Review: Deep Purple – Made in Japan – 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Deep Purple – Made in Japan – 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Format: CD – Vinyl LP – Blu-ray – Digital / Label: UMR
Release:2025
Text: Martien Koolen
‘Made In Japan’ is of course a must have iconic live album in your record collection. It was originally issued in the Far East only, but it eventually grew into a 100% historic, iconic live release, widely ranked as one of the best live albums ever recorded. ‘Made In Japan’ still has a mythic status for sure; it was recorded across three nights in August 1972, and it highlights the immaculate musical power of Deep Purple, featuring their best line up, consisting of Gillan, Blackmore, Lord, Paice, and Glover.
This 50th anniversary reissue is not just another expensive deluxe box; it is a MUST have album for every rock fan as Deep Purple plays immaculate live versions of fantastic studio material. Highway Star, Child In Time, Lazy and Space Truckin’ are 100% musical live hard rock/metal weapons that hit you like a hammer and kick you in the teeth for sure.
Steven Wilson did an impressive job with the remix and all the seven songs (Highway Star, Child In Time, Smoke On The Water, The Mule, Strange Kind Of Woman, Lazy and Space Truckin’) sound powerful, crispy, and immaculate!! This is more than just a collector’s item; it is a must have album for every rock fan and needless to say that you have to play it LOUD.
The Super Deluxe edition is a five CD set (plus Blu-ray). CD 1 has a Steven Wilson Dolby ATMOS remix of the original 77-minute album, CDs 2 to 4 have the three seven song sets in performance order and on CD 5 there are all six encore performances for the first time; Black Night at all three shows, two versions of Speed King and one of Lucille, plus three single-only edits for completists!
Tracks:
CD 1 – Original album (2025 Steven Wilson Remix)
01. Highway Star
02. Child In Time
03. Smoke On The Water
04. The Mule
05. Strange Kind Of Woman
06. Lazy
07. Space Truckin’
CD 2 – Osaka, August 15 1972
01. Highway Star
02. Smoke On The Water
03. Child In Time
04. The Mule (Drum Solo)
05. Strange Kind Of Woman
06. Lazy
07. Space Truckin’
CD 3 – Osaka, August 16 1972
01. Highway Star
02. Smoke On The Water
03. Child In Time
04. The Mule (Drum Solo)
05. Strange Kind Of Woman
06. Lazy
07. Space Truckin’
CD 4 – Tokyo, August 16, 1972
01. Highway Star
02. Smoke On The Water
03. Child In Time
04. The Mule (Drum Solo)
05. Strange Kind Of Woman
06. Lazy
07. ‘Space Truckin’
CD 5 – The Encores and Single Edits
01. Black Night (Osaka, August 15)
02. Speed King (Osaka, August 15)
03. Black Night (Osaka, August 16)
04. Lucille (Osaka, August 16)
05. Black Night (Tokyo, August 17)
06. Speed King (Tokyo, August 17)
07. Black Night (German Single Edit)
08. Space Truckin’ (Mexican Single Edit)
09. Smoke On The Water (US Single Edit)
Blu-ray
Made In Japan – Steven Wilson Atmos Mix
Website: https://deeppurple.com/