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. Maybe I'm A Leo
9. Lazy
10. When A Blind Man Cries

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #97907 in Music
• Released on: 2003-05-19
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Hybrid SACD, SACD
• Dimensions: .25 pounds

CD Description
A probable contender for one of hard rock's "all-time most influential albums", Deep Purple's MACHINE HEAD has all the markings of a heavy classic. It was here that the band's combination of amped-up blues, progressive instrumental prowess, screaming guitars, and thunderous rhythms was crystallizedfor the ages, helping to lay the foundation for hard rock and heavy metal throughout the '70s, '80s, and '90s. The lonepresence of "Smoke on the Water" immediately elevates the album to essential status. The song became a long-running radio staple, and boasts one of the most instantly recognizableguitar riffs in rock history.
Yet the rest of the album holds up impressively, from the adrenaline-soaked opener "Highway Star", in which organist Jon Lord and guitarist RichieBlackmore trade off dazzling solos, to the churning "Space Truckin'", another riff-driven rocker. Vocalist Ian Gillian,whose dramatic, soaring tenor set the mold for many heavy metal singers to follow, is in fine form here, as are the pyrotechnics of Blackmore and Lord. Everything from the title to the warped group photo on the album cover indicates that MACHINE HEAD will be an exercise in unabashed, brain-melting rock, and that is exactly what it delivers. It still stands in the pantheon of seminal hard rock records.

Customer Reviews

As It Was Meant To Be Heard
Yes it's multi-channel, no it's not 5.1. But it doesn't matter! It's the original quadrophonic mix from 1972 and it is nothing short of stunning!

Play the remastered stereo mix before listening to the SACD version, the stereo mix sounds muddy and basically a mush! The quad mix is simply amazing! I've been listening to this record for over 25 years and this is quite simply a revelation.

I've never heard some of the stuff on here before. Jon Lord's rhythm organ section on Smoke On The Water is sublime. Ritchie's guitar sings out from the speakers like Never Before (sorry, couldn't resist it!).

For Purple fans who (quite rightly) rate Machine Head as the band's finest ever effort, this is a must have purchase. This is the album sounding exactly as it was meant to be heard...."it's a wild hurricane, all right, hold tight..."

As it was meant to be heard!
It doesn't matter whether this is 'true' surround sound or not, this is how the original quadrophonic mix was meant to be heard back in 1972. Play the remastered stereo version first, then listen to this. You will be blown away. The stereo mix sounds like a mush compared to the SACD version. I've been listening to this record for 25 years and this is the first time I've truly heard this album. It's awesome. The separation and clarity on the instruments (particularly Jon Lord) is astonishing when you remember this was recorded in a damp hotel corridor over 2 weeks on the Rolling Stones mobile. For Purple fans who (quite rightly) rate Machine Head as Purple's best ever effort, it's a must have purchase. Don't gripe about 5.1 surround sound, it was never meant to be in 5.1. This is a quad mix. Turn it up loud and enjoy it..."it's a wild hurricane, all right, hold tight..."

multi-machine not 5.1
having listened to machine head on dvda it was with great anticipation that i loaded the sacd.this recording when loaded into my pioneer 656a player displayed audio 3/2.1,well it's not.there is no sound from the centre channel; although it does a great job in disguising the fact.to be fair the disc is marketed as multi-channel not 5.1 or 3/2.1.you really must try & listen to both the sacd & the dvda as both discs have positives & negatives.if push comes to shove i personally would plumb for the dvda as it truly is a 5.1 mix,as opposed to this original 1972 quadrophonic mix!