.His thrilling high-pitches lead the song to a growing instensity,and reforce the impression that this is the most stunning live show ever recorded.

And we're off to Smoke On the Water,not the best song they ever played,but still a good old-fashioned rocker.Needless to say it is majorly improved,and the anthologic riff fits just marvelously in the album's context.This tune is notably heavier here,and as every other track,extended.The extra minutes are not,however,sacrificed to unnecessary soloing.Everything about this album seems just about right.

The Mule is mainly a vehicle for virtuosity show-off,pretentious and proud.However Deep Purple managed to create songs which admittedly deserved such adjectives and still sound about the most exciting music to be found in the genre.A very long drum solo(which may not have the appeal of the Live in Denmark DVD for not containing any image)consumes the track's majority of time,the band coming in for it's wonderfully exotic riff-driven introduction/conclusion,simply amazing.

Strange Kind of Woman comes in to show how much can a true band improve it's music on stage.This just gotta be the most genious improvement over a studio song ever recorded,mainly for the music itself,slightly altered with longer guitar solos.The remaining time of this 10 minutes track is used for priceless entertainment,with the famous guitar/vocals duel,and thousands of hand claps as background.If it's necessary to point out highlights in albums such as this, this is one of them.

There's not much to be said about Lazy,other than the band's most significant instrumental piece is improved with less tight soloing,giving us a sample of how much a guitarrist was Blackmore.Just pure Hard-Blues magic.

I'm running out of compliments for this glorious masterpiece of rock music,but believe me,the best is kept for the very end.Space Truckin',not that great a song on Machine Head,becomes a monster of hard rock here,and arguably the most incredible stage number of the early seventies.Despite the improvements over the song itself,which seems to be wrote for this concert(and moment)alone,Deep Purple comes back for nearly 15 minutes of progressive-like solos and instrumental constrasts,all shining with the perfect atmosphere of the show.As the last thrashes are heard through the amps,I'm actually exhausted(and I mean that in the most positive way imaginable).

This is the sum-up, the conclusion of Deep Purple's prime.In this three-year period that started with Simper and Evans departure and finished with this album,the band truly did fantastic rock music, paralleled only by Led Zeppelin's studio perfection(at least as far as the hard rock genre goes).But a live album that captures with such elegance and pride it's creators nature is yet to be recorded.

The intensity of Made In Japan is quite simply unmatchable.

I should describe a little difference and passage first in the form of the sale of the record in each country for writing this review. Fact whose title of this album put on the market in Japan where I live as passage from which this album is put on the market is first "Live In Japan". This album is an album of live recorded in Japan in 1972. And, the fact put on the market as "Made In Japan" in foreign countries. And, "Live In Japan" of three classes is put on the market as a complete album also in foreign countries. Various situations are included in this passage.

First of all, some conditions existed with parties concerned in Japan between bands for details from which this album was put on the market.

This album must be a sale only of Japan first. If the state of the recording was bad, the band presented the policy of not putting it on the market in the album. And, the band must own all the authorities.

The tape that records live of this secondarily must be done and the band must do the work of the take-home mix.

And, parties concerned of the band must be thirdly related to the recording of live.

At that time, live that the band had done meeting these requirements that the band had presented in Japan in 1972 was put on the market as "Live In Japan" in Japan. At that time, Deep Purple is related to the recording of live of three days in Japan. It was put on the market back as a complete album. The machine parts used to record were all the machine parts made in Japan. And, the place where the recording was done is Osaka festival hall and Nihon-Budokan of Tokyo. Overseas a variety of band will do live with Nihon-Budokan centering on Deep Purple's having done live unusually in this place to overseas musician's doing live at that time in especially 1972 with Nihon-Budokan.

Material in the tune is the following descriptions. Highway Star-8/16 Osaka Child In Time-8/16 Osaka Smoke On The Water-8/15 Osaka The Mule-8/17 Tokyo Strange Kind Of Woman-8/16 Osaka Lazy-8/17 Tokyo Space Truckin'-8/16 Osaka

It is said that the tune failed a little at that time in live of this. As for the failing take etc. , only the take that may be deleted was collected and collected. It is said that the member of the band did live to atmosphere and making the hall while groping. Live..tape..confirm..band..member..tape..quality..height..surprise..say.And, the content of this album will be worth the evaluation and be put on the market as "Made In Japan" also in foreign countries.

Live in Japan to which this member who had to be able to say the second stage went might be correct and be one of the masterpieces of Deep Purple. Perfect performance of "Highway Star". And, a beautiful melody of famous "Child In Time" and power to explode. Solo of Ian Paice in "The Mule" might have become a legend with a perfect flow. And, the flood of Rock of "Space Truckin'" lasting for "Lazy" and 20 minutes and the sound. Or, elements of a few Improvisation. This performance will already have been a legend momentarily at the time of having been done live.

