Deep Purple: Machine Head Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Deep Purple: Machine Head Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 28, 2024

There's a frequently reported phenomenon in the movie industry where a film's first weekend "take" at the box office is often seen as a harbinger for how well that particular movie may do over the "long haul" of its theatrical exhibition. Kind of strangely, there isn't always the same sort of perception about new albums coming out, and in that regard, it may be salient to note that it actually took Deep Purple two figurative "at bats" to get Machine Head into the Top 10 albums on this side of the pond. While Machine Head pretty much instantly went to Number 1 on its side of the pond (i.e., the UK) when it was originally released in 1972, that first exposure only led to relatively limited success in the United States. However, once "Smoke On the Water" emerged as a significant hit single, suddenly ears over here in "the colonies" became more interested in the album and in 1973, Machine Head not only reinvigorated its sales to get it into the Top 10, it evidently remained on the Billboard charts for a staggering two years afterwards. While this so-called "50th Anniversary" deluxe edition from Rhino may be off by a year or two, it is another beautifully packaged release from Rhino that includes a glut of supplemental material in addition to a great sounding audio Blu-ray that should easily whet the appetites of Deep Purple fans.

The album's track list can be seen in the screenshots of the Blu-ray disc menu I've uploaded to accompany this review. Note that this disc is authored just a bit differently from some other Rhino releases, in that while the colored buttons allow for access to the various audio codecs, only the Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 Quadio versions offer the entire album.

The complete disc contents of this set are as follows (note that the remix on LP and CD was done by none other than Dweezil Zappa):

LP: 2024 REMIX

Side One
1. Highway Star (6.05)
2. Maybe I’m A Leo (4.51)
3. Pictures Of Home (5.04)
4. Never Before (3.58)

Side Two
1. Smoke On The Water (5.39)
2. Lazy (7.21)
3. When A Blind Man Cries (B-Side) (3.29)
4. Space Truckin’ (4.33)

CD1: 2024 REMIX

1. Highway Star (6.05)
2. Maybe I’m A Leo (4.51)
3. Pictures Of Home (5.04)
4. Never Before (3.58)
5. Smoke On The Water (5.39)
6. Lazy (7.21)
7. Space Truckin’ (4.33)
8. When A Blind Man Cries (B-Side)

2024 REMASTER

9. Highway Star (6.05)
10. Maybe I’m A Leo (4.51)
11. Pictures Of Home (5.04)
12. Never Before (3.58)
13. Smoke On The Water (5.39)
14. Lazy (7.21)
15. Space Truckin’ (4.33)

CD2: IN CONCERT ’72

1. Introduction (0.16)
2. Highway Star (7.41)
3. Strange Kind Of Woman (9.32)
4. Maybe I’m A Leo (5.35)
5. Smoke On The Water (7.32)
6. Never Before (5.18)
7. Lazy (9.21)
8. Space Truckin’ (22.11)
9. Lucille (7.30)
10. Maybe I’m A Leo (sound-check) (4.32)

CD3: MONTREUX ’71

1. Swiss Yodel (1.14)
2. Speed King (8.52)
3. Strange Kind Of Woman (8.21)
4. Into The Fire (4.19)
5. Child In Time (20.11)
6. Paint It Black (5.17)
7. Wring That Neck (Hard Road) (17.09)
8. Black Night (7.48)
9. Lucille (5.49)

BLU-RAY

2024 ATMOS REMIX

1. Highway Star (6.05)
2. Maybe I’m A Leo (4.51)
3. Pictures Of Home (5.04)
4. Never Before (3.58)
5. Smoke On The Water (5.39)
6. Lazy (7.21)
7. Space Truckin’ (4.33)

B-SIDE
8. When A Blind Man Cries (3.29)

QUAD MIX

9. Highway Star (6.05)
10. Maybe I’m A Leo (4.51)
11. Pictures Of Home (5.04)
12. Never Before (3.58)
13. Smoke On The Water (5.39)
14. Lazy (7.21)
15. Space Truckin’ (4.33)

5.1 MIXES

16. When A Blind Man Cries (3.29)
17. Maybe I’m A Leo (4.51)
18. Lazy (7.21)

LP1: All tracks previously unreleased
CD1: Tracks 1-8 new remix previously unreleased
CD1: Tracks 9-15 new remaster previously unreleased
CD2: Previously released 2012
CD3: All tracks previously unreleased
Blu-ray: Tracks 1-8 new remix previously unreleased
Blu-ray: Tracks 9-15 previously released 1974
Blu-ray: Tracks 16-18 previously released 2012

Deep Purple: Machine Head Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The menu on the Blu-ray disc is slightly animated, as can perhaps be made out by the position of some of the supposed distressed "scratches" overlaying the imagery which can be discerned in various screenshots. The entire image actually also has changing brightness values and it kind of "ripples" as if (heaven forfend) it was a psychedelic hallucination.

Deep Purple: Machine Head Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As mentioned above the audio Blu-ray offers both a Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 version of the entire album, with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mixes of selected tunes. This may come as a surprise to some who, like me, always tend to like the "latest and greatest" technical innovations, but I think I actually preferred the Quadio mix to the Atmos mix on this album. While some songs don't sound materially different between the two versions, iconic moments like the positioning of the first guitar and then the rest of the band kicking in during the opening of "Smoke On the Water" sounded more appropriately discretely channeled in the DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 version (the left front channel clearly engaged first) than in the Atmos version. Kind of surprisingly, while the Atmos speakers do provide so extra elevation for the mix, the overall immersive capabilities of the track struck me as slightly more dispersed sounding, without some of the midrange and low end punch that the Quadio version offers. All of this said, though, I can't imagine Deep Purple fans not being excited to toggle through all of these choices and hear some of the sometime subtle but still noticeable differences between the mixes.

Deep Purple: Machine Head Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This is another pretty extravagantly packaged release from Rhino. A slipbox measures around 12 1/2" square and about 1/2" deep, just slightly larger than the gatefold LP sleeve enclosed inside. The gatefold holds not just the LP, but pockets on the right side of the inside panel hold the three CDs and one Blu-ray disc. The LP is pressed on "purple smoke" vinyl, and the slipbox also holds a poster with lyrics as well as a really nice booklet (the same size as the LP jacket) with lots of pictures and an essay by Kory Grow of Rolling Stone.

Deep Purple: Machine Head Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Rhino continues to offer audiophile fans some of the most handsomely packaged and technically secure releases in the hi-res audio world, and this new edition of Machine Head is no exception. Both the Atmos and Quadio versions of the album on the audio Blu-ray sound great, though I personally actually preferred the DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 version. The audio and non disc supplements are a treasure trove. Highly recommended.