That bad luck can sometimes work in favor is evident from the genesis of the inexorable hard rock classic Machine Head (1972) by Deep Purple. Dissatisfied with the previous album Fireball (1971), the British quintet decided to record this time as live as possible in a concert hall, with the help of the mobile studio of the Rolling Stones. The choice fell on the Montreux Casino, but on the day before
… the first recordings a fire started here during a concert by Frank Zappa and the complex burned down. While searching diligently for another space, the group wrote Smoke On The Water, dealing with the fire incident and featuring a guitar riff that would become one of the most famous rock themes of all time. Listening to Machine Head, it seems as if the group exploded with pent-up energy and creativity when it was finally released into the Grand Hotel of Montreux. Timeless Deep Purple favorites like Highway Star, Lazy and Space Truckin 'sound, perhaps because of that, decades later still just as steamy and inventive.more