There are few interesting live rock albums. There are even fewer that I would rate above 3 stars but this is an exception and probably everybody's favourite live album.

Deep Purple are high and mighty here, sole rulers of the expanding hard rock universe that they created. This live set collects some of their strongest tracks and the inspired performance shakes and pushes them to their boundaries. Some of the soloing and improvisations might seem indulgent and tedious to some but I think Deep Purple managed to maintain a good balance. The ultimate example would be Space Trucking, extended from a good 4 minutes to a full 20 minute length and I wouldn't want to miss a second of it. Make sure not to miss the surging Black Night that was included on the remastered edition. Classic. 4.5 stars

I have always liked deep purple a considerable amount, but not nearly as much as the greats of the era. Their albums in the 70's had lots of interesting stuff, but this live album appeals to me almost as much as 'seconds out' does in the respect of a live album of the 70's that captures a bands true form. The energy is by far at its' greatest, and blackmore shreds wonderfully. Even the 'rondo-ish' take on space truckin is a delight, comparable to e.l.p.'s 'rondo.' I was never a huge fan of smoke on the water, but this is played very well live. Highway star and child in time are definite high-points and fav's of mine. The album in general can be a consider when speaking of the greatest live albums of all time, its probably not top 5, but it's way up there. If ever seen in a store grab it for sure! 4 stars

1972, we agree with all the time that has passed since that masterful deep purple live album?, Has been a long time and even in these days, people new into terms of "rock" are consistent that this live album is one of the greatest exponents in music in general which live music is concerned, I do not think that are weak parts on this album, and the songs that are on this live album are hymns in the history of this great British band, such as Smoke on the water, child in time, I should mention my respects to the great voice of Ian Gillan, excellent, great voice.and is still rockin, another great genius of great inspiration for the musical wave of guitarists that appeared in the 80's,i am talking about Ritchie blackmore and a inspiration for yngwie malmsteen,right? recently heard of the made in japan by dream theater,their made a tribute of it. and really important bands like Dream Theater to make a tribute to this album is for Quelle Honor fans of Deep Purple, Dream Theater as a fan of deep purple, as well.

the sound presented here in all instruments are truly amazing, great improvisations, great solos by Jon Lord and Ritchie, and the great and amazing bass sound of Glover, and what about the drumms of Ian paice?, if you really are new to deep purple band , I would recommend you to start with this album, and from there begin your search of this magnificent band throughout the years. is unlikely to exceed a live album like this, I mean really. when I say this and they don't believe me, I simply put the longer version of Space truckin, about 19 minutes, cool and explosive intense, large progressive elements, Deep Purple has been one of the shapers of the genre unconsciously without specifically belonging to the genre, simply the great battles of solos by ritchie and lord, are an art and other great bands inspirations for our beloved present (bravo)

4 solid stars.

I'm pretty sure that Made In Japan was the first live album that I've ever heard, which might explain why I since then had very high expectations on any other live releases out there!

Every great live act needs to make a live album in order to make a historic statement for the future generations. This has been somewhat of a hit and miss for most great performers due to a variety of reasons. We didn't have a proper live album from the Ozzy-era Black Sabbath until only recently because of the terrible sound production on most of them that wouldn't justify the official seal of quality. As for Led Zeppelin my guess is that the public expectations really got to them resulting in the notorious over the top album The Song Remains The Same.

Fortunately Deep Purple didn't have any of those problems upon releasing Made In Japan. The band's performance is excellent and features quite a few spontaneous jam moments that don't necessary feel excessive and the sound quality is pretty adequate for the time period. The material picked for the album is everything a newcomer to the band should hear making this release ideal as an introduction to Deep Purple. Judging from many of the other live performances that have been recently available from the classic MKII-era the band kept the songs relatively short with the exception for the 20 minute version of Space Truckin' that takes the grand prize for the most excessive drum solo ever recorded.

Great compositions like Highway Star and Child In Time are greatly improved in the enthusiastic live setting with the solo spots from Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord sounding better than ever. Even the prolonged versions of The Mule and Lazy are far more interesting thanks to their sharp delivery and although I wouldn't call these two performances masterful they to add a new dimension to the Deep Purple sound that was not heard on the studio albums.

If you're into Hard Rock then this one is a must have! A great set list that is matched by equally great execution from a band at the top of their game.

