10 Insane Stories Behind Classic Albums
8. Machine Head - Deep Purple
After being in the studio environment for too long, Deep Purple were in dire need of a break. Being much more of a live band than a studio creation, these British giants were set to make their next album Machine Head completely live, using a Casino in Montreux, Switzerland as their basis. Or at least...that's how it was supposed to go.
Just before Purple had unloaded all of their gear into the Casino, an afternoon concert by Frank Zappa ended with an overzealous fan with a flare gun burning the entire place to the ground. Sound familiar? Well it should...considering that the biggest hit from the album Smoke on the Water was written on the spot as a response to the incident. Now in the market for a new place, Purple ended up finding at an abandoned lodge called the Grand Hotel, using the Rolling Stones mobile studio to record the album.
As the band tells it, even so much as hearing playback of the song proved to be too much to bear, eventually involving going through the hotel, jumping over balconies, and making their way through the courtyard, all while braving the harsh winter of the Swiss Alps. While you can still hear the honesty in Machine Head from a musical perspective, it's hard not to hear that darkness creeping in every now and again when you hear it.