813. Dream Theater / Official Bootleg: Covers Series: Made in Japan. 2007. 4/5

When this idea was originally floated in the Dream Theater ideas room, is there anyone who doesn't believe that James LaBrie was thinking, "Are you fucking kidding? You want me to trying and sing "Child in Time" live the way Ian Gillan does on the original release of Made in Japan? What the fuck are you thinking?!?" Because there is just no way he was going to be able to do it (and that's not meant to be a criticism, it's just a fact). Great job boys lining up your lead vocalist for a very big fall.

This is the fourth in the live covers series that Dream Theater has produced. Having already done Metallica's Official Bootleg: Covers Series: Master of Puppets, Iron Maiden's Official Bootleg: Covers Series - The Number of the Beast and Pink Floyd's Official Bootleg: Covers Series: Dark Side of the Moon, the band here has decided to do a live cover album... on a live album. A slightly off-kilter idea, one would have thought. Sure, Deep Purple's original release of MADE IN JAPAN is a classic and inspirational release, showcasing this amazing band full of amazing performers in their live element. But does it need to be redone as an album cover, almost note for note and word for word in crowd interaction all these years later? It is novel that the band went out of their way to play every piece of the original album note for note, but it seems a bit... of a wank... if you are also trying to get those same inflections that would have been done 'on the spot' in a live performance. Or perhaps that's just me. No doubt the band had a lot of fun with the improvisations necessary to do this to the degree they were trying. However, how many times to do you want to hear a guitarist and a keyboardist and a drummer doing 5+ solos and improvs? Or the moments between lead singer and guitarist? It really is so 1970's isn't it? Given the time of the recording of over 70 minutes, they band could have chosen any album and played that in less time, or for that matter play TWO albums rather than just the one. Imagine if Dream Theater had played Deep Purple in Rock and Machine Head back to back?! Now THAT would have been something.

Still, has the band done a good job on this? Yes, there's no denying that. The musicianship is second to none, and the songs sound terrific. But that doesn't deter from the fact that if you play this, and then listen to Deep Purple's original recording, it is like chalk and cheese. There's only one Ian Gillan, one Ritchie Blackmore, one Ian Paice, one Jon Lord and one Roger Glover. And their way of playing these songs will always be the best. And the five most vehement supporters of that fact will be the members of Dream Theater. This is great for an occasional listen, but it is the original that is still the star of the show.

Rating:  James, never sing "Child in Time" ever again.  4/5