Review Summary: Sure, it has Smoke on the Water, but Deep Purple's sixth carries much, much more than just that.
Deep Purple: A Retrospective
Episode VI: Machine Head
Less than a year after their fifth album
Fireball, Deep Purple released
Machine Head. Eventually, the album would become the pinnacle of their success, topping the charts in a great many different countries. Not only is it cited as a classic in the band’s own catalogue, but also in the hard rock genre, and as a very influential album in developing heavy metal in the 70’s. Unofficially, it is also part of the
British Holy Trinity of Hard Rock, together with
Led Zeppelin’s fourth untitled album and
Black Sabbath's
Paranoid.
Deep Purple Mk. II was:
- Ian Gillan ~ Vocals, Harmonica
- Richard Hugh Blackmore ~ Lead Guitar
- Roger David Glover ~ Bass Guitar
- Jon Douglas Lord ~ Hammond Organ, Piano, Keyboards
- Ian Anderson Pace ~ Drums
There is one track in particular that propelled
Machine Head into such fame, and that is of course
Smoke on the Water. If the band had not chosen to record their sixth album in the particular Rolling Stones Mobile Studio in Montreux, Switzerland, their greatest anthem would never even have existed. For those unfamiliar with the story, Deep Purple were residing in their hotel as a nearby casino caught fire. During a gig by
Frank Zappa and
The Mothers of Invention, someone in the audience shot a flare gun at the roof, causing the building to catch fire. Though the building and musical equipment of
The Mothers were completely destroyed by the fire, all of the audience managed to escape, some with the help of Claude Nobs (referred to in the lyrics as Funky Claude). The smoke from the fire spread out onto Lake Geneva nearby, and it was that event that featured Roger Glover to come up with the title
Smoke on the Water a while later. The song retells the story of the event very neatly, and particularly the verses are very strong:
'We all came out to Montreux
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile
We didn’t have much time
Frank Zappa and The Mothers
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground
Smoke on the water, fire in the sky
They burned down the gambling house
It died with an awful sound
Funky Claude was running in and out
Pulling kids out the ground
When it all was over
We had to find another place
But Swiss time was running out
It seemed that we would lose the race
Smoke on the water, fire in the sky'
The solo is the song’s highlight, another trademark bluesy effort that is one of Blackmore’s finest efforts in his entire career (particularly the ending, where he creates an air raid siren-like effect). Unfortunately
Smoke was so immensely overplayed (largely thanks to the wonderful opening riff that every soul on the earth knows, even if they’ve never even heard the name Deep Purple) that people today have gotten tired of it. This seems to be a reason for a great many people to label it as overrated, something that is completely unjustified considering the song’s rich history and powerful musical experience. The song itself was also the very reason so many people went out to buy Machine Head. Often, the larger part of these people even seems to forget about the rest of the album, which is filled with some of Deep Purple’s very best material ever.
Take the opening track
Highway Star, for example. The song is one massive explosion of Deep Purple energy, featuring intense jamming duels between the band, especially between Blackmore and Lord. The lyrical subject of car driving, a popular theme back in the days, may seem shallow but suits the song more than anything else, making it a wonderful track and an even better opener. The largely instrumental
Lazy is one damn fantastic jam with a laid-back, bluesy feel (what’s more, it features a short but great harmonica solo), and an underrated gem in the band’s extensive catalogue. Together with
Smoke, the two aforementioned tracks are the real classics on
Machine Head, forming the core of the album.
The remainder isn’t exactly a letdown either.
Maybe I’m a Leo and
Never Before both have that charismatic Deep Purple groove to them, and Pictures of Home has standout performances from both Gillan and Pace. While closer
Space Truckin’ is actually the least interesting offering on the album, it is one fine choice for a rather relaxed outro, and it’s potential for long improvisational jamming sessions would only become apparent on
Made in Japan.
This means that
Machine Head is an excellent hard rock experience all the way through, with a few very unique standout moments. Rivalling
In Rock and
Burn for best Deep Purple studio album, it is a must buy for any fan of 70’s rock music, or hard rock in general. If you don’t know where to start with this band, start right here. Highly recommended.
Recommended tracks:
Highway Star
Lazy
Smoke on the Water
