Machine Head

The media could not be loaded. A few small ticks and pops, but nothing obtrusive. Soundstage is nice and wide, with great dynamics, which you would expect from a Kevin Gray mastered vinyl. I used to have an original (probably late 70's reissue) that I played to death in my youth. Somewhere along it's journey, I loaned it to a friend and never had it returned. I never replaced the vinyl as I at one point purchased the CD, then the Roger Glover remix double CD, which were my primary listeners.Spinning this now, it takes me back to my youth. Actually, this one probably sounds better from a quiet vinyl standpoint. As others have noted, this could probably use a touch of treble if you have a warm system. The noise floor is pretty deep, so it can take some volume (as any DP should!). The low end and the drums/cymbals sound perfect in the mix. And that organ solo on the intro to Lazy sounds so thick, you just have to turn it up! Ritchie's guitar slices through like the proverbial fiery sword through butter.Now off to the Ultrasonic to see if I can't rid myself of those few minor ticks. Oh, and the packaging could be better...a little seam tear on the inner sleeve, as the LP was just in it's shrink thrown in a much too large box, not the usual quality I expect from the Zon.

Excelente

Great sounding pressing!

Purple finest album for me, probably for many too.. no purple fans must be without this album.

GREAT SOUNDING VINYL

This record needs no introduction to the music and how good it is. If you're looking at it, it's a great album to add to your collection. I rounded out my Deep Purple collection with this. The first record I got had a big bubble in the vinyl that bumped out on both sides, it also had the side two label on both sides of the record. I ordered a replacement and this pressing was of good quality and sound (180 Gram) but unfortunately the label situation was the same. I'm keeping the second record since the vinyl is sonically sound. Only reason for four stars is the quality control of the manufacturer, the music is outstanding.

very good

MACHINE HEAD breathes the rarefied air of being among the best that classic rock has to offer any generation since Elvis.Besides standing the test of time, 98% of Deep Purple fans agree it's the finest album featuring Glover, Gillan, Paice, Lord & Blackmore. Even Glover, Gillan, Paice, Lord & Blackmore think it's their best. Considering where MACHINE HEAD was recorded and how little time Purple had to write and record it, it should've sounded awful and been rife with lackluster songwriting and half-baked musical ideas. The finished product sounded so good the only surprise was the band never again tried recording in a hallway in the Grand Hotel. In 1972 Glover, Gillan, Paice, Lord & Blackmore were the cutting edge of hard rock musicianship, revered as virtuosos in the Zeppelin weight class. I'll take the Pepsi challenge and put MACHINE HEAD up against any Led Zep album any day of the week. I won't say that about any other Deep Purple album except putting the unedited, unfixed MADE IN JAPAN up against the heavily-doctored THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME.The way Purple constructed the songs on this is brilliant. Hearing the ingenious way Lord and Blackmore comp behind one another while the other solos is a wonderful give-and-take between them AND when they really light it up and play the same lines at the same time they sound like one guy. Paice's hyper drumming propels the front line on, aided and abetted with Glover's frenetic but clever bass work. Gillan has to put a face on all this and does so with aplomb by singing often humorous and self-deprecating lyrics, i.e. the character delusional with loneliness asking an empty room "where have they hidden my throne." The vocalist seldom essays his patented shrieking in key here, until the last song 'Space Truckin' when he gives it his best, better than 'Child In Time' I'd hazard to say.The magic of MACHINE HEAD is the way the band performed the material. Purple's listeners are presented with five superb musicians playing in the most relaxed fashion, almost to the point of nonchalance; the band is a hot rod capable of cruising at 160 mph BUT they idle along at 90. An example would be comparing Purp's 'Highway Star' to Zep's 'Achilles Last Stand.' Both are ferocious rock songs: Zeppelin sounds like they're giving it all they've got, like it's the last chance they'll ever get to play; Purple burns just as hard but they've got rocket fuel to spare, like they're just getting warmed up. They could've ripped MACHINE HEAD's music to shreds but they didn't. What the listeners are left with is a feeling of understated majesty, a restrained power so casual it belies how smokin' every tune on the album is.The mix is ultra clean, you feel like you're standing in the middle of them in that cold hallway while they're laying down each track. I was particularly interested in Roger Glover's remixes. They're good, the highlight being the alternate guitar overdubs on three or four of the seven songs. But truth be told MACHINE HEAD is such a classic that I still prefer the remastered originals over Glover's remixes. Purple and Martin Birch chose the best takes forty years ago, but the remixes are a lot of fun to listen to. The inclusion of 'When A Blind Man Cries" recorded at the original sessions is a nice but unnecessary bonus; I can hear why Blackmore didn't like it and why it was only released as a B-side instead of on the album. It might even have spoiled the classic-ness of one of rock's brightest great moments.