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A must-get

If you're into Purple at all, it would be hard not to pick up the Machine Head documentary DVD. The band at its creative peek, compelling story behind the album, how can they lose? Of course, these days anything is possible, but I think overall they deliver the goods.

They feature each track, and the various people involved tell their memories about making the track, interspersed with clips, photos and snippets from the original multitrack recording, so you can hear different individual parts. Ritchie (on acoustic), Roger and Jon all show how they played various licks, and the musical psychology behind the writing.

Listening to Jon explain how he achieves his sound and seeing him demonstrate different bits on the Hammond is a wonderful revelation.While guitar players get covered adnausium, seldom has anyone done such a close-up of the piano plinker, and seeing him in action is very exciting. There are also bits of different videos shot around the time frame, and it's a great glimpse of what the band and performing in the 70s was like.

The only real glitch to the whole affair is that the much touted Hofstra footage is edited instead of showed in complete. There are several interview segments with the Guitar World editor that could have easily been sacrificed if time was a problem. If you get this thinking (as I did) that you were going to get the full segments, you will be disappointed. The footage that is on there is flat out exciting - a slightly balding Blackmore in great form and Gillan's vocals having so much power. Hard to fathom that this band was on the verge of packing it in.

Overall, I would put this on the must-get list if you are a fan of this era's Purple, or just a fan of classic rock in general.

Chris Parsons

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