***** star songs: Highway Star (6:42) Child In Time (12:18) Strange Kind Of Woman (9:52)

**** star songs: Smoke On The Water (7:47) The Mule (9:28) Lazy (10:27) Space Truckin' (19:53)

At one time, Deep Purple was the epitome of hard rock. Everyone knew their classics, like Highway Star and of course Smoke On The Water. This album captured their live performance at the height of their success. It also captures the end of an era for this band, since very soon, singer Ian Gillan left the band, and although they still had some success afterwards, they were never quite the same.

On this album, taken from shows recorded in three days in Osaka and Tokyo, you get to hear why Deep Purple was so popular. The songs are all extended jams, the shortest being Highway Star at close to seven minutes. And except for a now mundane drum solo, everything here is axactly what you would want to hear on a hard rock live album, great solos, high energy, and some of your favorite songs.

And it gave DJs time to go to the bathroom.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is why In Rock isn't my favorite Purple album. To say that Made in Japan shows DP as a great live band is to say nothing; to say that Made in Japan shows the band as one of the greatest ass-kicking machines rock'n'roll ever beheld would come close. This is the near ideal meeting point of balls-out energy and of technical perfection, where any inhibitions found in the studio versions of tracks are discarded and replaced with a primal need to do songs faster and heavier than one could probably imagine, and where solos and jams seemingly last forever but kick so much ass that they can win over any casual listener.

I'm really at a loss to describe how incredible most of these songs are. Ok, so I'm peeved that "The Mule" turns into a nine-minute excuse for Paice to have a drum solo (I'm sorry, but I just don't jive that well with endless drum solos). And I guess "Lazy" could stand some trimming - it's better than the studio version, since the organ intro (while slightly overlong) is eerie as hell in places (but also amusing, like in that place where those distorted organ chords blast out the riff to "Louie Louie"), and the jams that come out of the "main" part of the song give a nice dose of upbeat boogie, but ten minutes was certainly a bit much for such a piece.

But the rest, oh man. I only have the 1-CD, seven-track version, even though there's apparently a 2-CD version that has the encores of the shows from which this CD was taken, but suffice it to say that the other five tracks justify the rating. As much as I enjoy the studio "Highway Star," there's no question which rendition I'd take with me to my island. Oh man, it's so fast, and so energetic, and so tight, and Ian's screaming is so perfect, and Lord's organ sounds like he staked his own life force to how cool he could make his solo, and Ritchie is divebombing and soloing like a madman and playing with his whammy bar like *insert self-abuse metaphor here* ... I'm simply in awe. Man, if ever there was a justification for the whole metal genre, this might well be it.

Next is "Child in Time," where the solos seemingly go on for an eternity but never come within a solar system's reach of tedious, where every iota of the majestic tension of the original is preserved, and where Ian replicates the ridiculously high, ridiculously in-tune wails of the original so dead-on perfectly that I'm surprised the engineers didn't have to clean up a giant thudding sound from all the Japanese jaws hitting the ground at once. "Smoke on the Water" actually has Ritchie screwing up the initial riff, only to cover his tracks with perfect aplomb and make it almost seem intentional, after which the band basically rips down the house. And then, after the tedium of "The Mule," we get 9:50 of "A Strange Kind of Woman." How do you take a perfect blues-rock pop single and make it work at a length of ten minutes, you may ask? Well, the answer is let the rhythm section enter a tight mid-tempo groove, let Ritchie intermittently play lines over it, and let IAN IMITATE THEM PERFECTLY, NO MATTER HOW NON-TRIVIAL THEY ARE. Kinda like those imitations of Jimmy Page that Robert Plant would try in early Zep albums, except instead of just sorta matching the sound and largely just contributing an "eerie" mood, actually doing a dead-on imitation.

And then there's the closing "Space Truckin'," which actually gives "Highway Star" a run for its money as best of an amazing lot. Ok, we have the "main" portion of the song, done faster and more intensely than before, kicking more ass, etc. But does it end with Ian's "yeah yeah yeah" screams and a bit of repetition of the main riff? Not on your life! There's 15 minutes of jamming left, and it friggin' RULES. Paice and Glover enter into a mindblowingly intense rhythmic groove that seems like it could last forever without petering out (and I mean it - give me Ian Paice's pounding here over anything in John Bonham's whole career), Lord proceeds to coax every decent noise (and maybe some non-decent ones, depending on your perspective) possible out of his organ (before quoting the "Mandrake Root" jam), Ritchie does all sorts of whacky things, the band shuts down, the band starts up again and pounds its way to the finish ... yup, that's one hell of a jam right there.

In short, if you care about rock'n'roll or heavy metal at all, you need this. If you've ever wondered why heavy metal shows in general became so ridiculously wanky in so many ways, it is because this album showed that it was possible for heavy metal to wank this much and still kick so much ass that it doesn't matter.

