MADE IN JAPAN

This album is still being discussed and reviewed 50 years after its release. This is the best answer to the question of its greatness and significance not only for Deep Purple, but for the entire world of rock music. It is really difficult to add anything to the numerous reviews written here before me. I agree that this concert captured the band at the peak of their creative and performing abilities. Yes, they still have many great albums and concerts ahead, but there will never be a second In Rock and Machine Head. And the golden line-up of DP will last only a year to make another album with the eloquent title Who Do We Think We Are and then disperse for ten years.

But all this will come later. And here and now the band gives the best they can. A gorgeous interplay of keyboards and drums in Highway Star, charged with incredible energy. The sumptuous keyboard introduction to Child in Time, more expansive and majestic than the studio version, the irresistible attack of Blackmore's guitar that sings, howls and thunders, Gillan at his best vocally against a piercing electric organ that seems to scream along with him. Smoke on the Water is a great performance, a more extended version thanks to the guitar improvisation, and the following song The Mule consists mainly of a completely mind-blowing drum solo that stands on its own and is considered a benchmark. Strange Kind of Woman shows a great cross-over between Blackmore's guitar and Gillan's. Lazy begins with an expressive psychedelic organ introduction that then becomes more calm and disturbing. The song, which has few lyrics, is perfect for improvisation, and Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore take turns shining here for over 10 minutes. The final song of the concert, Space Truckin', starts similar to Lazy, but then the band goes off to explore exotic soundscapes for almost 20 minutes. From the seventh minute and for the next few minutes, the band sounds very reminiscent of The Nice, I wouldn't have told the difference if I didn't know better. The same tricks with the electric organ, the same clear, muscular, rich rhythm section

A great live album, without a doubt. DP gave it their all. Only seven songs, but it feels like we heard them all. Yes, Deep Purple demonstrated only a part of their incredible potential on studio albums, and fully revealed themselves in concert. It was then that it became obvious that hard rock is not only loudness, shaking long hair and smashing guitars on stage. However, Deep Purple did not fit into this style from the very beginning, as their first four albums, individual songs and solo projects of Jon Lord and Roger Glover eloquently testify. Yes, this is debatable. But the fact that they set a kind of benchmark that few have managed to achieve is indisputable to me.