Track Listing

Disc 1:

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 [B-Side]
9. Maybe I'm a Leo [Quadrophonic Mix]
10. Lazy [Quadrophonic Mix]

Disc 2:

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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4743 in Music
• Released on: 1998-11-17
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered

Amazon.com
Deep Purple were on the eve of breaking wide open when the quintet 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 concretizing his place 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-energized variations on the originals and revive separate solos. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews

What a treat!
If you're reading this review, you probably already know what a great hard-rock classic Deep Purple's "Machine Head" was and would like to know if this deluxe edition is worth the extra cash. Yes, it is!

Disc One contains the entire original "Machine Head" LP correctly sequenced, along with a non album B-side and two slightly different remixes of different songs done for the long out-of-print Quad version of the LP. To be honest, to my ears the Quad remixes don't sound noticably different unless I have stereo headphones on, but they're nice to have.

Disc Two contains what Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover modestly refers to as "subtle" remixes. Anything but! Glover strips away the studio sheen of the original songs, leaving the original intros and endings intact. Thus, for example, we hear the band warming up to play "Highway Star" and jamming till they suddenly stop at the end of "Smoke on the Water." As you'd expect from a bass player-turned-remixer, Glover accentuates the bassier frequencies as a rule which lends these remixes a punch they didn't have in their better-known versions. Glover also substitutes previously mixed-out alternate versions of a couple of Blackmore's solos. While Ritchie Blackmore might not be delighted to hear the automobile sound effects returned to the climax of his "Highway Star" solo, lots of fans will be VERY pleased to hear bits and pieces of an alternate version of a classic album.

Some die-hard rockers might shudder at the word "remix," fearing that drum machines or synths were added. Fear not. Not one new note has been re-recorded and flown in. Everything you hear in the remix existed on the master tapes, although it may not have made it to the final version of the album as eventually released.

If you're a Purple fan, get this. And, if you aren't, I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out you like the remixes even better than the originals.

HOLY PURPLE
Here's a band that care so much for their fans. The remastered album sounds REALLY good, and the remixes are the best gift for Purple fans, featuring alternate solos and the complete recordings, without the fade out effect at the end of the song. Keeping the spirit of the 70's, with the sound cleaned up with cutting edge technology, the way that every 60's and 70's albums should be re-released. Besides the sound quality, the musical quality is over the top, the quality necessary to become a real classic and influent record. The interaction between Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore, the solid rhythm section of Glover and Paice, and the power lungs of Gillan are all combined in an all time favorite. If you want to start with Deep Purple, be sure to start with this one, not the regular CD release, but this 2 CD package, either the UK or the US version.

One Great Albums redone in an even greater way!
Deep Purple Machine Head is an absolutely fabulous album containing the smash hit Deep Purple songs, Smoke On The Water, Highway Star, Lazy, and Space Trukin.' This is a must have album for any hard rock fan and now its even better as a remastered CD. Disk One is the whole album remastered with 24 bit technology Smoke On The Water, Highway Star, Lazy, and Space Trukin, Maybe I'm A Leo, Never Before and Pictures of Home along (songs out of order in my review) Three bonus tracks; When A Blind Man Cry's (a B side), Maybe I'm A Leo and Lazy both Quadraphonic mixes. Disk 2 is all the original songs Smoke On The Water, Highway Star, Lazy, and Space Trukin, Maybe I'm A Leo, Never Before and Pictures of Home from machine head and the B side When A Blind Mans Cry's all remixed with different emphasis, for instance there are different Guitar and keyboard parts on many of the songs; Disk 2 is very very cool. The booklet is informative as well. Cool Pictures and a nice slip case for the Jewell case.