By 1975 hard rock giant Deep Purple had left a humongous mark upon the world of music. Everywhere they went they put on shows that were absolutely electrifying and occasionally dangerous to the people on and near the stage. Much of this had to do with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and his love of blowing up amplifiers, smashing guitars, and throwing the remains of both into the crowd. However, by '75 Blackmore had become very dissatisfied with the current state of the band, as it was no longer the heavy neo-classical band it had once been but featured more elements of soul and funk music. That being said, Blackmore quit. Being in quite the pickle, the band recruited its first American member: jazz fusion guitar extraordinaire Tommy Bolin of James Gang, Zephyr, Billy Cobham, and solo fame. Thus, the briefly lived Deep Purple Mark IV was born.
Deep Purple Mark IV only wrote and recorded one album together before the whole band was folded. This is a somewhat unknown gem called Come Taste the Band; a name that came about after a drunken slur from Bolin. The music delves further into the funk and soul direction the band had been going in for some time. The style of Bolin definitely differed from that of Blackmore. Where Blackmore was more classical and bluesy at times Bolin was more jazzy and funky. It actually made for an interesting blend with the pre-existing members of the band.
Gettin' Tighter is the absolute funkiest and most cheerful sounding tune on the entire album. Bassist and backing vocalist Glenn Hughes takes the lead on it and puts every last bit of power and soul he has in his body into it. It gets especially astounding when Hughes shows off just how high he can get his voice to go. You wouldn't think a human being could do that, but it's possible. The funky guitar playing from Bolin is absolutely fantastic. All the chicka-chickas and upbeat nuances in his playing make it impossible to not smile and dance. It is reminiscent of the era it was written in, but it still has aged well.
The crowning achievement from Come Taste the Band however has got to be the 5 minute bass centric epic You Keep On Movin'. Hughes's and lead singer David Coverdale's voices blend together flawlessly and beautifully in ways you cannot imagine unless you put the track on for yourself to hear. The song structure itself is pretty simple, but near the end Bolin absolutely rips and runs with some of the most blistering solo work I have ever heard on a guitar. Before I had heard this song I didn't think it was possible for anyone to compete with Blackmore, but Bolin clearly proved me wrong.
Sadly as mentioned earlier Deep Purple Mark IV only lasted for one album and tour. Hughes's and Bolin's substance and partying problems made the band's performances rather lackluster on a frequent basis. In 1976 Deep Purple officially disbanded. Bolin died later that year due to a drug overdose. It's a crying shame because Bolin was so young and extremely talented. I would have loved to have heard more music from this line-up. Anyway, I can't recommend this album enough; even if you aren't a fan of Deep Purple to begin with. To be honest, Come Taste the Band doesn't really feel like a Deep Purple album. It feels like an entity all its own. It is a unique funky jazzy hard rock experience. You won't regret picking this album up.
Come Taste the Band, by Deep Purple receives 5 out of 5 stars.
Track List:
1. Comin' Home
2. Lady Luck
3. Gettin' Tighter
4. Dealer
5. I Need Love
6. Drifter
7. Love Child
8. This Time Around
9. Owed to G
10. You Keep On Moving
Buy the album on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Come-Taste-Band-DEEP-PURPLE/dp/B000SQJ2JG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429240792&sr=8-1&keywords=Come+Taste+the+Band
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