MADE IN JAPAN [OFFICIAL BOOTLEG]

Absolutely STUNNING!

Im a huge fan of DT and early Deep Purple, but this cover live show is just superb. It's actually not a cover.It's masterfully expanded & twisted original DP compositions into DT vision of their music. DT knows these songs like their own pockets! Connections like John Petrucci / guitars - Ritchie Blackmore, Mike Portnoy / drums - Ian Paice, James LaBrie / vocals - Ian Gillian, John Myung / bass - Roger Glover, Jordan Rudess / keyboards - Jon Lord /organ, piano, work amazingly well! There are lots of differences, but this makes this bootleg almost as worthy as new DT album, as all originaly compositions are greatly expanded into more proggy, floowy, energic DT way, without ever sounding to owerhelming or without melody. James Labrie shows great rock attitude & vocals, which would sound even more powerful with professional recording. His voice is twisted as music; with cool rappy style & screams that are beyond almost equaly great Gillian vocals! He really become great live singer in recent years! Ruddes makes a Space Truckin' sounding like space rock. Petrucci adds, great flow , melody & improvisation, while Portnoy & Myung keep one of the best rythem sections. (as ever in DT albums) This is one of the best bootlegs I ever heard - a "cover" & medal of honour to originall classic! If you are DP or DT fan ,or best, BOTH, you must own this. Listen it after u heared original, so you can fully appreciate it.

Deep Purple is my favorite band of all times, and I have followed them in all their incarnations. I am also a huge fan of Dream Theater since the beginning of the band, and I have enjoyed most of their albums. When I knew it that Dream Theater made a full cover live show of Made In Japan, one of the most important live albums of history, I thought that cover such album is something that is going to prove the performance of the only member of DT, that is not really respected for his abilities, by a lot of fans all around the world. I think James LaBrie is a good singer, but he is not comparable to Ian Gillan, and in the end, I prove myself right. When I heard the CD for the first time I, thought that this show, was a sacrilege, and I dind't like it at all. After some time, I read the only review that was in this webpage and after that I decide to give the CD another chance. I have to say, that after some listens more, I saw very good things about the show, and the band, that I didn't became aware in my fist listen. The pauses between song, has the feeling of the original album, with Blackmore - Petrucci scratching the guitar, or Lord - Rudess playing some little interludes, meanwhile Gillan - LaBrie, present the next song. I believe Highway star, Lazy & Space Truckin' covers deserve an applause; Strange kind of woman, Smoke and the water & The Mule are average, but Child in time is a complete failure. Petrucci and Rudess are the stars of this CD, playing in an incredible way, with the improvisation and feeling of the Blackmore - Lord team of old times. Portnoy - Myung do a great job, make a good job as Rhythm section. Labrie does it well, and in the end he is conscious, that Gillan is in another league, and he gives his best, to do a good job, but.... it is not enough. In the end I have to say, that I have a misconception of the album. In the beginnning I hear it as a DP album. If you hear it as a DT album or a DP cover band is Good, but obviously is not at the level of the original. Give it a try but after you have heared the original. If not, don't even dare.

I think we can agree that Made In Japan ranks among the most legendary live albums that is ever made..I think so legendary that most people would regard any attempt to cover it, as blasphemy....so any attempt must be played with the highest skill and the highest standard...this album is such a attempt. Right from the beginning I think that they are doing an incredible job and play the entire album as if the songs were their own....This must have taken alot of practice....obviously...

What you get is a somewhat complete re-play of the songs that are represented on Made In Japan...then I say the same order and most songs hold the same length....Only Lazy is a little bit longer...So they play the songs and work their way down to Space Truckin'....In this most of the details kept intact...although there is I think alot of improvisation....Petrucci to begin with truly shines here and actually sounds like Blackmore (I wonder if he switched to a Fender instead of using a normal Ibanez) and with that gives his playing from time to time some spectaculair playing... and gives it a much lesser clinical touch as we normally are used to of him...this playing has soul....I think with that he, lust like in Deep Purple...Blackmore was and now...Morse is the real star of this experiment....Hell there are some awsome guitarsolo's on this one.

The second notable player is Rudess that is taking credit for the notes of Lord...Right from the beginning I felt that they even use a Hammond (or use alot of Hammond sound) just as Lord was doing in the old days....Synthesisers and Keyboards were not that advanced yet...and this really soulds like it was back then....also...playing some amazing solo's....all over the album and the tuning of the Hammond in between the song, really gives a very 1973 feeling to the whole event...We'll done...At first I thought...that Rudess is really showing a very different sound here....but on second thought I began to realize that he actually is playing very much like he does in DT....I realized because of this experiment...how much DT actually is inspired by DP and especially how much they preserve the sound of DP......

