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Famously originally issued in the Far East only as Live In Japan – at the request of Deep Purple’s Japanese record label Warner Pioneer, in the hope of encouraging back catalogue sales – it subsequently grew into a historic release, widely ranked as one of the greatest live albums of all time.
It was recorded at three shows on the band’s first visit to Japan, in August 1972 (two shows in Osaka then one in Tokyo). The dates had been postponed from May, meaning the band had played many more shows (mostly in the USA), honing performances of the songs from their June-released sixth album Machine Head. Come Japan, that studio masterpiece’s great songs became almost transcendental. Word got around. Imports sold well. So, repackaged as Made In Japan, the double album went on sale in the rest of the world – at the same price as a single album in the UK, redefining the meaning of ‘value for money’.
You’ve always known how good this is. You may even own EMI’s three-CD Live In Japan from 1993 (seven songs from each show per disc), 1998’s two-CD version (the original on one plus a second disc of three encores) and 2014's nine-album 40th anniversary vinyl box.
Now, Super Deluxe tops them all as 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 the three seven-song sets in performance order, and on CD 5 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). The 10-disc vinyl version includes the same, with each complete gig including encores neatly sequenced across five sides – though you’ll need two turntables and a steady hand to truly recreate the sense of being there.
In ’72, only Roger Glover and Ian Paice helped engineer Martin Birch choose the takes and mix them in London – Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan and Jon Lord couldn’t face the task. No matter now. All five have, to varying degrees, subsequently admitted how impressive Made In Japan is and that it captured the band’s best lineup at the height of its powers.
Incredibly, Wilson has revealed subtleties hidden for more than 50 years. And with the source sets from all three nights newly remixed by Richard Digby Smith, this is Made In Japan not only expanded, but also supercharged. No edits, no overdubs, just the real deal.
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