Deep Purple's monstrous power as a live act was solidified more than four decades ago with the release of their first live album, Made in Japan. This May, a tidal wave of Made in Japan reissues are surging your way, from remasters to expansions to box sets on CD, vinyl and Blu-Ray. (Whew!)

In 1972, Deep Purple were flying higher than ever. The quintet - at the time, singer Ian Gillan, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, bassist Roger Glover, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice - had just released their sixth album in five years (and third with the Mk II lineup), Machine Head. It was their first chart-topper in their native England, and also went Top 10 in the States. By this time, the band had quite a sterling reputation as a live act, but were reluctant to attempt a live album for fear they could not produce the exact kind of polished set they could in studio.

Ultimately, upon discovering a burgeoning bootleg market around their tours, they relented, recording three consecutive nights in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan (where the band were particularly adored). Focusing solely on putting on a great show and less on how the final product would sound (to this day, members of the band have reportedly never heard the album), Deep Purple's gamble paid off handsomely. A single backed with both studio and live versions of the instant classic (and arguable progenitor of heavy metal) "Smoke on the Water" was a U.S. Top 5 hit. The album went Top 10 in America and Top 20 in England, eventually earning a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America for over a million units shipped.

Given the hallowed status of the album, there have been several reissues of the Japan shows. A 1993 box set collected much of the three sets, and further parts were included on an expanded reissue of the album proper in 1998. But what have Universal U.K. got planned for this (almost) 40th anniversary celebration? Read on after the jump.

Okay. Take a deep breath, because there's a lot of Made in Japan formats coming your way.

• The original album is being remastered and will be available on one CD or two vinyl LPs.
• A double-disc deluxe edition will feature one of the three shows - the August 16 visit to Osaka's Festival Hall - on one disc and complete encores from all three shows on the other. The main show is newly remixed, while the encores are not.
• A CD/DVD box set - five discs in all - feature all three shows and encores on four CDs and a DVD with a new documentary on the Mk II lineup of the band and some live clips from around the same timespan. A 60-page hardback book with liner notes will be included as well.
• Another box set includes all of that audio content - three shows and encores - on nine vinyl LPs. Each main set will take up two platters apiece, while each encore will be available on its own single-sided 12" disc. This version also comes with a book.
• And for hi-res enthusiasts, a Blu-Ray Audio disc will feature the new remix of the August 16 show as well as the remastered original album, all in 96/24 khz stereo sound (no encores here).
• Additionally, a Record Store Day single will feature one of the encore versions of "Black Night" backed with a studio edit of "Woman from Tokyo," from the band's 1973 album Who Do We Think We Are.

Make sense? Don't feel bad if it doesn't. You'll have plenty of time to right that wrong before these sets are released on May 19. In the meantime, track lists and Amazon U.K. links are very live and very much below!

Deep Purple, Made in Japan: Deluxe Editions (Universal (U.K.), 2014)

* recorded live at Festival Hall, Osaka - 8/15/1972
** recorded live at Festival Hall, Osaka - 8/16/1972
*** recorded live at Budokan, Tokyo - 8/17/1972

1CD remaster (Purple Records TPSP 351 (U.K.), 1972/Warner Bros. 2WS 2701 (U.S.), 1973): Amazon U.K.

1. Highway Star **
2. Child in Time **
3. Smoke on the Water *
4. The Mule ***
5. Strange Kind of Woman **
6. Lazy ***
7. Space Truckin' **

2CD deluxe edition: Amazon U.K.

Disc 1: Live at Festival Hall, Osaka - 8/16/1972 (2013 mix)

1. Highway Star
2. Smoke on the Water
3. Child in Time
4. The Mule (Drum Solo)
5. Strange Kind of Woman
6. Lazy
7. Space Truckin’

Tracks 1-2 and 5 from original LP. All other tracks first released on Live in Japan box set (EMI 7243 8 27726 2 0 (U.K.), 1993)

Disc 2: Encores (1972 mixes)

1. Black Night *
2. Speed King *
3. Black Night **
4. Lucille **
5. Black Night ***
6. Speed King ***

Tracks 1-2 first released on Live in Japan box set. Track 3 first released on Listen Learn Read On box set (EMI 72435 40973 2 4 (U.K.), 2002) Tracks 4 and 6 first released on Made in Japan: 25th Anniversary Edition (EMI 72438 57864 2 6 (U.K.)/Warner Bros./Rhino R2 75623 (U.S.), 1998. An edit of Track 5 first released as the B-side to "Woman from Tokyo" single (Purple Records 1C 006-94 185 (DE), 1973).

4CD/1DVD box set (Track lists for Discs 1-3 identical to order of 1CD remaster): Amazon U.K.

Disc 1: Live at Festival Hall, Osaka - 8/15/1972
Disc 2: Live at Festival Hall, Osaka - 8/16/1972
Disc 3: Live at Budokan, Tokyo - 8/17/1972
Disc 4: Encores (track list identical to Disc 2 of 2CD deluxe edition)
Disc 5: DVD

1. Made in Japan – The Rise of Deep Purple MK II documentary
2. Smoke on the Water (official clip)
3. The Revolution Germany 1972 (documentary piece from Boblingen Sporthalle, Stuttgart 2/10/1972)
4. Smoke on the Water (Live from Hoftsra University - 5/29/1973)

2LP remaster (identical to original LP/1CD remaster): Amazon U.K.

9LP box set: Amazon U.K.

LPs 1-3: Live at Festival Hall, Osaka - 8/15/1972
LPs 4-6: Live at Festival Hall, Osaka - 8/16/1972
LPs 7-9: Live at Budokan, Tokyo - 8/17/1972

Blu-Ray Audio: Amazon U.K.

Features contents of 1CD remaster and Disc 1 of Deluxe Edition