Come Taste the Band

Come Taste the Band is the tenth album on which Deep Purple, newly welcoming the young guitarist Tommy Bolin in place of Ritchie Blackmore, deeply blends a funk, soul and blues sense into its former heavy hard rock. The two contrasting vocals of David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes intertwine, and Ian Paice’s drums strongly push the whole forward. From the speed of the opener “Comin’ Home” and the tenacious groove of “Gettin’ Tighter” to the grand afterglow of the classic “You Keep on Moving,” the songs convey a new musical breadth particular to this lineup, while cuts like “Dealer,” “Lady Luck” and “This Time Around” fully show Bolin’s fluid guitar and funky sense. Its appeal is that, though an unusual work apart from Deep Purple’s mainstream and greatly different from the Blackmore-era style, each member’s rich character intertwines as densely as possible. Sadly becoming the work that capped the first era, its musical adventurousness and fullness stand out. A varied, appealing hard-rock record breathed into by new talent.