The Album Review Club - Week #191 (page 1286) - Harlequin Dream - Boy & Bear

Made in Japan - Deep Purple

I'm sorry, but try as I might, I just can't shake these two paragraphs in feeling that way:
journolud said:
This album bored me. And I do like live albums with extended versions and noodlings. Live Dead and the Song Remains the Same come to mind (although I haven't voluntarily listened to either for many years and yes, TSRTS does also have a drum solo).

...

Part way through Space Truckin', (I was driving), I checked how long there was to go and found there was another ten minutes despite it already being interminably long. I'm not one for leaving a game before the end, even when the result is already well established and the players have effectively started their warm down during the match but sometimes you do wonder what is the point of the time added on at the end. I'm afraid this one did have me heading for the bus while the die hards were waiting to applaud the team off...
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I heard Deep Purple as a "child" of the 1970's. I even had their GHs cassette of When We Rock, We Rock, and When We Roll, We Roll from 1978. But here's the thing. I hardly played it. And when I converted most of my holdings over to CD, I don't believe I even bothered to upgrade its format either.

So after listening to the live version of 3 songs I knew quite well on this album that overlapped, I have to again ask myself WHY??

"Highway Star" was fine, and here the vocals pass for me (more on this soon), and "Smoke On The Water" was the high mark on all accounts. However, ~20 minutes of "Space Truckin" was simply too much and I too was checking how long has this been going on?

The other 4 songs for me were nothing remarkable, and I was wondering if I was missing something in not hearing them prior. I didn't leave feeling like I did. I think a big part of my problem with Deep Purple in the 1970's was Ian Gillan's vocals. What worked for me in the 2 songs I enjoyed were just grating in the "Child In Time" high (screaming) notes. I realize this is some great range to some, but to me sitting on a plane Monday on listen #2 with a crying child going nearly note for note on this, it was too much, though it did elicit an Alanis Morissette ironic smile and chuckle. While I am a fan of Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow in the 1980's and Deep Purple's Perfect Strangers output of 1984, it was clear to me on who wasn't part of those bands.

Jon Lord and Ian Paice were both fine on this, but overall it comes down to am I really enjoying this or am I thinking about the cassette somewhere that hasn't been played in years and this band to me was never going to match what I'd rather be listening to in Zeppelin or Yes? Maybe I needed to be there for them live, but I don't think I latched onto them in this decade and try as I might, it didn't change my mind listening this week. It's a 6/10 for me with the first two songs mostly carrying the load for me.
 
DEEP PURPLE MADE IN JAPAN



Heavy Metal is not my bag, I’d never listened to a DP album before although my elder brother had ‘In Rock ‘ and ‘Fireball’ so a number of the songs on this album sound familiar.
Whilst stating the obvious I think to appreciate a live album you have to be a fan of the artist in question and had preferably seen them live.
The main problem I have with this album is the excesses, especially Ian Gillian’s screaming, I can take a guitar solo or drum solo when seeing a band live but on an album it becomes boring after the first listen.
I’m sure Ian Gillian has a great voice and it’s fine before he starts shrieking It’s the reason I’m a big fan of Paul Roger’s who sings effortlessly and doesn’t have to do the vocal gymnastics.
The first track was ok and ‘Child in time’ Smoke on the Water’ and ‘Strange Kind of Woman’ were all familiar to me but I would much prefer the studio versions.
As others have said some just go on and on especially’Space Truckin’fine if you were there and spaced out but not for three forced listens.

@journolud’s analogy was spot on.


6/10
 
BTH said:
It must have been about 1980. I remember sitting in my mate’s bedroom as we did back then, in the days long before mancaves, home offices and suchlike even became a thing. And he put this on: Made In Japan. I knew little of Deep Purple then, or most rock bands. I was still finding my way musically as listening opportunities were limited to whatever your peer group had in their respective collections.

My first impression was one of astonishment. The first track, Highway Star, is one of four from the classic Machine Head album that makes it onto this double album of just seven live cuts. Roger Glover’s driving Rickenbacker bass allows the others to stretch out throughout the album, and do they! Especially Ritchie Blackmore. Love him or hate him, there is no denying the man’s genius. His solo on Highway Star is sublime.

Child In Time not only features Gillan’s famous screams but Jon Lord’s intricate keyboard work. A performance of the same song was filmed at Manchester’s Granada Studios in July 1970 (see link) and is a go-to for many young people’s YouTube reaction videos. The performance is jaw-droppingly good, not just for the music or the interplay between the five musicians but because you can actually see how they played it, close-up and personal, with particular emphasis on Lord’s virtuosity.

