Deep Purple's 1975 album Come Taste the Band is often cited as one of the weakest in the bands discography, as not only was it the first without Ritchie Blackmore and the first with guitar phenom Tommy Bolin, but it would also be the last release by the band till the MKII reunion in 1984. Upon further investigation, Come Taste the Band is actually a very solid release from a band in transition and ultimately on its death knell, as the massive drug addictions of both Glenn Hughes & Tommy Bolin eventually became the catalyst for the demise of the band. Despite the strong set of songs included on the album, the band could not make it last and eventually called it a day. As with much of the recently remastered Purple catalog that has been released over the last decade, Come Taste the Band now comes remastered, and with a bonus CD featuring a Kevin Shirley remix of the album complete with two bonus tracks.
Most of the songs here speak for themselves-you get blistering funk/hard rock gems like "Lady Luck", "Gettin' Tighter", "Dealer", "Love Child", "Drifter", and the intoxicating "You Keep on Moving", each one permeated by the blistering guitar of Bolin (truly an extraordinary player, regardless of whether you thought he fit in Purple or not), John Lord's keyboards, and the double vocal attack of David Coverdale & Glenn Hughes. Always keeping everything rock solid is the superb drumming of Ian Paice. Many of the tracks have a loose, funky feel to them (no doubt thanks to Hughes' influence), but they also rock hard, perhaps even more so than on the previous album Stormbringer. From the opening Echoplex blast of Bolin on "Comin' Home", you know you are in for a wild ride on Come Taste the Band, and they don't disappoint.
The remaster treatment on CD 1 sounds great, and a nice upgrade over the 1990 CD issue, but the Kevin Shirley remix on the second disc is really remarkable. I don't think this album has ever sounded better; Bolin's guitar is more poweful and upfront, Hughes' bass is fatter than ever, Lord's Hammond, piano, Moog, and clavinet juicy, and the vocals of Coverdale & Hughes even more powerful. The order of the tracks is also changed, with "This Time Around" and "Owed to 'G'" separated into two separate songs. For me, it works having "You Keep on Moving" (which sounds fantastic on the remix) in the middle of the album rather than at the end, the raucous rocker "Drifter" closing the show instead. "Same in L.A." and "Bolin/Paice Jam" are killer bonus cuts, the former a funky rocker and the latter a sizzling guitar & drum jam between the two players. Bolin really shines on this one.
Throw in a fantastic booklet chock full of photos and information on this era of the band, and you have a really wonderful reissue of an extremely underrated album. About a year after this album was originally released, the band had broken up, Tommy Bolin was dead, and Deep Purple were officially put to rest.
For a few years anyway...
Track Listing
CD 1
1. Comin' Hone
2. Lady Luck
3. Gettin' Tighter
4. Dealer
5. I Need Love
6. Drifter
7. Love Child
8. This Time Around/Owed to "G"
9. You Keep on Moving
10. You Keep on Moving [Single Version]
CD 2
1. Comin' Home [Remix]
2. Lady Luck [Remix]
3. Gettin' Tighter [Remix]
4. Dealer [Remix]
5. I Need Love [Remix]
6. You Keep on Moving [Remix]
7. Love Child [Remix]
8. This Time Around [Remix]
9. Owed to "G" [Remix]
10. Drifter [Remix]
11. Same in L.A. [#][*]
12. Bolin/Paice Jam [#][*]
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