For years I thought that review "Made In Japan" on any rock music related site has no sense at all - everyone knows every single note of this album. But with time I saw more and more "music fans", participated in hot discussion about "level of innovation and progressiveness in new Gazpacho release", who even didn't heard about this Deep Purple album. So it looks the time is come.

This double LP live album contains 7 excellent Deep Purple songs from their top period, played with big inspiration. Same songs almost all sound great on studio releases as well, but there in concert they got new life. Musicianship is of the highest level, but three obvious stars of this concert are Gillan's vocals,Lord's keyboard passages and Blackmore's guitar solos.

Songs versions are much longer,than on studio recordings,and that jamming and soloing added very much to the album's attraction. Being one top-level hard rock band of early 70-s, Deep Purple shows there their more progressive side, especially on keyboards arrangements.

For sure, it's really difficult to speak about this album as prog rock example. But this concert recording for decades will become etalon for future heavy metal and even metal prog bands coming on scene. I believe that till now " Made In Japan" is best ever released live hard rock album. Everyone with interest to heavy/prog rock should start from here.

For real fans I could recommend Japanese 3 CD re-release with added material from few more concerts during same band's Japan tour , I could compare this edition with Miles Davis' Bitches Brew Sessions set.

Deep Purple - Made in Japan (1972)

Hard rock wasn't just a genre, it was a promise. A promise to create that moment of ultimate energy; with rhythm, distortion and shrieking vocals. That moment that touches your evolutionary beast. This is actually one of the few albums that really rocks, and Deep Purple made one other rockin' album called 'In Rock'. Roughness is exploited to the maximum and there is no cheese to be found, not even a single second.

Deep Purple '72 had it all. The songs, the musicians and the energy to do these amazing live shows. Guitarist Richie Blackmore with his stylish sound can play subtle, rhythmic and heavy solo's, the organ's sound heavenly distorted, the drums are heavy and the vocals are amazing. Just amazing. Ian Gillan shrieks, screams and sings melodic at the same time. The band just has this amazing sound and the recording of this double live album is also very good.

The good thing about Deep Purple is the willingness to recreate their own compositions and add/change things. There are many extra solo's, new plots and reinterpretations. Furthermore, Deep Purple used some spacey sounds in intro's of some songs and heavily on the twenty minute Jam/song Space Truckin'.

Favorites of mine are the opening track, Highway Star (an historic document to describe the meaning of 'hard rock'), Lazy (amazing version) and Space Truckin' with it's free, almost progressive improvisations. The atmosphere on the whole concert is very good, so every song is worthwhile. The long drum-solo of 'The Mule' is my only complaint.

Conclusion. Though strictly not progressive, Deep Purple clearly shows the potential of adventerious rock improvisations and uses some nice spacey sounds along the way. This is a top band at it's finest hour, but it's also an acquired taste; the band tends to freak a lot. Well, can't give less then four stars for this amazing live album. Definitely one of the best and I would have wished some (modern) progressive rock bands would inspire themselves by listening to this guide 'how to play an interesting rock concert'. The progressive movement has a lot of low-energy live albums that aren't that interesting at all. Anyway, four stars and recommended to every-one who likes rock and related genres.

Deep Purple's History Making Live Masterpiece.

Deep Purple's "Made in Japan" is one of the all time greatest immortal live albums in rock history. It features the band at their brilliant best and promoting their masterpiece albums "In Rock" and "Machine Head", both milestones in themselves. The lineup is the infamous Deep Purple lineup that has become rock legend; featuring on vocals the air raid sirens of high octave metal hero Ian Gillan, the pounding drums of Ian Paice, the guitar wizardry of Ritchie Blackmore, the keyboard magician Jon Lord and the wonderful Roger Glover, bass guitarist extraordinaire. The live performance features the best of the band to this point and these lengthy versions are even better than the studio renditions. The album hits the mark with a rocking start with the hard driving 'Highway Star', the kid sister of 'Speed King'. The dynamic interplay of guitar and organ is wonderful and draws the listener in as it builds into the first verse. "Nobody Gonna Take My Car, I'm Gonna Race It To The Ground, Nobody Gonna Beat My Car, It's Gonna Break The Speed Of Sound" The lyrics embody the essence of the revhead and live Gillan is able to use his power vocals to full effect. But it's all about the riffs for this band and Blackmore delivers everytime; the true metal progenitor of lead guitar finesse, becoming a guitar hero with this album.

