User Profile
Drew Wilson
I review an electric variety of music ranging from the 70s to 2000s. Some of my favorite bands include Everclear, Guns N’ Roses, Alice Cooper and Drive By Truckers.
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Drew Wilson's Album Reviews
Deep Purple, often overlooked among classic rock legends, reached their zenith with the 1972 album Machine Head. This sixth album, and the third featuring the iconic "Mark II" lineup—Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Roger Glover, and Ian Paice—cemented the band’s place in rock history. The recording of Machine Head was fraught with challenges, beginning with a fire caused by a flare during a Frank Zappa concert at the Montreux Casino in Switzerland, which derailed the band's initial recording plans. Instead, they set up shop at the nearby Grand Hotel, using a mobile recording unit from the Rolling Stones.
The album opens with “Highway Star,” a track driven by a thunderous bassline and a virtuosic guitar arrangement, expertly interwoven with sophisticated organ work. Next, “Maybe I’m A Leo” brings a funk-infused groove, with soulful bluesy licks and booming percussion, and Ian Gillan’s signature high-pitched wail cutting through the mix. “Pictures of Home” showcases Blackmore’s sweeping, sharp guitar lines, layered over Jon Lord’s psychedelic, distorted organ tones. “Never Before” follows, offering a buoyant guitar riff and a solid rhythm section, providing the perfect backdrop for Gillan’s smooth vocal delivery.
This segues into “Smoke on the Water,” a driving number that reflects the arduous recording process, anchored by a relentless, descending guitar motif and supported by a punchy rhythm section. “Lazy” introduces a more laid-back, loose feel, driven by a fluid rhythm section, expansive jazzy organ, and a carefully crafted guitar progression. The album closes with “Space Truckin’,” a psychedelic epic marked by jagged, angular guitar riffs.
Machine Head soared to number one in the UK and number seven in the US, staying on the charts for over two years. Its influence rippled through rock music across genres and generations. However, after this peak, Deep Purple struggled to replicate its success, releasing the weaker Who Do We Think We Are in 1973, shortly before Ian Gillan departed the band later that year.
The album opens with “Highway Star,” a track driven by a thunderous bassline and a virtuosic guitar arrangement, expertly interwoven with sophisticated organ work. Next, “Maybe I’m A Leo” brings a funk-infused groove, with soulful bluesy licks and booming percussion, and Ian Gillan’s signature high-pitched wail cutting through the mix. “Pictures of Home” showcases Blackmore’s sweeping, sharp guitar lines, layered over Jon Lord’s psychedelic, distorted organ tones. “Never Before” follows, offering a buoyant guitar riff and a solid rhythm section, providing the perfect backdrop for Gillan’s smooth vocal delivery.
This segues into “Smoke on the Water,” a driving number that reflects the arduous recording process, anchored by a relentless, descending guitar motif and supported by a punchy rhythm section. “Lazy” introduces a more laid-back, loose feel, driven by a fluid rhythm section, expansive jazzy organ, and a carefully crafted guitar progression. The album closes with “Space Truckin’,” a psychedelic epic marked by jagged, angular guitar riffs.
Machine Head soared to number one in the UK and number seven in the US, staying on the charts for over two years. Its influence rippled through rock music across genres and generations. However, after this peak, Deep Purple struggled to replicate its success, releasing the weaker Who Do We Think We Are in 1973, shortly before Ian Gillan departed the band later that year.
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