GREAT WORKS: Deep Purple - Machine Head

Machine Head is by many considered the best album of Deep Purple. This album of 1972 that Richie Blackmore , Ian Gillan, Jon Lord,Ian Paice and Roger Glover created and performed is a magnificent sample of what music is capable of.
The story of this album is quite noticeable as it was recorded in Switzerland. There in Geneva happened a story that almost everyone has listened but doesn't know. They had booked the casino for two weeks for the recording. Frank Zappa was giving a show there and someone fired a flare gun into the roof. The casino was burnt and Deep Purple had nowhere to record their album. They found Grand Hotel that was closed for the winter and they rented part of it. The album was recorded in a corridor (basically because Paice considered that the Drums was sounding better there). This story, the story of this superb album is narrated in the most famous song of the album and one of the most known songs of Rock music, Smoke on the water.
Smoke on the Water is a song that has everything it takes to be a masterpiece. It is quite simple and to it belongs the riff that everyone knows. The lyrics are simple and yet effective. The mixing is superb ( the album was originally recorded in quadraphonic sound. The original mixes are available on the SACD).
The lyrics of the album surprise us with their simplicity that works in favor of the poetic result and not against it. The music with outbursts that seem to come from a metal album but also with clear and nice melodies combine practically everything. The allegro is mated with andante and the voice is clear and captures your attention. This album cannot be described by words since its diversities leave us incapable of describing without analyzing every second. One last thing is that this album contains some of the nicest keyboard parts that I have listened to (Jon Lord did an exceptional job and is my favorite of course).
Concluding the SACD presents the original sound as it was meant to be presented so for those that possess the appropriate sound system I strongly suggest they acquire it. In the SACD there can be found the "when a blind man cries" a terrific song that was not originally included on the album. If you have not listened to this album it's time you do!