'Child In Time' is next running or a whopping 12 minutes. The song is a masterpiece, but live it surpasses even the album version. Gillan explodes on vocals reaching ear splitting notes after a gentle start. The song builds into a paroxysm of thunderous guitar riffs and Lord's keyboards are incredible. It builds into heavier sections with massive keyboard sweeps and fret melting lead guitar. An amazing wall of sound is generated with the rhythm machine of Paice and Glover. Eventually it settles into a serene passage until the finale where all members of the band blaze away and lift off into the stratosphere with crunching chord changes and a freak out of shattering noise as Gillan moans the pangs of child birth; perhaps it represents the birth of heavy metal, and the band deliver.

'Smoke On The Water' follows, beginning with a terrific variation of the opening classic riff. It is the most recognizable riff in rock history that every guitarist knows. The actual thematic content is fascinating about how a "stupid with a flare gun" burned down the recording studio of Frank Zappa and the Mothers in Montreux. Now the event is immortalised forever in song. This will perhaps remain the all time greatest Deep Purple song especially due to the 7 note chord riff. The live version is sensational with a scorching lead break and Lord's shimmering keyboard attack.

'The Mule' follows next with a lengthy instrumental break, and the song runs out to 9 ½ minutes in length. Ian Paice drums up a storm on his Ludwig kit soloing for quite some time. His precision drumming and atmospheric arrangement has become a benchmark for drummers worldwide.

'Strange Kind Of Woman' is also lengthy at 10 minutes and is great to hear as it was one of the biggest singles or the group not available on studio vinyl during this time. It was a chance for the band to kick back and groove along to a pleasing riff. The section where Gillan imitates Blackmore's guitar is often quoted as a master stroke and was influential to many bands to follow. It sounds as though Blackmore was trying to trick Gillan but they trade off perfectly and it is amusing and part of the experience of the live set, reminiscent of Plant and Page of Led Zeppelin.

'Lazy' is a 10 ½ minute opus with tons of keyboard soloing and Blackmore insane on bluesy guitar. It is a terrific lengthy jamming track about a dude so lazy he just stays in bed. Lord is awe inspiring on the organ solo and it really showcases his skill.

'Space Truckin'' follows and clocks in at a mammoth 20 minutes. It is another of the quintessential DP tracks. The power riffs and grinding organ absolutely slam to the wall. The lengthy version originally took up an entire side of the double vinyl album. It features huge spacey solos with Jon Lord's Hammond and his experimental ring modulator sounds. He unleashes a furious tirade of powerful organ stabs as Glover maintains a consistent bassline with Paice backing on drums. The session lasts for almost 15 minutes and is technical and progressive while maintaining strong rock rhythms. The Hammond solo is based on 'Mandrake Root' from the early DP albums.

"Made In Japan" is a classic masterpiece that is one of the most famous live albums in history. Every track is killer and the band are at the peak of their powers. It is a testament of the greatness of Deep Purple in the early years of proto-metal and the progressive nuances throughout, with intricate time sig changes and lengthy jamming solos, make it the ultimate live album of 1972.

Listening diary 2nd February 2021: Deep Purple - Made in Japan (hard rock/heavy metal, 1972)

I'm fairly close to reaching the consensus opinion that this is Deep Purple's real classic, but for one major obstacle - "Child In Time", their best song, just isn't as good as the studio version here. It comes down mostly to Lord ruining the iconic intro a bit, which is odd because pretty much every part he plays on the other songs here are an improvement. This, as a release though, is the epitome of what I really want concerts to be - totally different, totally live versions of songs. In an age of bands playing to clicks in their in-ears, it's so nice to hear a group of musicians playing off each other and ultimately just having fun with songs. If you want to hear the studio version replicated, just listen to it at home.

But ultimately, as much as this is a great album on paper, there's a lot of fluff here that I don't care for - not least because I've never really rated half the songs here. It opens powerfully but by the end of the record you're aching for the song to be over and the jams to begin - fortunately they give you a fair bit of that.

6.4 (4th listen)

Part of my listening diary from my facebook music blog - www.facebook.com/TheExoskeletalJunction

Deep Purple's Made In Japan captures the Mark II lineup of the band on the Machine Head tour, and draws its songs mainly from that album - which is fine by me since I think that was the best that lineup had to offer. It's a decent one-stop "best of" for the In Rock-Fireball-Machine Head period - particularly with the addition of the encores in recent expanded editions - and fans of the group will delight in some of the extended soloing on offer, though if you're not bowled over by their studio albums from the period I don't think these live renditions are going to change your mind very much.

I am writing about the single CD remastered version of the album. Since "Made in Japan" is one of my all time favourites, I was looking forward to getting this new version and I have to say that I was not disappointed! The sound is more defined, the bass is clearer and you can hear the fantastic solo even better! In my opinion some of the best organ and guitar solos ever recorded are on this album. I am, however, not sure whether this album can be qualified as progressive rock in the strictest sense. Here the emphasis definitely lies on rock. On the other hand all the songs are quite long and all of them feature stellar playing. This new version makes this even more obvious. This is an album that everyone who is interested in rock music should own and this new version makes a seminal album even better! Highly recommended!

