Machine Head

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Recorded in Montreux, Switzerland with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, 'Machine Head' captures Deep Purple's attempt to replicate their live sound in an unconventional setting, famously relocating to the Grand Hotel after the Montreux Casino burned down. The album's hard rock is defined by the powerful interplay between Ritchie Blackmore's classically-influenced guitar and Jon Lord's driving organ, with lyrics that notably chronicle the chaotic recording sessions on the timeless track "Smoke on the Water". As the band's most commercially successful album, its release marked a pivotal moment in the development of heavy metal, cementing the Mark II lineup's legacy.