Yes, everybody and their mother knows Smoke On The Water and its oft-imitated classic riff. It's a strong track to be sure. However, that's not what makes this album a standout.

Machine Head opens up with the scintillating Highway Star, an ode to the opposite sex and breaking the speed limit, probably my favorite track here. Then it goes to the slower, grooving Maybe I'm A Leo and the underrated rockers Pictures Of Home (opening with Paice's breakneck drumming) and Never Before. After Smoke On The Water, the long jam Lazy asserts itself with Lord's organ playing. This is a great song, with some really tasty organ and Blackmore's guitar work playing off each other. It may be close to 8 minutes, but it never feels that long. Finally, Machine Head ends with the trippy Space Truckin', an exuberant finish to an awesome album.

Machine Head stands as not only Deep Purple's best effort, it also ranks among the best metal releases ever, despite the fact that it's a little short (and yes, Smoke On The Water has been played into the dirt). Along with Black Sabbath's Paranoid, Machine Head is a seminal metal album and an essential recording for all.

Deep Purple's answer to Zep IV
While not bursting with quite the magic that Zoso had, Machine Head is still one of the greatest rock albums ever. It opens with the awesome "Highway Star". Throughout the entire CD, Ritchie Blackmore proves he is one of the most talented guitarists of all time, but his solo during the 2nd half of "Highway Star" and his opening riff on "Smoke on the Water" are shockingly good. Although "Highway Star" and "Smoke on the Water" are the two big hits here, the rest of the material is strong, too. "Lazy" is a long (mostly instrumental) track with tinges of jazz, "Maybe I'm a Leo", "Pictures of Home", and "Never Before" are excellent tunes to rock to, and the closer "Space Truckin'" showcases Ian Gillan's kickass vocals and is a good way to end the album. There is no filler on this album. Highly recommended.

classic
When you are in the mood for a specific band or album the songs normally make you feel good. After a while they grow on you and after some more time they sound decent and predictable, this is when you have to put the album aside for a few months till the songs create a yearning again.

'Machine Head' is an album which never fails me even after constant listening. If 'Smoke on the water' dosn't do it 'Highway Star' will if 'Space trucking' can't do it then 'Maybe I'm a leo' will. This album is amazing great music great tunes and great vocals. The album is the most blusy of the Mark-II line up and the guitar work by Ritchie Blackmore is amazing. There are so many classic solos and riffs here that one can keep changing their favorites.

"Never Before' is the only average number on this CD and it ain't too bad. Even a simple sounding song like 'Maybe I'm a Leo' is made more interesting by Ian Paice where he constantly keeps changing the Drumming to keep interest (and this one has two solos by Ritchie which such flowing blusy feel).

Buy it as you will never get a better fussion between hard rock and commercial melody with no compromise on musicmanship.

Their best
As boring as classic rock can be, sometimes it can be great, like this. This is the most famous Purple album, as it should be. It's pretty basic metal (for it's time). "Lazy","Smoke on the Water","Highway Star", and the fantastic "Space Truckin'" are the radio hits, and they are the best songs on here, but the others like "Maybe I'm a Leo" are all in exactly the same style. If you like what you've heard, you'll like the ones you've never heard of too. It's commercial as hell, but kinda dark too.
Home of "Smoke on the Water" and "Highway Star," Machine Head blends proto-metal density with epic arrangements, resulting in a record that's far more grandiose than the sum of its parts. --Jon Wiederhorn