(Warner Bros. Records – BS 2607, 1972 🇺🇸)
It’s astonishing the memories you have through music. Many years ago, I found myself in a band supporting my original music and one of the band members – a really nice, well meaning guy – had ideas of all kinds of songs that we might cover and so he made a mixtape which I dutifully brought home to hear though I knew in my heart that probably we wouldn’t be playing these songs. One of the songs on the cassette was Deep Purple’s “Space Truckin’” which I really loved.
I believe at that point, I already had this record - the one in this very picture, but my focus was on “Smoke on the Water.” My band member’s suggestion helped me appreciate the album on another level, and I remember many nights playing this record over and over. I’m excited to hear the news about the remastered deluxe version that will be released by @rhino_records soon. How about you? Stay tuned for more.
And this from latest press release direct from Los Angeles, CA:
Deep Purple unleashed one of the best guitar riffs since the invention of rock and roll with “Smoke On The Water,” a song dubbed the Beethoven’s 5th of hard rock. Since its 1972 debut on Machine Head, the song and the album have left an indelible mark on music, inspiring countless bands around the world.
Rhino honors the album’s enormous legacy with a comprehensive version introducing new mixes and previously unreleased live recordings. MACHINE HEAD: SUPER DELUXE EDITION will be available on March 29 as a 3-CD/LP/Blu-ray.
Highlighting the collection are several different versions of the album, including new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes by Dweezil Zappa. The 1974 quadraphonic mix and a newly remastered version of the original album are also featured, adding depth to the extraordinary set.
The Super Deluxe Edition also contains two captivating live performances. The first, recorded on March 9, 1972, at the Paris Theatre in London, captures the group’s unrivaled stage presence during the “Machine Head Tour.” The second, previously unreleased, was recorded in April 1971 at the Montreux Casino in Switzerland. The band planned to record Machine Head there that December, but the venue burned down right before the sessions began, an event immortalized in “Smoke On The Water.”
In the aftermath, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, keyboardist Jon Lord, singer Ian Gillan, bassist Roger Glover, and drummer Ian Paice relocated to the nearby Grand Hotel (empty for the winter season) to record the album. Despite the chaos, the band managed to create its most successful album ever, topping the U.K. album chart and cracking the Top 10 in the U.S., earning a double platinum certification in 1986.
The previously unreleased Montreux concert promises to be a highlight for fans. The audience recording covers songs the band recorded prior to Machine Head, including “Child In Time” (from 1969’s Concerto for Group and Orchestra), “Speed King” (from 1970’s Deep Purple in Rock), and “Strange Kind Of Woman” (from 1971’s Fireball ).
The new Dolby Atmos and 2024 mixes provide fresh and immersive perspectives on this classic album and were made by Zappa using the original tapes. In the liner notes, Zappa says: “It’s one of those records where I think, ‘How did they come up with this?’ It’s got classical influences in the guitar and the keyboard, but then it’s got the blues and there’s little bits of funkiness. And you have this singer who has the most killer voice. All these things come together in a way where it doesn’t sound like commercial music, yet people got really excited about it. It’s a fascinating recipe.”
MACHINE HEAD: SUPER DELUXE EDITION
LP Track Listing
LP One: Dweezil Zappa 2024 Remix
Side One
“Highway Star”
“Maybe I’m A Leo”
“Pictures Of Home”
“Never Before”
Side Two
“Smoke On The Water”
“Lazy”
“When A Blind Man Cries” – B-side
“Space Truckin’”
CD Track Listing
CD One: Dweezil Zappa 2024 Remix
“Highway Star”
“Maybe I’m A Leo”
“Pictures Of Home”
“Never Before”
“Smoke On The Water”
“Lazy”
“Space Truckin’”
“When A Blind Man Cries” – B-side
2024 Remaster
“Highway Star”
“Maybe I’m A Leo”
“Pictures Of Home”
“Never Before”
“Smoke On The Water”
“Lazy”
“Space Truckin’”
CD Two: In Concert ’72
Introduction
“Highway Star”
“Strange Kind Of Woman”
“Maybe I’m A Leo”
“Smoke On The Water”
“Never Before”
“Lazy”
“Space Truckin’”
“Lucille”
“Maybe I’m A Leo” – soundcheck
CD Three: Montreux ’71
“Swiss Yodel” *
“Speed King” *
“Strange Kind Of Woman” *
“Into The Fire” *
“Child In Time” *
“Paint It Black” *
“Wring That Neck (Hard Road)” *
“Black Night” *
“Lucille” *
Blu-ray (Audio Only)
Dweezil Zappa 2024 Atmos Remix
“Highway Star” *
“Maybe I’m A Leo” *
“Pictures Of Home” *
“Never Before” *
“Smoke On The Water” *
“Lazy” *
“Space Truckin’” *
“When A Blind Man Cries” – B-side *
1974 U.S. Quad Mix
“Highway Star”
“Maybe I’m A Leo”
“Pictures Of Home”
“Never Before”
“Smoke On The Water”
“Lazy”
“Space Truckin’”
Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound Mixes
“When A Blind Man Cries” – B-side
“Maybe I’m A Leo”
“Lazy”
* previously unreleased