Published on Dec 29, 1997
It’s amazing how one can overlook a classic when that classic
becomes one of the most overplayed records of the classic rock
era.
Take Deep Purple’s 1972 masterpiece
Machine Head. Every half-ass guitar player starts off
figuring out the opening riff to “Smoke On The Water” (no offense,
Bo and the guys in Bogart), and it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll
hear it on your local classic rock station at some point today.
But if you take the whopping 37 minutes out of your day that it
will take to listen to
Machine Head, you’ll realize what made this record so
special in the beginning.
The classic second lineup of Deep Purple (known as Mk II in the
band’s circles), Ian Gillan and crew are as tight a unit as they
could have ever hoped to be. Jon Lord’s keyboard work was the
antithesis to the high-tech noodlings of other keyboard
artistes like Rick Wakeman, while Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar
work still continues to amaze me, even if he wasn’t one of the most
technical guitarists out there. To this day, I hear Blackmore’s
riff on “Highway Star,” and my jaw hits the floor. Roger Glover’s
bass work is no less important than his other bandmates’
contributions, and Ian Paice… well, there’s a reason Metallica’s
Lars Ulrich idolized this guy.
“Highway Star” and “Smoke On The Water” are two of the
best-known works on
Machine Head – in fact, they may be the best-known songs by
the band, but they still are as powerful as they were 25 years ago.
“Smoke On The Water,” as you probably know by now, is based on the
events at the Montreux Casino on December 3, 1971 — the band was
supposed to record what would become this album there, but during a
concert by the Mothers Of Invention, the casino burnt down. I find
it interesting to listen to this song not only as a staple of rock
history, but also as a historical re-telling of the events of that
night. “Highway Star,” while maybe not as overplayed, is just as
powerful of a tune which features Lord and Blackmore’s musical
artistry.
Were it only for these two songs,
Machine Head would be worth the price to purchase. Ah, but
there is more – let’s not overlook the unsung gems on this slab o’
vinyl. “Space Truckin'” is the highlight for me, complete with the
syncopated drum beats of Paice (and some killer cymbal work with
the snare), while “Lazy” is an interesting take on the blues by the
band. Maybe one of the best forgotten tracks is “Pictures Of Home,”
which shows off the musical tightness of this band and is evidence
of how far ahead of their time they really were. (There’s a damn
good reason why this band had such a successful reunion in 1984 —
listen to this album and understand why.)
Machine Head may be poo-poohed by some for being an
overplayed relic of a past era. I say: spit on those critics, fire
up the old Victrola, and allow yourself to be taken back with this
album.