Customer Reviews

Made In Japan (Deluxe Edition) (US Release)

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

THE BAND: Ritchie Blackmore (guitars), Ian Gillan (vocals), Jon Lord (keyboards), Roger Glover (bass), Ian Paice (drums & percussion).

THE DISC: (1973) Originally 7 songs clocking in at 77 minutes; 2 vinyl album presented on one disc. This digitally remastered "25th Anniversary" edition (1998) contains a 2nd disc with 3 bonus songs, "Black Night", "Speed King" and a 50's cover "Lucille". Disc-2 clocks in at approximately 21 minutes. Included with the discs is a 14-page booklet with original artwork and bonus color band photos, song titles, song times, and a brief 3-page intro. Songs recorded live in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. There is also a (most complete) rare 3-disc version availabe as well. Originally on Warner Bros label, this remastered edition is on Rhino.

COMMENTS: "Made In Japan" is perhaps one of the best live recordings of a hard rock / heavy metal act ever. Think of the other classic acts that had great live albums from the past... Peter Frampton, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Foghat, UFO, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc. "Made In Japan" offers the complete package - excellent sound quality/production, emotion, energy, excitement, audience participation, and a great selection of songs. The audience was respectfully quiet during the songs and really let it out in between them. Incredibly, no added audience filler noise! The slower parts of "Child In Time" - you can hear a pin drop. It's interesting to listen, when "Smoke On The Water" is introduced by Gillan the crowd is silent... almost like they're not sure what they're about to hear. The 6 minute drum solo on "The Mule" was enthralling from Ian Paice - one of my favorite all-time rock drummers. Jon Lord's keyboard work is 2nd to none. His best work on this album is on the songs "Lazy" and "Child In Time". Seems that Lord and Blackmore had some great fun dueling back and forth. Some of the tunes, like "Strange Kind of Woman" and "Child In Time" sound better here than on the studio album. Gillan's interaction with the audience at the end of "Strange Kind Of Woman" is priceless. Ritchie Blackmore's trademark guitar sound and blistering solo's are amazing. 7 total songs - short track list but 6 of the 7 songs are 9+ minutes or longer. Two songs ("The Mule", Strange Kind Of Woman") from "Fireball"; one song ("Child In Time") from "In Rock"; and four from "Machne Head". The album closer is the marathon "Space Truckin'" clocking in at just under 20 minutes. "Made In Japan" is a highlight reel of two great shows on the "Machine Head Tour" in '73. The only thing wrong with this original issue is that it's just not long enough. Now, with the remastered "25th Anniversary" edition you can buy more of the show. Classic disc (5 stars).

Rarely does an album so completely succeed that it becomes the benchmark by which all others are judged. Even though it was released in 1972, it continues to impress and amaze listeners some 30 years hence.

One of the most important charactoristics of this album is the sound. For a live recording, the mix on this album is just about perfect. Ritchie's guitar pierces through the wall of sound like a knife's edge. John Lord's hammond is captured well from it teeth rattling lows to its distortion tinged highs. Roger's bass chuggs along and supplies the low end for Ritchie and John to work. And Ian Paice, long known as the fastest drummer in hard rock hits with an authority rarely captured live.

The show starts with the legendary opening song, Highway Star. A song with an excess of speed and a tongue in cheek comparison between a hot rod and a woman. "Child in Time" allows Ritchie and singer Ian Gillan to extend themselves. "Smoke on the Water" proves to be just as heavy now as it was then. "The Mule" allows drummer Ian Paice to demonstrate his drumming skills with great speed and fluidity. "Strange Kind of Woman" is the showcase for Ian Gillan's vocals as he and Ritchie trade off lines in one of the classic moments of live performances. "Lazy" is the mostly instrumental workout for John and Ritchie and shows the absolutely evilest sounds ever wrenched from an hammond organ. The set closes with a 20 minute cruise through hard rocks outer space on "Space Trucking" incorperating elements of songs from previous albums.

This mix has become "sacred" to Deep Purple fans over the years. This version doesn't change the sound at all, just remasters from the best mixdown master tapes. The included extra disc contains songs from that live performance that hadn't been released to complete the show. This is the best live album ever recorded, and one would be hard pressed to find a better or more definitive live recording. This recording is the Benchmark Standard!

This is Deep Purple at their peak. There is an energy level here that has rarely been matched. The vibe to this album is just fantastic. Even Gillan's between song banter is cool. ("Can we have everything louder than everything else")

Blackmore's performance is jaw-dropping, especially the solos on "Highway Star" and "Child in Time". And the rest of the band is right there with him. The improvisational moments are sheer bliss. The guitar/vocal interplay on "Strange Kind of Woman" is worth the price of admission all by itself. And Paice proves over and over again that he is the most underrated drummer in rock.

The remastered sound is crisp and clear, and the bonus tracks and additional liner notes on this version are the icing on the cake. The entirety of Deep Purple's output from 1970 to 1973 should be mandatory for any hard rock fan's collection and this is a great place to start.

Upon listening to this album, my respect for Deep Purple more than tripled. Where once I was satisfied with merely owning "Machine Head," now I find myself searching out all of the band's releases; such is the power of this album.

