Album: Machine Head
Artist: Deep Purple
Born: Hertford, Hertfordshire
Released: March 1972
Genre: Heavy Metal
Influenced: Metallica, Queens Of The Stone Age, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Though I'm a fan of the progressive folk & blues of Deep Purple MKI, there's no doubt that Deep Purple MKII is the essential line-up. Deep Purple In Rock, Made In Japan and Fireball are all great records, but this is my favourite of the lot. The most outstanding thing about Deep Purple, especially on Machine Head, is their musicianship. It really crystallised the sound of heavy rock and metal, and everything since (that I've heard) has been diminishing returns. Machine Head is not just the foundation of a genre but, it's so good and towering, it forever casts its shadow. Many of the comedy acts that followed like Queen, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and Aerosmith, who all cite Deep Purple as an influence, are nothing but pale, putrid and ridiculous imitations.
Highway Star gets the album off to a fast tempo, Ritchie Blackmore's pounding riff combined with John Lord's classical organ solos making for an intoxicating mix. On this track and others, John Gillan's powerful singing has an improvised, jazz feel (as with most heavy rock, the lyrics don't require much further investigation). Smoke On The Water is one exception, working on two levels, the most obvious being as the most famous powerhouse riff in rock music history, the second being a dramatic story about how Machine Head was created, involving Lake Geneva, a fire at a Frank Zappa concert and a new improvised studio. Other highlights on the record are Never Before and the ludicrously brilliant Space Truckin', an interstellar trip powered by Ian Paice's drumming, which more than any other song is the template for many of the excesses of 80s & 90s heavy rock. The common complaint is why the heck isn't Deep Purple, the group that created the riff that every kid wants to learn first on guitar, in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They will be eventually, I'm sure, but it remains a massive oversight.
Though I'm a fan of the progressive folk & blues of Deep Purple MKI, there's no doubt that Deep Purple MKII is the essential line-up. Deep Purple In Rock, Made In Japan and Fireball are all great records, but this is my favourite of the lot. The most outstanding thing about Deep Purple, especially on Machine Head, is their musicianship. It really crystallised the sound of heavy rock and metal, and everything since (that I've heard) has been diminishing returns. Machine Head is not just the foundation of a genre but, it's so good and towering, it forever casts its shadow. Many of the comedy acts that followed like Queen, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and Aerosmith, who all cite Deep Purple as an influence, are nothing but pale, putrid and ridiculous imitations.
Highway Star gets the album off to a fast tempo, Ritchie Blackmore's pounding riff combined with John Lord's classical organ solos making for an intoxicating mix. On this track and others, John Gillan's powerful singing has an improvised, jazz feel (as with most heavy rock, the lyrics don't require much further investigation). Smoke On The Water is one exception, working on two levels, the most obvious being as the most famous powerhouse riff in rock music history, the second being a dramatic story about how Machine Head was created, involving Lake Geneva, a fire at a Frank Zappa concert and a new improvised studio. Other highlights on the record are Never Before and the ludicrously brilliant Space Truckin', an interstellar trip powered by Ian Paice's drumming, which more than any other song is the template for many of the excesses of 80s & 90s heavy rock. The common complaint is why the heck isn't Deep Purple, the group that created the riff that every kid wants to learn first on guitar, in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They will be eventually, I'm sure, but it remains a massive oversight.
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