"Made In Japan" is hailed by some as the live album to end all live albums. And I'd say it's pretty darn close to that. Featuring 6 live renditions of studio classics, plus "The Mule", "Made In Japan" documents the raucous spectacle and sheer bombast of Deep Purple's Mk II line-up. The music is heavy, energetic, noisy, well-performed and headbanging-galore.

Standout tracks are "Child In Time", with a particularly well-done solo by Ritchie Blackmore, "Strange Kind Of Woman", with its guitar and vocal call-and-response duel and "Smoke On The Water", which is much, much better than its studio counterpart. My only complaints are the length of the drum solo in "The Mule", which will appease all hardcore drum aficionados but goes on a bit long for my tastes, and Jon Lord's rendition of the opening organ solo from "Lazy", which he absolutely butchers, turning the moody, atmospheric studio version into what sounds like an epileptic R2-D2.

Those two little qualms aside, the only thing preventing "Made In Japan" from getting a 5 star rating is the fact that all of the songs (save for "The Mule"), and more, can be found on "In Concert", performed just as well if not better. Still an excellent addition to any rock, metal or prog collection - 4 stars.

This is without doubt the best live album made by anyone, and the most worn out LP of mine. Made in Japan shows Deep Purple at their peak, and the album contains many interesting parts. The album starts with the perfect show-opener "Highway Star". It contains of simple and effective riffs, mixed with virtuostic solos, beautiful arpeggios and Ian´s screaming vocals. The Made in Japan version of this song is also a perfect example of how tight Deep Purple was back then. "Child in Time" is the next song, and it is also one of my Purple favourites. On this version, you hear epic dynamics, unmatched singing from Gillan, a great organ solo by Jon Lord, extended and rapid guitar improvisation by Blackmore etc. As a whole, incredible song and performance! "Smoke on the water" isn´t the most known riff in the world for nothing. Killer riff, and great energy througout the song. As usual, unique and great solos by both Blackmore and Lord, and also the lyrics tells us a funny story. "The Mule", with its snakecharming theme, is the showcase for the amazing drummer Ian Paice. With that said, I tend to be inpatient with drum solos, so this is not my favourite track on the album. But I really like the way the band starts playing those rapid, unison licks after a long drum solo, and Paice just keeps going, drumming like a maniac! "Strange kind of Woman" is another favourite of the album. Very simple, swinging rock song, and then the guitar solos come! this song may contain the best guitar improvisation ever recorded with the two extended solos by Blackmore. The solos contains technique, melody, feeling, creativity and energy, just about everything you could wish! Strange kind of Woman also includes the interesting vocal/guitar battle between Gillan and Blackmore, which shows off Gillans incredible vocal range, and how good the two of them worked together musically. "Lazy" is in a way very basic, and in a way not basic at all. It starts off with a crazy organ intro, where Lord show us every possible way of playing a hammond. The song is simply a 12-bar, but heavily modified with Purple charachteristics. Fantastic soloing, great energy and pace, a break were Blackmore is quoting a swedish tune called "Midsommarvaka" and then the band get together again and finish the song in a classy way. Stunning performance! "Space Truckin" is the last song of the album, and covers a whole side on the LP. It´s a classic Purple song, and in this version it includes endless improvisations by the band, primarly by Lord. Not my favourite, but still a cool way to end an album. Five stars on this one without doubt, it belongs in everyones record collection!

DEEP PURPLE and a mythical concert, an album that I'm advised to chronicle, so I'm launching, live on it, yes I do with the means at hand, I keep repeating it, are you ready?

