In 1973, Deep Purple was at the top of rock. Albums like In Rock (1970) and Machine Head (1972) had brought the British quintet there, they went over it once again with the live double album Made In Japan. Made In Japan is not only the pinnacle of Deep Purple's career but an icon of the 1970s and a blueprint of the pretentious double live LPs that were so in vogue in the rock era. At that time it
… was not missing in any record collection, although the four record sides were not for everyone. The endless jam, including drum solo from Space Truckin 'was already hard to digest at the time and still is on this deluxe edition. You probably should have been there. Hits like Child In Time, Smoke On The Water and Lazy get similar, drawn-out treatments but now you can also hear how creative, energetic and close-knit the group was, next to spectacular solo work by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and organist Jon Lord and the powerful vocals of Ian Gillan. Made In Japan shows how rock concerts in the seventies could be wild rituals in which the songs were only starting points for the search for freedom. (MR)more
