Track Listing

1. Highway Star
2. Maybe I'm A Leo
3. Pictures Of Home
4. Never Before
5. Smoke On The Water
6. Lazy
7. Space Truckin'
8. When A Blind Man Cries
9. Highway Star (2)
10. Maybe I'm A Leo (2)
11. Pictures Of Home (2)
12. Never Before (2)
13. Smoke On The Water (2)
14. Lazy (2)
15. Space Truckin' (2)
16. When A Blind Man Cries (2)
17. Maybe I'm A Leo (3)
18. Lazy (3)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1570 in Music
• Released on: 1997-09-08
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Extra tracks, Double CD

Amazon.co.uk Review
Deep Purple were on the eve of breaking wide open when they made Machine Head, a record that launched a heap of hard-rock hits, not to mention the bulk of the live album Made in Japan. No fewer than three classics were unveiled here: "Highway Star", "Space Truckin'" and their biggest hit ever, "Smoke on the Water". Ritchie Blackmore's crunchy guitar was becoming the group's trademark and the throb that opens "Smoke on the Water" went miles in cementing his position in the pantheon of 1970s guitar deities. But the story here is the second disc, which is composed of remixes by Roger Glover that introduce long-dormant, more-energised variations on the originals and revive separate solos. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews

A Classic Hard Rock Album
This is my only Deep Purple album and I absolutley love it's such a good album each song is brilliant from start to finish. This is obviously most famouse for the famous rock riff Smoke On The Water how can you not like that song. The best songs are Highway Star, Picture Of Home, Smoke On The Water & Space Truckin'. Deffinetly a Rock album to buy and deffinetlty should be considerd a classic. DEEP PURPLE ROCK!!!!!!

I Love Her, I Need Her
Long before the days when Ritchie Blackmore resided in a castle somewhere in Germany playing lute and calculating new and devious ways to annoy his fan base as well as spoon his wife, he was actually responsible in part for some of the finest rock music ever. From `In Rock' through to the end of Mk III era Deep Purple were a sensational rock band with all the vitriol, fevered egos, bad tempers and seriously good songs you could ever ask for. `Machine Head' is a total no brainer for rock fans everywhere simply because it's all fantastic.

Deep Purple simply were the finest musicians around in the early 70s (well in rock music...and does anything else really matter?). The bands stable line up for this whole period revolves around three of the biggest muso's ever namely; Ian Paice, Jon Lord and of course everyone's favourite Quaker Ritchie `I hate Gillan' Blackmore. These guys could simply out play anyone around at the time. In a era of straight ahead "mummy daddy mummy daddy" double bass playing Ian Paice is a breath of fresh air even today, a technically astounding drummer with a tone to die for and yet still he never overplays. Jon Lord actually made the organ a force to be reckoned with in the hard rock world, seriously listen to the ballsy intro riff on `Space Truckin'' and not only is he `eavy he's `umble too Jon can play the most intricate and bizarre stuff on his organ; classically trained but with a rock attitude. Ritchie Blackmore actually is Satan; he's a guitar genius and a true wizard with the fastest rock licks going in the early 70s. Jimmy Page thought he woz all "master of the occult" and whatnot but he may of bought all of Crowley's used tissues and such but Blackmore was truly evil...no man has brought such incredible joy to his fans and at the same time been an absolute prick. Roger Glover, although one of the bands more modest members (i.e. somewhere between the comparative fire and ice of Blackmore and Gillan...so erm luke warm water) was a fantastic bassist who has some truly memorable moments on this album, including a bass solo that doesn't actually piss me off. Ian Gillan is frankly the most fun you'll ever have with rock vocals, everything is delivered with a "I've just given you crabs" grin and a such gusto. His range is phenomenal, no one screams like Gillan, not even Halford has a better howl than are favourite Ritchie winder upper did in the early 70s.

So I like DP, you like DP, your sister likes DP and your mum prefers DT, but what about the songs? Well, the original `Machine Head' album has seven tracks but the band actually wrote eight classics for the album...so erm I can't really complain. `Highway Star' is one of those songs you simply must write your car off too, do it drunk too! Honestly, the police will understand just tell them that you were listening to `Highway Star'. It's one of the all time great rock tracks and if I'm in "where does this relate to metal?" retard mode I could say it's a huge evolutionary step forward in speed metal. And those lyrics? A work of literary genius! Is it a car? Is it a girl? Either way you know Ian would. The guitar and organ solos are a something to behold, silly and most enjoyable, oh Ritchie marry me! Other stand outs in this album of standouts include `Pictures of Home' which is notable for an absolutely mental drum intro, silly 4th guitar harmonies and Gillan wailing about being stuck on a Swiss mountain...and why not, farmer's daughters won't really fit this. `Smoke on the Water' ah yes, now remember kids if you go into a guitar shop, turn the distortion on full and play this on the bottom E string the shop owners are legally obliged to give you a free guitar...Wow! Anyway, overplayed it is but still a great song I mean its got to be just for being that memorable and its like Deep Purple and Switzerland's national anthem (`Cherry Orchids' or `Cherry Pie' by Celtic Frost just missed out). `Lazy' is a bluesy jam and just so wonderful, I've had those guitar licks stuck in my head for years. A fine ode to inertia and a all time Purple classic. `Space Truckin' is a riff monster, the beginning distorted organ sound is sonic bliss and the guitar takes a backseat for the most part but when it comes back its simply a joy to behold. Paice's drums groove on this one and he's got a great solo. The lyrics? `C'mon, c'mon lets go space truckin' Oscar Wilde (Zakk's nerdy older brother) would of spent years trying to top that. Blackmore hates funk, but this is really funky hard rock (funk needn't be overpowering and crap like say the Red Hot Chilli Peppers) so once again the man in black is full of contradictions. Ritchie you enigma! Why can't you be mine!

Even the albums more lowly tracks are still masterful, `Never Before' is the most poppy and all the better for it. `When A Blind Man Cries' is a wonderful bluesy piece of melancholy (but wasn't it a bit cruel to get Jeff Healey to play this? Hey, why don't we get Stephen Hawking to play `When a Cripple Fails at the Decathlon'? ).
`Machine Head' is a completely solid piece of work, I've listened to this hundreds of time and its energy, class and consistency are always impressive. So as such I'll give this a perfect rating, because it deserves it.

So if you like me are madly in love with the hallowed grooves of `Machine Head' feel free to do any of the following;
Ask Ritchie Blackmore how to play `Smoke on the Water' *don't ask Steve Morse he can't actually play it, but he tries, bless him*
Ask Ian Gillan the story behind `Smoke on the Water' he hasn't told anyone in a while, no one asks him that question.
Shout "oh my god Elton John!" at Ian Paice.
Tell David Coverdale `Smoke...' is your favourite of his songs
Ask Glenn Hughes how Tommy Bolin is these days.
Shout `Freebird' at any Deep Purple or Blackmore's Night concert.

Magic!!
I am agree with the Reviews on here this is my favorite Deep Purple c/d...All the classics for under £6.00 how cheap is that?...