What more can be said than that this is a masterpiece? Every member is in top form, from Gillian to Paice to Blackmore. Some have expressed irritation at Ritchie's very extended solos, but I don't think I will ever tire of hearing him play; the man was far ahead of his time. Gillian's vocals are incredible, during not only his much-lauded exchange with Blackmore during "Strange Kind of Woman," but also throughout "Child in Time" and "Lazy." It must be said that the highlight of this great achievement comes at its very end, however, during the awe-inspiring climax of "Space Trucking."

Including the second disc of encores, "Made in Japan" clocks in at over an hour & a half long; it seems to last scantly more than a handful of minutes, and one is compelled to hit "play" again the instant that "Lucille" has concluded.

I loved this album back in 1972 and I'm still amazed by it's sonic impact today. Deep Purple's recording engineer Martin Burch was asked to capture some shows from the 1972 Machine Head Tour on tape. During the August 1972 Japanese leg of the tour, he had his chance to record. Burch was supplied with an unimpressive, cheap looking Ampex 8-track recorder to get the job done. Burch was dissapointed with the equipment he was given and was certain that the results would be a total waste of his time.
When the entourage arrived back in England, Martin Burch took the time to throw the eight track recording tapes onto a studio deck and have a listen. COMPLETE AND TOTAL SHOCK !!! The combination of skillful microphone placement, concert hall acoustics and the unexpected superior performance of that little Ampex tape deck had collectively ganged up to captured one of the finest quality live rock recordings of all time.

Made In Japan (1972.), a Deep Purple live performance

Deep Purple's 'Made in Japan' is a timeless capture of one of the greatest rocks bands performing in all of their glory. Deep Purple are arguably at their peak at this point, on the back of three quite amazing albums, 'In Rock', 'Fireball' and 'Machine Head' the Mark II Deep Purple lineup are captured here performing at their very best. The three concerts featured in this album took place on the 15th, 16th and 17th August 1972 at Osaka/Tokyo in Japan and with the tracks they play, DP literally bring the house down and you can seriously feel this when you play this live album with a great atmosphere from the crowd.

What therefore makes this live album extra special? Afterall there are plenty of bands who have given really good live performances. The simple fact is that the album is very very honest. There are no studio overdubs, additions of fake cheers or claps or any tampering to speak of with the recording. You are hearing exactly what was been played on the nights of the concerts - this is the real McCoy and it definitely makes the whole thing extra special. My only real complaint with the whole thing is, and its a bit pedantic and is the reason why I gave it 4.5 stars is the fact that the cd does not give one full length concert but instead 5 tracks from the 2nd concert and the rest from the other two - giving it a kind of best of a live tour feel. You scarcely notice it when listening but from my point of view, I would much rather listen to a concert in its entirity rather than a piecemeal recording (A 3 CD version of the whole thing is actually available - now that would get 5 stars!). However aside from this minor niggle, you can't fault Deep Purple's performance, it is quite simply amazing. Ritchie Blackmore's guitar playing is sometimes more phenominal than what you hear on the studio album - his guitar playing live shows why, in my opinion, he is one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time. By no means though does he overshadow his fellow DP bandmembers. Ian Paice's drumming is spectacular (more about that later) as is Gillan's amazing vocal range and Jon Lord puts out more than a good dose of great keyboard improvisation.

There are a number of issues of this CD. The best version to get of the '3 concert overview' is the 25th anniversary edition, the version which I obtained. Aside from being quite cheap to buy, you get a bonus CD which contains 'The Encores' of Black Night, Speed King and Lucille. They are a good addition and pad out the material available. The standard issue contains the 7 tracks only and not the encores, plus you don't get the extensive information booklet which comes with all the anniversary Deep Purple remasters.

What we hear from these live performances are lots of tracks from 'In Rock', 'Fireball' and 'Machine Head'. The only exception to this is 'Lucille' which is a rock n roll song by Little Richard (I think!) - DP do a great improvised version of it, with Gillan's vocals screaming to amazing heights. The original CD kicks off with 'Highway Star' and prepare to be blasted away by the bands heavy ferocity (something which continues right through with very little respite!). Blackmore gives us his trademarke style of playing with the first track, riffing like there is no tomorrow! The 'Child In Time' rendition is a great listen, in some ways has better effects live than in the studio and is a great listen. 'Smoke On the Water', well it never disappoints - you hear the crowd clapping and really getting into the groove on this song! 'The Mule' follows this up and is perhaps, for me the most entertaining on the CD - Ian Paice's drumming on this track is a solo and a half! Ive never heard a drum solo quite like it - full of energy and speed and practically creates a song single handedly - the highlight of the album - he is definitely one of the top rock drummers there is. The last three tracks, 'Strange Kind of Woman', 'Lazy' and 'Space Truckin' all extend into full out jams. 'Space Truckin' at 19 minutes does go on just a little bit but is still a fun listen. On 'Lazy' there is some whizz keyboard work from Jon Lord - listen to his interesting and cleverly clashing opening. Gillan is always on hand to get the crowd involved, especially at the end of 'Strange Kiond of Woman' where he screams higher and higher with the crowd!

