Highway Star – a high-flying turn into palm trees and cartridges!

I'm a huge fan of Deep Purple's "Highway Star." A high-flying star, so to speak. A high-flying bird. A star on high. I guess that's how I feel about this song. About Deep Purple. And about upbeat rock music in general. Songs about good vibes. And accompanied by a video game!

Now that's amazing. A coincidence. Once in a million years, as they say. But it happened to me. The thing is, my brother and I got a NES a long time ago. In the early 90s, we bought a NES console. And the first cartridge, or maybe even the second – depending on how you count, came with the game Highway Star (Rad Racer).

The thing is, it had the inscription on the cartridge and in the game itself. It said "Highway Star." In other regions, the game was called Rad Racer. Even later, there was the second part of Rad Racer 2. I hadn't seen Highway Star 2 specifically. But the first part was exactly like that, with a title in large letters and a cool inscription – Highway Star.

The cartridge had an image of a red sports car on a black background. And the inscription Highway Star. It's an 8-bit racing game for the NES. A great racer. Arcade. You drive through different levels. Somewhere beyond the horizon, as they say. Long and far. The first level is summer. Sunshine and palm trees. And a blue sky or sea in the distance. So you drive and dream about what lies ahead.

The first level is like a beach or desert. An endurance race across the desert. And the second level is simply a fabulous gift. For those who have completed the desert or broken away from the beach. It's a stunning 8-bit night city. A black level with beautiful contrasting drawings of houses and buildings in the distance. In the distance, a big city ablaze with bright lights awaits you. At night – it's so beautiful!

The letters with the game's name, Highway Star, appear beautifully on the title screen. It's a pattern of letters. Like track elements. A very ornate pattern. Ornate font. From memory. The screen with the game's title and the road.

Maybe I'm getting something mixed up and making something up. There was definitely something like that. Two cars to choose from: a red, Ferrari-like sports car – that's for my brother. And a yellow, Formula 1 car – that's for me. We divided the cars up like that. That's how we raced. Of course, you could choose whatever you wanted. Just for fun! My brother got the furthest! But there's always not enough time. It's a race against the clock!

We played this game for quite a while! It's a cool game! High-quality. And then I was surprised that there was a song like that. With the same name. About the road. About the car. That's awesome! And by the super group Deep Purple, too. That was a very energetic and sunny discovery for me. Almost immediately. At first, I wasn't so interested in this coincidence. But then, as I started listening to rock music, it became really interesting! It all started out so cool! The names match.

And this game became really sunny and golden. Like the sun. And the song is great. And the game is great. I later became really into this song. There was also a compilation by Deep Purple. "Best Songs." It had Speed King, which, it seemed to me, could also be about the road. And something like "Highway Star." Then there was "Child in Time," an incredibly beautiful piece, and at the same time, they didn't forget about rock. Such an easy immersion into the world of music.

And a song with a cool riff, "Strange Kind of a Woman," and of course, somewhere in there is the song "Highway Star." The ballad, "Soldier of Fortune." I listened to it for a long time. There was also a photo of the band with a truck. Again, a reference to the road. Stars on the highway. I kept thinking and fantasizing about this. On the same Dandy, there was also a game called Road Warrior. It also had a car, fuel tankers, and trucks. But the view was from above. I couldn't get over this line - Highway Star game for Dendy 8-bit - Deep Purple - Highway Star song - Road Warrior game for Dendy 8-bit.

And recently I discovered another cover. Such a stylish one. With the inscription Machine Head. Well, the word machine again. And they look really trendy there. On a black background. Damn. Like that Highway Star toy cover - a black background and a red car.

I'm a highway star. What a beautiful chorus there. And furious riffs. And furious vocals in the main line. No one can get me. It's killer. I'm jumping into the sky. I'm moving!

And there in the song, there's the sound of movement. An engine or the sound of a car moving is still going. Somewhere in the middle. Before the solo. And it's probably done with a synthesizer. Very cool idea! The synthesizer sounded great there too! Rock music with a synthesizer. And furious riffs. Not too heavy to be extreme rock, but very loud and decent rock. Driven. Four-wheel drive.

It also has a nice sound. Such a solo. But it's so cheerful at the end. Already. At the 4-minute mark. So cheerful. Playful. And dynamic. The riffs in the song are so clear and just what the listener needs. I've loved this song since school! I'm a highway star!

The song is about fast driving. And a rhythmic rock beat. Without unnecessary sounds. It sounds just like a road. Linear rock. That's what I call it. The riff and the vocals. The main line. And everything just hums. And pulsates! The song is about youth! In a sense. It seems to me that this was a kind of peak for the musicians themselves. A pinnacle. For them, another one. Another turn leading high into the sky!

I also really like the vocals, like in the opening seconds. With the letter A. Uriah Heep do something like that. And Deep Purple on Machine Head. Such fast-paced and driving music! And for me, it's all a high turn into palm trees and cartridges!