Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has offered a passionate tribute to Deep Purple‘s live album Made in Japan, declaring it “hands down the best hard rock live album ever.” In a video posted to Deep Purple‘s official YouTube channel, Ulrich celebrated the 53rd anniversary of the iconic recording, which was captured over three nights in Osaka and Tokyo in August 1972.
Ulrich, a long-time fan of the band, spoke with infectious enthusiasm about the album, which he claims to have heard “just about 18,000 times.” He praised its raw energy and the improvisational nature of the performances by the band’s Mark II lineup, which featured Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice. “It’s so lively, it’s so energetic and just, Duuuurrrghhh! You know what I mean?” he said.
The tribute was released to coincide with the 50th-anniversary edition of Made in Japan, which was released on August 15 and has been remixed by Steven Wilson. Ulrich expressed his excitement about the reissue, which includes all three nights of the original concerts. He highlighted the unique qualities of each performance, emphasizing how the band’s spontaneity made every version of a song different. “The crazy thing about hearing this… is that when you hear the three nights of the three different concerts, the versions of the songs, they’re all f**king so crazy cool, but they’re different from each other,” he explained.
He specifically pointed to the varied lengths of songs like “Child In Time,” which changed depending on the band’s mood and improvisational solos. “[Ritchie] Blackmore is in a different mood, Ian Paice is playing against him in this kind of way, and it sets up these vibes,” he said.
Ulrich concluded his tribute by urging both long-time fans and newcomers to check out the album. “Just check it the f**k out, ’cause in terms of live hard rock and roll, this is as good as it gets,” he stated.
