ALBUM REVIEW: Deep Purple - Machine Head

    By 1972, Deep Purple were in the midst of their golden era - in 1970, their now iconic "Mark II" lineup was solidified, and the resulting In Rock album showcased a refined hard rock group, no thanks to the brilliant guitar work of Ritchie Blackmore, the flavorful organ fills from Jon Lord, the powerhouse Ian Paice at the drum kit, the punching Roger Glover's bass, and vocalist Ian Gillan's unmatchable vocal range and vigor. After the certifiably badass outing that was In Rock, Deep Purple followed it up with the more varied (both in sound and in quality), but at times even more punching Fireball - moments like the title track and "No No No" do live up to the expected galvanizing energy of their previous album. Of course, it wasn't quite as good as In Rock, but it did deliver on what was expected of Deep Purple; for their next album, though, they were planning on making an album that could more closely replicate the group's iconic live sound. The results of renting out the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio at a hotel in Switzerland was their most successful album. While Machine Head is another album that can't quite match up to the power of In Rock, it does its own thing with its equally expansive and slightly more commercial nature. The results probably make for the most accessible release from this era of Deep Purple, even more-so with its immediately recognizable hits.

    It's those hits that most of you immediately think of when Machine Head pops to mind, and not just with the popular concert jams of "Space Truckin'" and "Lazy", but with bona fide radio hits that remain rock staples to this day - tell me how many times you've heard "Highway Star" on a classic rock station, blasting with its anthemic verses and driving, relentless guitar punches throughout. It helps that the song remains one of the most shining displays of Ian Gillan's vocal range and power. More than starting the first half strong, Machine Head also contains the mysterious and driving "Smoke on the Water", forever enshrined into the pantheon of rock as many a guitarists' first riff, to the point where it's effectively a stereotype of beginners to the instrument. These are by far the songs that give the album the most mileage, but they are the embodiment of the album's strengths and style to a T. It still carries Deep Purple's signature brand of expansive hard rock and early metal, but something about these songs feels more easily accessible than all 10 minutes of "Child in Time", and this is what ultimately gives Machine Head its special little spot in their catalog - it knows what it is, and it does it damn well.

    Outside of those two album-defining songs, Machine Head is left with 5 more solid, expansive numbers - friendly reminder that there is no song shorter than 4 minutes on this album, which can get a little bit tiring at first, but you quickly adjust to the album's looser, jammy flow. It's also more than worth it for you if you do, especially with the stacked second half. Outside of "Smoke on the Water", you have the hard blues rock of "Lazy", lasting an impressive 7-and-a-half minutes, and being one of the group's best jam numbers put to studio disc at this point, even in the face of brilliant gems like the aggressive "No One Came" from Fireball (although that song isn't quite as long, even if it is every bit as powerful). Ending on the cosmic adventure of "Space Truckin'" is also a fitting conclusion to the album, bookending the album with the theme of traveling and freedom - from "I'm a highway star" to "Let's go space truckin'!". Even the cosmic theme is present in both somewhat. Huh. I don't mention the second side as being far superior to downplay the first half, especially when that first half has the thumping rock number of "Maybe I'm a Leo" (again with that cosmic theme), but this is where the album shows some of its weaker spots. Even a great rocker like "Never Before" isn't nearly as effective as the preceding tracks (I'm not huge on the bridge), and the somewhat standard "Pictures of Home" hardly grabs that energy to begin with.

    The end results of Machine Head aren't necessarily Deep Purple's best album, nor its most consistent (although even In Rock had a blemish), but it's in many ways an equally strong outing. Stripping away the bizarre genre experiments of Fireball in favor of strengthening their hard rock edge, the resulting album contains some of their most successful songs sandwiched in-between equally soaring jams and rock numbers, and it culminates in what is arguably the best picture of Deep Purple's Mark II line-up. It was a short-lived time, as Ian Gillan would quit the band in June 1973, but Machine Head showcases what made this line-up such a beloved era for the group.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Machine Head.