Come Taste the Bandby Deep Purple

In 1974, Ritchie Blackmore calls it a day with Deep Purple. He already knew at the time his next entreprise would be with Ronnie James Dio, forming Rainbow. Capitalization on their new artistic vision, clearly rythm & blues oriented, Deep Purple (Jon Lord - keyboard, Ian Paice - drums, David Coverdal - lead vocals, Glenn Hughes - vocals & bass) hire brilliant guitarist Tommy Bolin, of James Gang, Billy Cobham and Alphonse Mouzon fame. The guy is a genius, but he's miles away from Blackmore's style. He's the first American member of the band, and his musical influence will deeply impact the band's sound. For Deep Purple core fan, already shocked by the departure of Gillan and Glover from classic MkII line-up, the replacement of Blackmore by Bolin is the straw that broke the camel's back. The following tour didn't help in reaffirming the image of Deep Purple as leader of the hard rock scene: the bad resonance between Hughes and Bolin led both of them into the drugs hell, with Bolin eventually paying it with his life in 1976, soon after the band's break-up. That being said, "Come Taste The Band", the only album of the MkIV line-up sounds today as a milestone in Deep Purple's career as well as in Bolin's career. Treacks are powerful. The unique guitar sound of Bolin perfectly combines with vocalsn bass and hammond. Listen to "Dealer", a track featuring some vocal parts by Bolin, as a model of funky joy. No one can resist "Gettin' Tigher" riff or the tempo of "I Need Love", foreshadowing Coverdale's later solo work. The very emotional "You Keep On Movin" provides the best closing you could dream of to conclude the first decade of the band before a 8-years hiatus. The album is a jewel. Whether you credit it to the real Deep Purple or to a band talling over the name of Deep Purple doesn't really matter. This is music as it should be. A wonderful experience.