Made In Japan - Deep Purple

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MADE IN JAPAN OWN HISTORY AND FACTS

As the band was breaking its way through the difficult USA market, seemed it was about time to show the world that Purple’s real power resided in their live performances. The material from the album came from the three previous masterpieces: “In Rock”, “Fireball” and “Machine Head”.
The recording was made during three different gigs in Osaka and Tokyo –two days in the first ...
.../> But there’s more to Made in Japan than Smoke. The incredible 20 minutes recreation of Space trucking with the listener hanging from the first note to the last without any loss of strenght and inspiration.
And what to say of “Highway Star” - with Gillan and the rest of the band in state of grace- and the rock blues Lazy –Blackmore’s and Lord’s personal quality control-.
And then on…


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Roughly counted my music collection consists of 3500 recordings –2600 Cds and the rest in the format of glorious vynil-.
You always have some favourite disc and in my case the one I’ve listened to the most is Deep Purple’s “Made In Japan”. Don’t ask me why, but contrary to others, the more I listen to this masterpiece the more I like it.

Some rock’n’roll critics credit the origin of what we know today as heavy metal to Black Sabbath, Led Zep and Deep Purple. As it would be downright useless to argue this we’ll take it as a true basis for convenience sake –though I have my own ideas about it-.
Whathever, Deep Purple was one of the most influential bands in the history of hard rock, no doubt about it. In my humble opinion the best and probably never unsurpassable period of both quality and power spanned from “In Rock” to “Machine Head” albums. After the last one the band has walked an increasingly declining way. I’m talking of a period that went from 1970 to 1972. Just two years were enough for these guys to put together four classic albums and be credited in The Guiness Book of Records as the loudest band back then –today they’d probably face fiercely competition from Motörhead-. Anyway, Deep Purple is for sure one of the cornerstones of modern rock’n’roll.

What is reknowned as the best Deep Purples’ lineup comprised five monsters on their respective intrument areas:
- John Lord whose organ playing has been a real distinctive mark of the Purple sound.
- Ritchie Blackmore, perhaps the most charismatic member of the band. One of those guitarist who’s been able to amount thousands of followers as far as guitar playing.
- Ian Gillan, one of my five r’n’r singers of all time. Prodigious voice and fontman power. The kind of once-a-century voice few can achieve.
- Ian Paice, super drummer boy. That’s more than enough.
- Roger Glover, maybe the real Purple soul. The one who has been present –alongside Paice- in all the band’s reincarnations. Also producer and a solid rhythm basis on which Smoke On The Water boys could built everlasting anthems.

As the band was breaking its way through the difficult USA market, seemed it was about time to show the world that Purple’s real power resided in their live performances. The material from the album came from the three previous masterpieces: “In Rock”, “Fireball” and “Machine Head”.
The recording was made during three different gigs in Osaka and Tokyo –two days in the first city and one in the second-.
The star of the whole album was for many, of course, Smoke On The Water whose infectious riff means everything for a whole generation –me included-.
But there’s more to Made in Japan than Smoke. The incredible 20 minutes recreation of Space trucking with the listener hanging from the first note to the last without any loss of strenght and inspiration.
And what to say of “Highway Star” - with Gillan and the rest of the band in state of grace- and the rock blues Lazy –Blackmore’s and Lord’s personal quality control-.
And then on…

1- Highway Star 6:43
2- Child in Time 12:17
3- Smoke on the Water 7:36
4- The Mule 9:28
5- Strange Kind of Woman 9:52
6- Lazy 10:27
7- Space Truckin’ 19:54

In 1997 a special Made in Japan 25th Anniversary edition was released with the following tracks:

Here in Spain –I cant’t say where else- a double disc reissue of this 25th Anniversary Edition was released with those same tracks plus the remastered studio song versions of the original Made In Japan album. If you can get a copy of any of these two reissues, grab it on the double. No excuses.

As I said before, this is the album I've heard the most so far. I bought it when first released back in ’72 and still spinning on and on. A R’n’R landmark by any standards.
If you claim yourself a rocker but happen not to have this in your collection, then you rock as Milli Vanilli.
C’mon what are you waiting for. Rush off and get yourself a copy.
 

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