1 'Highway Star' mixed applause, surprised to attend one of the most beautiful live concerts transcribed on an album before the hour; an announcing, premonitory title; everything is Jon's organ, Ian's minimal but oh so important drums, the bass don't forget Roger, he's the roar in the speakers, good Ritchie almost in the background and Ian still with his voice; yes, the hard rock group...progressive which has the intro, the riff, the chorus and the solo...all the same with that sacred Ritchie which distills it, which smothers it in all winds; it was just diabolical and so present in your memory that you still murmur.... or that you hoarse during this chorus, the unstoppable introduction whatever one says about it 2 'Child In Time' paf I was talking about entry, take a look at this intro, what you don't know, you're trying to make me cry, the Kenzo ad is her, finally it's them, phew you me frightened; you see the low-cut dress, the color of the roses, Ian's cry, the walk on the tower, the sensuality of this perfume... no the cry, this cry, this unacknowledged fantasy of this woman's orgasm, no you see this galloping horse, a white horse, no, it's Ritchie who lets loose, who shows the way of the superhero, look how he mistreats the handle; that's Nirvana, who hasn't secretly done the sovereign wiggle while brandishing the neck of the phantom guitar? Who? well we calm down there at 7'49 and not 7'43 which is hurting us at this singular political moment, so we calm down, this blank becomes music before resuming with notes; a roll of drums and let's go for the second phase, for those who have fallen into a trance, you have a second chance; climb, screams, violence, rape of instruments; say that I was talking about ecstasy this second rise is stronger, more sensual, we can even guess the emerging breast under the too perfect dress, we can guess that this piece will be able to appear on TV on MTV or in advertising, a shame. 3 'Smoke On The Water' represents the most famous minute of the rock era, if the riff that kills, name me a person who has never tried to do it; the very fat organ which says that the sound can be better with this... ah I no longer remember the name of this instrument with keys... help me; the bass Roger showed that the bass was an important bridge in a hard rock band, good the frenzied solos as the evolution of .... ah I forgot to name 'Smoke, smoke on something, the lake , the fire, true not true, this piece is unique, not orgasmic, just unique in the musical universe, one of those to keep in his coffin for a possible trip to hell. 4 'The Mule' still struggled with following a punched pouch in a friend's stomach at the airport; the title which leaves strangely like in the middle of another and then quickly, too quickly but the trap was there, Ian's solo direct without warning you and it's on, you won't see it again, you're just going to explore each corner of his threshing house, with cash register, bearings, Tournapull (yes the one that we saw small when creating the highway, the one that abraded the hills, the one that I dream of buying in a Majorette shop... c is for your grandson, I'm doing a gift package, no it's for me, vicious goes!!) and other cymbals; a moment that goes crescendo, with a few small tendrils and which also allows you to adjust your speakers; the guitar-organ return becomes almost a detail of musical history passing well after this epic moment, which was peed on while waiting for the end which did not come, in short this piece will establish the solos live.

The 2nd CD or the 1st side of the 2nd LP, you follow 1 'Strange Kind Of Woman' for one of the fastest intros on the market and you have a composition that does not look like much; a jerky, frantic rhythm, a devilishly adapted voice, soft, which can rise, which will rise, which hoots; a solo by Ritchie, perhaps, surely one of the most beautiful, the organ behind which already reminds you that there will be an internal squabble, musical rather between the progueux and those who listen to the zik; the zik is the one there, the one that piles up musical notes; shh, it's time for this manu manu between Ian and Ritchie, this fight, listen, u u uh uu uuh uuuhuuu!; how many times I got up, put the sapphire back just a little before to attend this Homeric duel; the moment I said to myself, well, you'll have to go to a concert, well, that's a change from studio LPs and K7s; in short my 1st live after the 'Life' of GENESIS it was him, aaaahhhhhh aaaaahhhhhhhh I love you. It's over.... no this cry again and again heyy, heeeyyyy, heeyyyyyyyyyyyy, ah how many times my father could shout after me on these fabulous 'notes'! 2 'Lazy' to rest, lazy and lazy little bands; the piece that I don't like; yes we can have an imperfect OMNI, like the very spatial intro, cinematic before its time, it looks like 'Flash'; well settle down, it's going to take off, whoever likes YES must have come here for this organ variation without toccata; it jams, it jerks, it grooves, it zik anyway; Was Jon a good keyboard player, I ask the question; bam we find ourselves in the middle of the title and it twirls everywhere, jazzy? ,bluesy?; purpleian certainly; 6 minutes and Ian intervenes on the voice, when I think of those who say that James from DREAM THEATER must bother during the improvised solos... or not it makes me laugh, come on a little harmonica, I feel the air of the cacti and the thorns of the road on the 66, oh there the rubber of the ZZ TOPmobile which will pass by there... a little later; John and Ritchie in battle there, it's going to rock, nay, this laughable tune that has gone around the world, a magnificent musical snub and the finale à la 'Woody Woodpecker', immense 3 'Space Truckin' ' or when I was talking about OMNI, there we have the title, we have the atmosphere, we have the pinnacle, the cream of the crop, this rhythm-riff, this intro which heats up; the long track that made me want to listen to 'Six Degrees' in one go when it was released; yes DEEP PURPLE represents the archetypal proto metal prog, come on, come on!! Yes there I'm going to let go, yes there I'm just going to re-re-listen to this over-boosted live where Roger shows the musical framework, where Ian throws his cymbals at whoever wants, hold a roll of pads for you; hold Ritchie over here, hold Ian with his belched voice, yes he knows how to shout, moreover that's what was declared in the cottages, no but you hear how he shouts, how Ritchie mistreats his guitar, it can't be program; good oriental break that comes suddenly, I had forgotten it, do you remember there yes when we are in the desert, a caravan passes, we are afraid that it is a mirage, we run after .... there you go Jon made me think of that, it's crazy huh! When I was young, I thought it was improvised, that it was easy to do, to reproduce; novice now I know that you have to have passed through the stars to grab the score without smoking the devil's weed and the little smoke; spatial, irrespectable, fusional sound; I'll let you listen to the end silently, it's free and so dreamlike that everyone has made their own story on it, right there yes after this battery decrescendo, shhh. Well you swooned over this dreamlike destructured crescendo, good.

