Deep Purple's Machine Head was the third studio album from the second line up of the band, and the most famous, featuring as it did the vocal talents of Ian Gillan. This is my favourite album of all time, and whilst I'm not given to being a collector, I do own various reissues of Machine Head to mark the fact: the original gatefold LP, the reissue, the quadraphonic LP, the CD and the 25th Anniversary edition, not to mention the picture disc version. Anyone seen my anorak?
Machine Head - funny title for a record isn't it? As any guitarist will tell you machine heads are the twiddly metal bits on the headstock of a guitar that you use to tune the strings. Sounds to me like the band were fresh out of ideas of what to call the album, having one of those rock band arguments that get nowhere when one of them looked at his guitar and said jokingly, 'how about machine head?' and the others upset him by all agreeing it was a splendid name.
Fresh out of ideas is hardly how one could describe the music though. It is brimming with inspiration, and a quality of musicianship that is rarely found in rock music. The cold, spartan conditions they had to endure in the unheated out-of-season Montreux hotel seems to have given the band an unusual adhesion, artistically and in terms of morale. One can only marvel at the sparkle and adrenaline rush of 'Highway Star', the explosive riff of 'Smoke on the Water', the cool blues of 'Lazy' and the storming power of 'Space Trucking'.
My friend Sultan (yes I know it's a funny name), being a fairly typical punter, used to complain that there were always songs on records that he didn't like, but he made an exception for Machine Head. There's never a chance to get bored as the band thrill with a change of mood, a false ending, a sublime guitar solo, a belting rhythm or a beautifully harmonised vocal line. And somehow it's all so understated - smooth and dark like chocolate (so I watch commercials), brooding like a thunderstorm! And you have to hear the songs played on the live album 'Made in Japan' to hear the storm break. If Thor materialised as a rock band he'd be Deep Purple pulverising lots of adolescent Japanese ears.
Machine Head was the album that made Deep Purple huge around the world - and idolised by budding teenage musicians who wanted to be the next Deep Purple. The influence they exerted was just tremendous. Whilst Zeppelin had their moments, they just didn't give the satisfaction element or musical staying power of Purple. Almost every guitarist I know rates Ritchie Blackmore as the best or close to the best around.
This is the kind of album where you wonder why the band didn't carry on writing and recording whilst it was all going so well. Such synergy only turns up once in a career. Ian Gillan reckons that Deep Purple have yet to make their 'Dark Side of the Moon'. He's forgotten that they already did.
Now get those air guitars out and join in with me as we play Smoke on the Water: da, da ,da. Da da, da-da. Da, da, da - da, da, daaaaaah!
PS If you want to know where I stand on the Ritchie Blackmore or Steve Morse question, then I quote from Mr Blackmore talking about his replacement, 'A very good country player.' Can you honestly imagine Steve coming up with all these world class guitar riffs and that Highway Star solo? And the album with Morse called Abandon says it all - they've abandoned everything DP stood for.
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