All in all, great entertainment and very much a unique and polished (in live terms anyway) perfromance. A must for any DP fan - it is a capture of DP's greatest line up, the legendary Mark II! Just think that in a year after this concert the Mark II line up was no more ....... although it was definitely not the end for Deep Purple, no no no, there was plenty of more great work to come!

When I first started listening to heavy metal, I started with a lot of the 80s and early 90s standards--Death's Leprosy, Slayer's South of Heaven, Metallica's Master of Puppets, Judas Priest's British Steel, Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast, Morbid Angel's Blessed Are the Sick, etc. Later on, I've been able to explore the earlier roots of Metal and found that, no matter how extreme or avant-garde bands like Emperor, Morbid Angel, or Nile claim to be, there is a wealth of material from the 70s that stands far above the most unique metal of modern times: maybe the only modern piece near that quality is Dødheimsgard's 666 International. This live recording of Deep Purple is one of the greatest examples of this truly unique and experimental style of metal; it is even more impressive given that this was recorded in the earliest days of the genre. The songs are much longer versions of their studio counterparts: they consist of long and masterful jams and improvisation mixed into the structure of the album versions. The longest, Space Truckin', runs just under 20 minutes. All the selections on this recording features ecstatic guitar runs and frenzied organ blasts running over complicated, and crushingly heavy, bass and drum performances. Add to this Ian Gillan's powerful vocals, and you have one of the most "metallic" pieces of Metal ever created. It will definitely appeal to fans of Rush's 2112 and Farewell to Kings, Black Sabbath's S/T and Paranoid, Judas Priest's Sad Wings of Destiny and Sin After Sin. Listen to this album and you will see that, while a lot of modern metal is actually quite good, it's not truly great like this.

Live in Japan is the album of a band at the height of its powers in the early '70s. Blackmore's guitar and Lord's keyboard dominate the album, which was recorede as part of their support for the then newly released "Machine Head" LP. One thing to notice is the "politeness" of the Japanese crowd. Unlike American or European audiences, they hesitate to cheer during the quieter interludes after instrumental solos. Perhaps the only drawbacks are the weak bass line in the remastered version and the overlong drum solo which is really reflective of the era it was recorded.

Rhino has done a great job (as usual) with its remastering. The instruments are crisp and overall sound is a stunner. From the opening notes of "Highway Star" to "Space Truckin'" the band was smokin' during their Japanese tour. The bonus cd is a great extra.

This important and influential album should be in any serious rock music lover's collection. Get the Rhino remastered if you can. Highly recommeded!

I just finished listening to Highway Star and had to write. This is one of the greatest recordings of the one of the greatest rock songs played by one of the greatest bands I have ever heard. Perhaps the greatest. Deep Purple had the perfect rock intonation, phrasing, tone, and dynamics that one expects from a band (they performed from 1969 to 1973), but their musical intelligence, their sense of abandon, and their intense and continuous concentration was extraordinary. I listened to the great Child In Time with tears running down my cheeks, I don't remember that happening since a performance by the Moody Blues many years ago. The recording is technically perfect, clean and clear with appropriate channel separation. It sounds like the mix was done by a musical and technical expert.

I can not believe this band is NOT in the rock and roll hall of fame?!

This album's a killer from the opening chords of Highway Star to its psychadelic ending with Space Trucking. You can be pretty sure you're going to hear one of the best guitar and organ performances ever(unless you own the album so you already know it). With every song being at least 6 minutes long this album offers so much diversity that you won't get bored of it even after months of listening. The fact that makes this record so outstanding is that every member of the band is giving his best and the band was as well at its peak at the time of the recording. Ritchie Blackmore delivers an energetic thrust, he has solos 5+ minutes long, but you don't get bored of it like in Led Zeppelin's How The West Was Won(both, by the way, recorded in the summer of '72). He plays with enormous energy even when backing a Jon Lord's showoff. Lots of people tried to copy Lord's stile, but no one has succeeded. Giving a listen to this album will surely reveal why. As for Blackmore, Lord is stunning, his playing makes you get goosebumps,escpecially in songs like Space Trucking. And they both cooperate so well here. Ian Gillan is great, altough he doesn't really stand out so much here(since the album's instrumental part is really the icing on the cake), but he still has a nice voice-guitar duel in Strange Kind Of Woman. Roger Glover is as good as usual, a firm backbone to support all the improvisation. Ian Paice is probably giving his best performance ever and even gets his own solo in The Mule.
I can't understand why he is so underrated. Overall, a very energetic album(but still detailed in song structure), and a very spontaneus performance by all band's members(especially obvious in Lazy). Anyone who I played the album to so far was stunned,and even the most feverish Hip Hop/Techno/whatever fans couldn't deny its quality.
And this is typcal of great music-it stands the test of time. I believe people will still find this album attractive even 100 years after it was recorded. This is a 20th century classic! And as for Deep Purple, I believe they deserve as much recognition as Led Zeppelin. If not agreeing, just (try to) compare How The West Was Won to Made In Japan!