Lake Geneva cloud inversion, Switzerland

Of clouds and classic rock

That's not Smoke on the Water, just clouds. But the Swiss town of Montreux (seen here from atop the Dent de Jaman) is where Deep Purple first recorded that famous rock riff. Not only that, it's where the story behind the song took place: The band was in town to record at Montreux Casino, but a few days before their studio session, a fan at a Frank Zappa concert launched a flare that set the casino on fire. No one was seriously hurt, but the venue burned to the ground as the band watched smoke billow over Lake Geneva. The rest is rock 'n' roll history—as any weary-eared guitar store clerk will affirm.