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Made In Japan: The Remastered Edition

by Deep Purple

• Buy it at Amazon.com

Judging by the thick chugging that Deep Purple pull off as they enter "Highway Star" on this classic 1972 set, this band was of an era that appreciated size in sound. Ritchie Blackmore's guitar and Jon Lord's keyboards owned the evenings on the quintet's Japanese tour, giving the band a front-end density that kept drummer Ian Paice's snap heavy and loud. On tour in support of the album Machine Head, Deep Purple indulged in some great long-form jams, reaching into the 10-minute range for most of the main set and closing with the now-famed live read of "Space Truckin'." There's a reason this is regarded by many as one of hard rock's cornerstone live recordings. It's a boiler. This gold version of the title offers superior sound quality for a higher price than the standard-issue CD. --Andrew Bartlett