All in all a very interesting experiment that more bands should do.......play the entire album of their idol....I look forward to more attempts of DT...perhaps next time they can try playing the entire Song Remains The Same of Lez Zeppelin ?

I like very much Deep Purple Made in Japan and I think that are a unique atmosphere and live record that never this band can play again in his lives. The unique voice of Gillan and guitar solos made a generation dream with this performance. Now, why another band whant made the same? I now that Dream Theather are very tecnician musicians and are great but is not the same. Made in Japan played by this band is a shadow of Deep Purple performance. Not the same voice and not the same guitar solos that are unique in original record. I think that Dream Theatre can do better in a original works and it isn't necessary made a copy of another great bands. Just do it guy's, because your lives performances begining to be boring, because is all the same and people begin to have sleep listen you. You are a great band and 'please do a original works that your fans really apreciate.

To begin with, I have not heard the original Deep Purple release, so I can't really compare this album to the original. Still I find this album to be a very enjoyable one, most of the songs are excellent, and ofcourse the performance is flawless. My favourite songs here are the first 3 ones, Highway Star, Child in Time, and Smoke on the Water (which, ofcourse, is a classic). Strange kind of Woman and Lazy are also very good, with a blues touch to them. The weaker ones for me are The Mule and Space Truckin', which are rather annoying, plus The Mule has a Drum solo, which for me is almost always too boring, and Space Truckin' is made into a 19 min song mainly by adding more than 10 min of jamming, which is far too much to keep me interested in it. So, perhaps for most people it's better to stick to the original album, but for me this one works just fine.

A few years ago, I reviewed the cover of ''Dark Side Of The Moon'' from the same Dream Theater. The experience was not so bad (3 stars), so I decided to do the same exercise for ''Made In Japan''.

This live set is legendary and I considered it as one of the top ten live album in the rock history. So, to try and render the whole of it was quite challenging. Even for Dream Theater.

I have grown with the original ''Made In Japan'' and I know every inch of it. I even witnessed this in live when Purple toured in Europe in ? 1973. Yes, I am an old man by now. But I am rocking alright.

So, back to this version. Well, it doesn't start so bad with a solid rendition of one of my top three DP fave. The great opener from this tour (and a lot of others later on). ''Highway Star'' is honestly played here. The highlight being the guitar solo. Vocals are another story.

The next musical moment is my fave DP one (like many of their fans). Not only was it challenging musically (remember the original great guitar solo from Ritchie) but vocally it was a daunting force. Even Ian didn't sign it after 1999 I believe. And to be honest, LaBrie totally ruins this great number. Lucky that Petrucci partially saves it. What a disaster !!!

During the following anthem (''Smoke on The Water'') which I have never particularly liked, the sound is somewhat weak as LaBrie is. Not bad version per se ; but it is not difficult to play. Almost on par with the original except during the final part.

Fortunately, ''The Mule'' is mostly an instrumental number (but even during the one short lyric break, LaBrie will screw it). It was the time for Ian Paice to show his high drumming skills and for having witnessed both drummers live, I have to say that Portnoy is really top notch as well. He also belongs to the greatest drummers of all time. A sublime work during ''The Mule'' (and most of this live set).

I was quite skeptic how LaBrie would manage ''Strange Kind Of Woman''. Especially the great call/reponse with the guitar. Let's wait (and pray) and see?During a certain, he seems to avoid this difficult part, and then timidly he tries?but on a very low key. When it really becomes too difficult , he just call it quit. The finale is quite a pity. How one man can make the difference?

Fortunately, ''Lazy'' is also almost instrumental and was the occasion for Jon to demonstrate his skills (and he was very skilled !). But let's be honest, so far the key section was really good and Rudess is showing very good abilities (but this is not new). A brilliant key intro. A la Jon?But when the guitar steps in, it becomes a little confused and the second part is just too longish... At this stage, I will not mention LaBrie anymore.

The long ''Space Truckin'' has never been my cup of tea. I always wondered why Purple extended to nearly 20 minutes. I even have heard of much longer versions ! Anyway, we will have to face it as well since it is an integrant part of ''MIJ''.

''Dream Theater'' will even try and match the original front sleeve cover. But actually, to try and render such an emblematic live album is not an easy task even for skilled musicians. IMHHO, they did a better job with ''Dark Side''. Two stars for this one (for fans only; but not DP ones...).

Just grab the great original (even better in the three CD versions).