Machine Head Reviews

ディープ・パープルの傑作の一つである。第２期の一番充実した時期に制作された作品と言える。前作ファイアーボールがツアーで忙しく時間のない中急ぎ足で制作されたため、もっとじっくりと腰を据えて取り組もうということでまとまった時間を確保した。当初録音に使用する予定だったカジノが火事に遭って焼失したため、冬季休業中のホテルを借りた。イアン・ペイスがホテルの廊下でドラムを録音したところ良好な音質が得られたため、全員が廊下で演奏することとした。それがこの作品におけるサウンドの特徴を表している。
ディープ・パープルを代表する曲「スモーク・オン・ザ・ウォーター」は、当初録音に使う予定であったカジノの火災を歌ったもの。ロジャー・グローバーが作詞し、イアン・ギランが作曲。リッチー・ブラックモアは不思議なリフを考えたという。

Machine Head Is The 6th Album By Deep Purple And Was Released In 1971!

For All Deep Purple Fans (Like Me), This Album Is A Shrine! Even Though We Had Several Memorable Albums In 1971, I Consider This Album To Be One Of The Most Defining Albums Of The 70's And Rock As Whole!

When My Friend Gave Me This Album From His Gigantic Music Collection, I Just Ignored It Because I Thought That Deep Purple Would Be Another Heavy-Rock Band With No Aim (You Can Gasp All You Like, But This Was My First Reaction)!!!!

Anyways, When I Was Bored Listening To The Same Selected Songs Over & Over & Over Again, I Decided To Open Machine Head And Check The Contents... The Title That Caught My Attention Was 'Smoke On The Water' And I Opened It! Ahhh!!! No Words Can Describe The Feeling I Was Having During The Legendary 50 Second Intro! I Felt Like I Was In Music Heaven! I Instantly Fell In Love With DEEP PURPLE!

I Forgot My Metallica, Iron Maiden & Slayer And Just Kept On Listening To Deep Purple! Something That I Still Do To This Very Day (And I Do Listen To Metallica, Iron Maiden & Slayer And More....)

Anyways, No Other Band Had Such A Big-Impact On Me As Deep Purple Did! I Started Understanding Their Songs And How They View Things In Their Songs And Copied In My Lyrics (I Also Write Lyrics. Have Written Around 30 Or So)!

Anyways, Rock Fans & Non-Rock Fans Would Not Be Disappointed When They Hear This One-Hell-Of-A-Ride Album Which Will Change Your Live!

Other Notable Tracks Are: Highway Star, Lazy, When A Blind Man Cries & Space Truckin (Which Is My Fav.)!!!

On An Aside Note: I Have Listed Smoke On The Water & Highway Star In My List Of 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time (385 & 405, Respectively)..

I Have Also Listed Machine Head As One Of The 50 Best Albums I Have Heard In My Life!

I Have Also Listed Highway Star, When A Blind Man Cries, Lazy & Smoke On The Water In My List Of 100 Greatest Guitar Solos (8, 44, 55 & 73, Respectively)

I got introduced to this one rather late, given who I was listening to 10 years before. It was in the mid 90’s and it was courtesy of the guy sitting next to me at work. He usually listened to country and folk. But one day he brought in this and Black Sabbath’s “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”. Never took to Ozzy’s old band, but I enjoyed “Machine Head” enough that I went and got my own copy.

It is funny how changes in music change our perceptions. Back in 1972 when this was released, it was consider some of the heaviest music ever recorded and helped usher in heavy metal movement. After listening to the likes of Metallica (who are tame by comparison to others now), this is just rock ‘n roll. But it’s filled with great hooks, fun, catchy tunes (by today’s standards) and cool riffs. And I am not just talking about “Smoke on the Water” which has been overplayed by guitar students the world wide.

The thing that probably draws me the most to this album, and where I think Deep Purple might have had it over other bands from their era, was Jon Lord. They embraced the organ as a key component (no pun intended) of their music. Lord does a great solo on the opening track. And you can hear the wailing and growling sounds of the Hammond throughout the album. If you love organ in rock, it’s almost worth buying this just to hear the opening four minutes of “Lazy”.

Of course Jon Lord is not the only stand-out on the album. Even though he is a pompous ass, you can’t help but enjoy some of Blackmore’s work. Glover and Paice are a very competent rhythm section. Nothing fancy, yet cool at the same time. And Ian Gillian, though his voice has changed a bit over the years, back then was probably the best vocalist on the heavy metal scene. Guys like Robert Plant and Ozzy Osbourne moaned, screamed, shouted, and shrieked. Gillian might scream from time to time, but he would sing, and sing well.

And just to clear up something, I am not a fan for overplayed songs. Though I make fun of “Smoke on the Water”, there is a story behind the song that gave me more respect for it. If you don’t know it, go read the story on Wikipedia. It is the events that hampered the recording of this very album. Next time you listen to the song, concentrate on the lyrics.