Good start with 'Space Truckin' you will have the signature, it was necessary a live, the thing which you do not comment, which you live, it will be you 'made in Japan' ah yes frankly one does not refuse anything; DEEP PURPLE, LED ZEPPELIN and BLACK SABBATH are the 3 prog hard metal udders that should have their footprints on Zik Boulevard, without them nada no surfing, without them no explosion in concert, no innovative joy, just rehearsals; no DEEP PURPLE created and for having been in the stars, I had to give them back this trifle, Come On!!

Many people have come to the conclusion that this is probably the best live album ever recorded. Its hard for me to ever say that any album is the best of any category as things often change for me according to the mood of the day, but I can go so far as to say that it is definitely one of the best live albums ever put together.

This double album captures Deep Purple at the height of creativity and popularity. Sure, most of their music is blues- based rock, but it is the way the band was able to perform and create around that foundation that made them one of the best in that style. The members are considered the classic Deep Purple line-up, or Mark II as many refer to them, with the amazing Ian Gillan on vocals, Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Jon Lord on keys, Roger Glover on bass and Ian Paice on drums, all of which are well represented on this album. Everyone of them have dozens of opportunities to shine, and they do just that.

The other thing that makes this album so great is because it is DP doing what they did best, mixing tight song structures and looser improvised passages in everyone of the 7 extended tracks on the album. The album kicks off with the adrenaline-inducing rocker "Highway Star" and follows with the manic "Child in Time", the latter of which contains some longer instrumental and vocal sections than the original. The famous "Smoke on the Water" gets a live version that almost everyone is familiar with, and for many, is their favorite version of the song. Then, a long version of "The Mule" with a long drum solo follows this. For me, this track is the least engaging since drum solos never seem to transfer well to recorded music. The best way to experience a drum solo is to watch it live, so it always seems to weaken an album that retains a live drum solo when you can't actually see what goes into the solo.

"Strange Kind of Woman" follows in yet another extended version with more instrumental interplay, which is what DP is the best at. Then we get "Lazy", the one with the long, awesome instrumental introduction, which is even longer here and also probably the most varied version from the studio version on "Machine Head". I love both versions and it is great to hear such a varied version of this track that stays somewhat true to the original yet does it in a new and exciting way. Finally, the last track is the real show piece here, and that is a 20 minute version of "Space Truckin". When I first saw this album many years ago, I was leery of owning it because I had assumed that this was going track was going to feature a never-ending drum solo, because of how the original track was structured. It just always sounded like a set up for a live drum solo showpiece. But when I finally heard this, I realized that I was so wrong. The band moves through the familiar sound of the song, but then switches to this long, improvised (almost) set of space jams, psychedelic wanderings and crazy instrumental effects that proves that this is where their true love and strengths reside. If the rest of the album was mediocre, this track alone would be worth the price, but since the entire album is great, this only caps everything off with more greatness.

This was the peak of the band's career, coming off the major sales and exposure received worldwide from their masterpiece "Machine Head" and then to follow up with an excellent tour playing music they were always meant to play. Without the time limits of the usual album formats and label pressure to keep things abbreviated, the band was able to show what they were best at, the reason why they were such a great band in the first place by expanding their songs and displaying their talents better than they had ever been able to. DP had gotten better and better as they released each album and their growth is quite evident in the first several albums of their discography, even with line- up changes. The band was slowly adjusted until it reached the pinnacle of this time in their career. Unfortunately, after this album and the pressure of touring and recording, fissures started appearing in the band line-up. This would be quite evident in the next album "Who Do We Thing We Are?", which feels rushed, forced and much less inspired, let alone the fact that egos were really getting in their way. They were starting to feel like a group of individuals and less like an entire group working together. At least this amazing live recording is there to show us a snapshot of the band at it's best. It might not be up high in progressive rock elements, but it does touch on them, especially in the suite of styles and improvisation that make up the last track, but it is an essential live recording that should work as a standard as to what live recordings should sound and be like.