MADE IN JAPAN

"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.