My overriding memory of that Saturday evening long ago was the call and response section featuring Ritchie Blackmore and Ian Gillan during Strange Kind Of Woman which, to this day, remains one of my favourite Deep Purple songs. I’d never heard anything like it before and Gillan shines, although he claimed on its release that his voice was off and he hated the album!

Millions disagreed and bought what was a cut price album on its worldwide release, although the band themselves hadn’t wanted it releasing outside of Japan.

There was also the bum note during the famous introduction to Smoke On The Water, although Purple fans disagree to this day about whether this was a genuine mistake or Blackmore, well, Blackmore - being deliberately mischievous/awkward such is his God-given talent. No-one knows and, par for the course, he’s never said.

Another Machine Head track that made it on to the set list was Lazy, which is mainly instrumental but a musical tour de force in particular for Lord and Blackmore, with Gillan appearing only fleetingly with two short verses.

They recorded Made In Japan only a matter of months after Machine Head’s release and they had matured as musicians, but cracks were appearing, leading this legendary Mark 2 line-up to split acrimoniously less than a year later having made their final appearance together in Osaka, ironically.

It would be another 12 years before they played again. Some bands are for listening to and some you have to see; for me Deep Purple were in the latter category. I saw them with this same line-up in 1985 at Knebworth for the long-awaited comeback. As great as they were, Gillan’s voice was understandably shot. While they had assembled the biggest lighting and sound rigs ever seen or heard in the UK, because of bad weather Gillan couldn’t have: “everything louder than everything else!” Until that is, halfway through Space Truckin’ when someone whacked the sound up and it felt and sounded like the end of days so loud was it. I have never heard anything so loud again in the intervening 40 years!

It’s a toss-up between Space Truckin’ and The Mule as to which is the weakest track on Made In Japan. Not that either are bad songs, but any 20-minute Space Truckin’ is best experienced in person and if you’re listening to The Mule live, you’re probably in the toilet as drummer Ian Paice’s showcases his undoubted talents with a drum solo.

There are no overdubs here as found on, say, Led Zeppelin’s The Song Remains The Same and Thin Lizzy’s equally misnomered album Live And Dangerous. The song didn’t remain the same and Thin Lizzy weren’t entirely live! Made In Japan’s only concession to editing was that the album was a confection of the best tracks from three different concerts in two Japanese cities: Tokyo and Osaka.

All the tracks from the three concerts this live album was culled from are available to buy/listen to now and as soon as I get the time I’ll listen to the lot. Again! But for me, Made in Japan was not only the highwater mark for Deep Purple Mark 2, but that of live rock albums in general. Since I first listened to it 45 summers ago, I’ve never heard another live rock album anything near as good.

Child In Time, Manchester 1970
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@BTH, did you have a score out of 10 after your considered review?
 
Deep Purple - Made In Japan

Classic rock !

Can't deny the talent on stage here and the level of musicianship , Its raw and full of energy.
The recording is perfect, no overdubs and nothing else needed... But! i did struggle at times, the length of the tracks, the solos, the screaming, the drums - it all felt to much - I like my songs to have structure, much of this is improvisation (which is beyond impressive) but songs should never be a test of endurance, however 'Smoke On The Water' hits the spot, it still has that iconic rift and sound to the original, enjoyed also 'Child In Time' and 'Highway Star'. Good pick.

7/10
 
@OB1 has done it again - another 1970s classic that is well respected. Five albums in the top 21 in our league table.
Deep Purple's Made in Japan scored 7.25 from 14 votes. It seems that this choice went down well, almost universal approval with the musicianship shining through but plenty of comments suggesting that it was a bit on the long side.

Moving up the batting order for this round is @threespires .........
 
Here's a clue...album title.

Currently in minor injuries with the youngest, so you'll have to bear with me for anything else!

Clue3.png
 
RobMCFC said:
That crossed my mind but couldn't work out whether the thing on the left was mercury, salt or something else.
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You're on the right lines with the chemistry angle. Neither element is correct though. They are both in an altered state due to temp.
 
mrbelfry said:
Moon Rock by Travis Scott
moon shaped pool by Radiohead
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I repeat, the elements are not in their normal state. If it helps I've only put the two main elements of the mixture as they make up the vast majority of it's constituent parts.
 
threespires said:
I repeat, the elements are not in their normal state. If it helps I've only put the two main elements of the mixture as they make up the vast majority of it's constituent parts.
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I've got a degree, a lot of A levels, even more O levels.

By far my worst exam result ever was Chemistry: U

I'm out :)
 
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