Machine Head Tribute
Details of the Machine Head fortieth anniversary tribute album have now been released by Classic Rock magazine. Here is the full track list along with the bands performing:
1. Smoke On The Water – Carlos Santana / Jacoby Shaddix
2. Highway Star – Chickenfoot
3. Maybe I’m A Leo – Glenn Hughes / Chad Smith
4. Pictures of Home – Black Label Society
5. Never Before – Kings of Chaos
6. Smoke On The Water – The Flaming Lips
7. Lazy – Jimmy Barnes with Joe Bonamassa
8. Space Truckin’ – Iron Maiden
9. When A Blind Man Cries – Metallica
10. Highway Star – Steve Vai, Glenn Hughes, Chad Smith, Lauchlan Doley
The CD will come out as a Classic Rock on-pack title, along with a special magazine devoted to both the original album and talking to some of the stars of the tribute. This is out early November. After that the album will be issued as a regular CD in the shops (DTB Online are only able to stock the regular version).
It’s a bit of a mixed bag at the end of the day, with a few big names which lifts it above the run of the mill tributes of this sort but not really enough of an artistic spread to push the envelope. Fans of Carlos will spot that Santana’s take on Smoke was issued about two years ago on an album called Guitar Heaven. Anyhow, review when it comes out.
darker than blue 
August 7, 2013 at 1:54 pm |
I’ve listened to the tracks from this “Tribute” on YouTube, and I have to say that Lazy is by far and away the best track on it. I’ve listened to it several times. The others only once or twice so I won’t be buying the album.
August 12, 2013 at 10:17 am |
Yes, bit of a lost opportunity. And in passing I wonder just who has the time to spend throwing entire albums up on Youtube? A strange hobby.
October 28, 2012 at 7:16 pm |
A hard blow for thousands of amateur bands that play those songs from Machine Head album. Now even the stars play them !
October 31, 2012 at 7:16 pm |
Well it wouldn’t be too hard for someone to approach a load of lower division bands to get it together would it? I figure they’ve got even more right myself!
September 23, 2012 at 2:57 pm |
Finally got round to sticking the CD on and I don’t mind it with Lazy and the two versions of H Star standing out for me. I’ll forgive the Flaming Lips for the dismal version of Smoke as they did a stunning live version of War Pigs with the delightful Cat Power a while back.
I agree that they should’ve been a bit more expansive regarding who did the covers. Muse thumping through Highway Star, Ginger Baker’s latest jazz group doing Lazy, Roger Waters whinging through Blind Man and, of course, the mighty Sparks covering Pictures of Home would’ve had me rushing to get this played! I’ll hold my hopes out for the 2022 10th anniversary of the Classic Rock Machine Head tribute when a tribute to the tribute is recorded (cough).
September 9, 2012 at 12:42 pm |
I’ve lived with the collection for a few days now, and have to say if us Purple fanatics keep in mind its just a bit of fun, it does prove enjoyable. My Metallica loving 16 year-old has now sought out the original Machine Head opus to check the originals, so on that level it should raise the profile of the band quite a bit.
As for as the actual tracks are concerned Chickenfoot’s ‘Highway Star’ fairly belts along (but then I love the band anyway) and somewhat surprisingly Metallica’s ‘Blind Man’ take actually works – someone needs to hide Hammett’s wah-wah pedal though! Interesting to hear Jimmy Barnes’ doing ‘Lazy’ as back in 1990 he could have been the Purple frontman. On this showing a good one too.
August 31, 2012 at 2:03 am |
I have an open mind on this one though was instantly turned-off by the amazingly tacky cover (oh dear!) – like someone thought of it just before going to press. Let us hope they all “do their thing” and NOT try to do a close cover – Deep Purple songs do not adapt easily to covers. Personally I find all the obsession over Smoke and the MH Album completely unwarranted – I think there is far more interesting Purple and related material out there. And reinforcing my view is the lack of creativity these days in the set list that seems to be just a Mark-II re-run. For instance yesterday I totally enjoyed listening to the Stormbringer re-master and what a great album and something different! Incidentally the best (only interesting) cover of Deep Purple I have was the New York Tribute (T M Stevens) that is fantastic! Burn comes across as one of the best versions and I could see GH doing it that way for sure. A good Tribute makes you want to re-visit the original and appreciate it all over again and this does that definitely.
August 27, 2012 at 8:59 am |
Well, Rush had a fan pack for a new album, Purple get one for something released 40 years ago. No trading on past glories there then. I’m sorry but Purple have released nothing of note for about 20 years. Doubt it will sell many copies or lead to a killer new album.
August 30, 2012 at 8:15 am |
When I first heard of the Classic Rock thing, I assumed it WAS for the new album!
July 29, 2012 at 6:42 pm |
Hi Simon; why no ‘Dream Theatre’? (I guess they only did Made In Japan). I hate to bitch, but aren’t Purple still playing it? What about a tribute to Jon Lord?
David
August 1, 2012 at 8:49 am |
Indeed they are! I think the idea was interesting, but the execution looks a bit lack-lustre. I’d vote for not doing a JL tribute myself.
July 26, 2012 at 10:04 am |
This cd is nothing more then a magazine freebie at best, just look at the posting on the Classic Rock web site to see the feelings about it. It’s a one listen cd. Do you know any thing about the 4 cd set EMI are putting out ?
July 24, 2012 at 9:04 pm |
Not the best way to celebrate a great album but better than a kick in the pants. Hopefully this will help re-establish the band in the same way Sabbath, Zeppelin and recently Rush have managed. To be fair though Rush’s new album is fantastic!
July 24, 2012 at 8:27 pm |
Surprise, surprise, Glenny gets there after all!
Nice to see the ‘tallica’ have a go at a quiet one. BLS and Chickenfoot should be interesting. Fingers crossed, what we don’t want is by the numbers copies.