Deep Purple - Come Taste The Band (1975) [1st Japan Press # 20P2-2610] RE-UP

Come Taste the Band is the tenth studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple originally released in October 1975. The album was co-produced and engineered by the band and longtime associate Martin Birch. It is the only Deep Purple studio record featuring Tommy Bolin, who replaced Ritchie Blackmore on guitar. When Blackmore left the band, many observers and critics assumed that Deep Purple would not continue. It was David Coverdale who asked Jon Lord to keep the band together, and Tommy Bolin was asked to take the guitar slot.

Musically, the album is more commercial than previous Deep Purple releases, leaning toward a conventional hard rock focus with overtones of soul and funk. The album shows the strong funk influence from Glenn Hughes at this point, who had formed a bond with the equally funk and jazz influenced Bolin, but the direction tended to be more like Burn, released one and a half year earlier, with a heavier focus on hard rock. The recording with Bolin also allowed the band to take many creative liberties, as Ritchie Blackmore had been somewhat stray to work with at this point in the band's career. Generally the record is considered one of Deep Purple's lesser efforts, although it did sell reasonably well on release (#19 in the UK charts, and #43 in the US). The album was certified Silver on November 1, 1975 by the BPI, selling 60,000 copies in the UK.
After tours for this album concluded in March 1976, Deep Purple broke up for eight years. Tommy Bolin died of an accidental heroin overdose in December, 1976. In recent years the album has received some critical reassessment, primarily due to Bolin's contributions to the album.

When Ritchie Blackmore departed Deep Purple in the mid-'70s and formed Rainbow (which featured Ronnie James Dio), his replacement was Tommy Bolin. To be sure, Blackmore was a darn tough act to follow, but Bolin proved himself to be a fine guitarist in his own right on Come Taste the Band, his first album with Deep Purple. But unfortunately, Bolin didn't have exceptional material to work with — decent and likable, but hardly exceptional. While sweaty yet melodic cuts like "Dealer," "Lady Luck," and "You Keep on Moving" are far from bad, nothing here is in a class with "Smoke on the Water" or "Highway Star." Deep Purple's more hardcore devotees will want this album, though it's far from the best representation of their '70s work.

– Review by Alex Henderson, allmusic com

Tracklist:

01. Comin' Home
02. Lady Luck
03. Gettin' Tighter
04. Dealer
05. I Need Love
06. Drifter
07. Love Child
08. This Time Around / Owed To "G"
09. You Keep On Moving

Produced by Martin Birch and Deep Purple.

- David Coverdale - lead vocals
- Tommy Bolin - guitars, vocals, bass guitar on "Comin' Home"
- Glenn Hughes - bass, vocals (lead vocals on "Gettin' Tighter" and "This Time Around")
- Jon Lord: keyboards, piano, synthesizer, backing vocals on "Comin' Home", bass on "This Time Around"
- Ian Paice - drums, percussion

Original non-remastered Japanese first pressed CD.
Manafactured by Warner Music Japan, on 1989.
All thanks goes to the original ripper!



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Part 1
Part 2

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