With all the tension that had been in the band seemingly gone with Ritchie Blackmore's recent departure and Ian Gillan's only a couple albums earlier, this album unfortunately would only be a coda for the bands run of 70's hard rock status. This being the only album featuring the Mark IV lineup, original members Ian Paice and Jon Lord; David Coverdale and
Glenn Hughes who joined Purple for the
Burn album, and a young guitar prodigy Tommy Bolin who would replace Blackmore for "Come Taste the Band."
With the iron fist of Blackmore no longer meeting with Lord and Paice's resistance, Purple would go into different territories adding more of a funk and soul element to the band's hard rock roots. But with all the tension gone came new tension; by this time Coverdale and Hughes were now fighting over lead vocal duties behind the scenes. It was as if everybody was unhappy with the direction the band was going, but out of this came one of the most diverse and underrated Purple albums to date.
Bolin's guitar playing was a complete 360-degree turn away from Blackmore's, Bolin offered more of a funky style of playing with more of a blues impact and would yet again change the band's sound. Many of the albums songs were also written by Coverdale, Bolin, and Hughes leaving new blood to write the tunes.
The album opens up with the soulful
"Coming Home" and
"Lady Luck" which are typical Purple rock standards, probably not disappointing the hardcore fan. It's with Getting' Tighter that album takes a turn, being a Hughes/Bolin gem with its up-tempo funk styling brought up with Hughes' powerful voice and Bolin's bluesy guitar jamming.
"Dealer" another funk/soul cut that plays within a backdrop of Bolin's slide guitar and Lord's Clavinet (a type of vintage keyboard used by many funk artists in the 70's i.e.: Stevie Wonder) riffs adds to the influence.
The album returns to more of the classic sound with
"I Need Love,
"Drifter," and
"Love Child;"
Its with the ballad-like
"This Time Around" where Lord gets to show his keyboard chops using various synthesizers instead of his trademark Hammond B-3. The album ends with amore funky sounding cut
"You Keep Me Moving" which will be the last cut we will hear from
Deep Purple until they are reunited as the Mark II lineup for
"Perfect Strangers".
Although the album was a different turn for the band it is seen by many as a great one. Although in the absence of Gillan and Blackmore, "Come Taste the Band" shows what Purple is capable of. Although this would be the end of the band for several years, just about every member would go on to enjoy success in different bands. Coverdale, Lord, and Paice would form
Whitesnake (way before they would even receive any attention), Blackmore was enjoying success with Rainbow, Gillian would form his own band respectively titled Gillan (he would also join
Black Sabbath for "Born Again"),
Glenn Hughes enjoyed success as a solo artist and would join
Black Sabbath for "Seventh Star." Although Tommy Bolin would release a couple of acclaimed solo albums including "Teaser", his life would tragically come to an end due to a drug overdose. Although a remastered version of the album has yet to appear, rumor has it that the original multitrack tapes have been found, which the band is planning a reissue possibly to be released on EMI (U.K.) and Rhino/W.B. (U.S.)
Written by
Hashman Thursday, May 8, 2003
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