Label: Warner Records (US), R1 75622 081227562212
Style: Hard Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 37:46
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 259 Mb
Charts:
UK #1, CAN #1, DEN #1, FRA: #1, ITA: #4, JAP #6, Spain: #6, AUS #1, AUT
#4, FIN #1, GER #1, NED #1, NOR #3, SWE #4, SWI #19, US #17. Italy
& UK: Gold; France: 2x Gold; US: 2x Platinum.
Though not without
its moments, 1971’s Fireball described something of a non-descript
holding pattern for Deep Purple. Not a bad album as such it was,
artistically at least, a curious underachiever compared to In Rock. What
they needed was something with as much impact and which delivered them
new standards to ensure their upwards path. With not a lot of spare
change in the pocket as far as new material went, the recording session
was a fraught affair. Yet out of such adversity, Purple dug deep into
their reserves producing their strongest and most consistent set.
Released
in 1972, Machine Head become the benchmark against which everything
that followed would be judged against. In the canon of heavy rock this
is an album replete with classic tracks. Concise in nature, killer
punches are only ever a minute away no matter which song you play.
Vocalist Ian Gillan excels himself on “Highway Star,” and “Never
Before”, the latter an excellent single, released ahead of the album
covering both pop, rock and some righteously funky turn-arounds.
Blackmore dominates the album turning in some of his most understated
and reflective playing on “When A Blind Man Cries” (the b-side to the
single and not included on the original album) and of course, “Smoke On
The Water.”
Its devastating simplicity is the foundation stone of the
whole record and one of rock’s most archetypal riffs. Not only heavy as
hell, it was insanely catchy and the long-haired denim-wearing world
grasped it to their bosom without a moment’s hesitation. Detailing the
burning of the casino near Lake Geneva (which caused yer actual smoke on
the water), the lyrical content perhaps presaged the internal fires
that would consume the group.
Released in May it went straight to
number one but by August Gillan had resigned. Though he would stay on to
record the live Made In Japan and the lack-lustre, Who Do We Think We
Are, the mark II line-up was all over bar the shouting – and there was
going to be plenty of that. Machine Head however remains their finest
hour.
(bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/3r3n/)
01. A1 Highway Star (06:08)
02. A2 Maybe I'm A Leo (04:52)
03. A3 Pictures Of Home (05:06)
04. A4 Never Before (04:00)
05. B1 Smoke On The Water (05:41)
06. B2 Lazy (07:23)
07. B3 Space Truckin' (04:33)
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