Yep, “Smoke on the Water,”… Deep Purple, the metal band…relaxing! Remember to some heavy metal IS relaxing in itself. This song, however, is not very heavy at all and its sound would be generally accepted by anyone as relaxing. Your mom would like it! It gets a wee heavy in the middle but that ‘contradiction’ highlights the subtleties within.
The song starts out with a simple guitar line interwoven with an exceptionally emotive keyboard patch. In fact it is the ‘intense simplicity’ in the interplay between guitar and keys throughout that unclenches the distended soul.
The way in which keyboardist, the recently deceased, Jon Lord and guitarist Steve Morse play off each other sets up an incredibly concerted sonority only two Master musician’s could offer. Listen for the interplay throughout even the heavier parts to get the most out of the song.
Additionally Steve Morse masterfully plays off his initial motive even in the solos to give the song a connectivity from beginning to end. Steve’s use of delay and splitting the channels adds to the calmness of the guitar sound.
Enjoy!
Mike Slayen ~ Guitarist 
Great choice Mike! I love this song and the album it came from. Some of the very best stuff Purple ever did. Morse is at his best here.
THX. Definitely an underrated album! Ive been on a Jon Lord kick lately another underrated musician as well as Steve Morse. Have you heard the new Schenker? It seems on a couple tracks the keys might be an homage to Jon.
No I’ve not heard any of his recent stuff. I’ll need to keep an eye out for that. Last stuff I heard of his was his last couple of albums with UFO.
wow you’re going away back to his UFO days. You definitely need to check out some of his solo stuff.