Why the Best Highway Star Almost Fell Apart

Which live version of Highway Star is the best? This time, it's exactly the one you'd expect — but stay with me, because the same standard that knocked Made in Japan down to THIRD on my Child in Time ranking is the one that hands it the crown here. I scored four versions — the Deep Purple In Rock… sorry, the Machine Head studio original, the BBC session, Copenhagen, and Made in Japan — across five categories: vocals, guitar, organ, rhythm section, and pure enjoyment. All four are from 1972, and I'll tell you exactly why nothing after that made the cut. This is Episode 2 of Best Live Take, where I rank the live versions of one Deep Purple song at a time. Episode 1: the Child in Time ranking where Made in Japan LOST:    • The Best Version of Child in Time Is NOT o...   💬 Made in Japan came THIRD on Child in Time but WINS this one. Tell me where I'm wrong in the comments — and vote on which song gets the Best Live Take treatment next. ☕ If you enjoy the channel and want to buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/deeppurplevibes 🔔 Subscribe for more Deep Purple deep dives, rankings, and the rest of the Best Live Take series. Album artwork and photographs are used for purposes of commentary and criticism. #DeepPurple #HighwayStar #MadeInJapan #vinylcommunity #ClassicRock #HardRock #LiveAlbum #DeepPurpleVibes #BestLiveTake