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Machine Head 1972
Album · by Deep Purple ↗ View artist

Machine Head

In December 1971, at the Grand Hotel in Montreux, Switzerland, Deep Purple found themselves in an unconventional situation to record their sixth album, Machine Head. They had rented The Rolling Stones' mobile studio with the idea of capturing the energy of their live performances, but a fire at the local casino, where they planned to record, forced them to improvise. The hotel, closed for the winter season, became their makeshift studio. This experience, marked by the casino incident, directly inspired the lyrics of one of their most recognized songs.

Year
1972
Songs
7
Duration
37 min 25 seg
Listen to the album ★

7 song|s

Song list

# Title Available ⏱
01

Highway Star

coming soon

6:05
02

Maybe I’m a Leo

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4:51
03

Pictures of Home

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5:03
04

Never Before

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3:56
05

Smoke on the Water

5:40
06

Lazy

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7:19
07

Space Truckin’

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4:31

About the album

Machine Head, according to DoReSol

Machine Head became a turning point for the band, reaching the top of the charts in countries like the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The album contains songs that have become rock pillars, such as the powerful riff of Highway Star, the visual narrative of Smoke on the Water, which evokes the fire event, and the hypnotic rhythm of Lazy. The recording conditions, done without overdubs and in such a particular environment, contributed to a raw and direct sound that resonated strongly with the audience.

The influence of Machine Head extended far beyond its initial commercial success. It is considered a fundamental work for the development of the heavy metal genre, and its impact remains to this day, being the subject of analysis in documentaries about the creation of classic albums. The album was released in March 1972 through Purple Records, and special editions have been published since, including formats like Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio in 2001 and 2003, demonstrating its enduring legacy.