Deep Purple - Come Taste The Band - Album Review 

I bought CTTB in 1977 and was absolutely blown away by how good this album was. Great songwriting. Ian Paice and Glenn Hughes’ rhythm section was tops! Hughes’ influence on Paice was amazing. Great production by Martin Birch, his best Purple effort, IMO. My only critic of CTTB was the lack of the dual vocals by Coverdale and Hughes. They sang their own songs, with a little support, but nothing like Burn. You Keep on Moving is one of Purple’s best, IMO and a perfect send off from ‘70s Purple.

Thanks for the review! I have the same history with Purple and this album. My first enconuter with DP at age 12-13 was "Smoke on the Water" from "Machine Head" from the radio ("what the f** is that...?" 😮😁) and when buying "Made in Japan" (couldn't get hold of "Machine Head" just then), suddenly I discovered something almost unearthly . 🙂 Blackmore leaving was kind of a shock and it took me a few years before I even saw at this album. Not up there with aspecially "Made in Japan", "In Rock", "Machine Head" and "Burn" but nowadays I like it quite a lot and sometimes the whole album can keep me company during longer walks. 🤗

Absolutely spot on review! You concisely articulates everything we love about this album! So glad I found this. Keep on spreading the word about this often misunderstood and under appreciated DP offering! 💜

I agree that CTTB is a Purple album. It’s very purplish. The sound, the mix, the songs and performance and Purple 💯.

Great review. It's one of my favourite albums. I was brought up on my brother's Made In Japan and Mk2 stuff but it was me that bought the Mk3 and 4 albums. Circa 1979-80, I bought this LP and loved it ever since. Time has been kinder on this album. I think it's appreciated more now than back then. I loved it so much , it got me into Tommy Bolin's solo stuff and I bought Teaser and Private Eyes as well as James Gang albums. Teaser is a fabulous LP, superb musicianship. Tommy was very underrated .

Avoided this album for years because of it’s reputation and the fact that Blackmore had quit the band at the time. Came around to buying it about 20 years ago. Of course, what brought me there was Billy Cobham’s Classic jazz fusion album Spectrum, with Tommy Bolin on guitar. Bolin’s playing blew me away, and I was aware of him replacing Blackmore on this album. So anyway, I loved it from day one. Just a powerful and beautifully crafted album, unfortunately still unfairly overlooked.

I love this album so much 💜

As essential as In Rock, Fireball, Burn IMO. Fabulous album, still sounds fresh and new to me. Received for Christmas '75.

I liked the record a lot,bought it In '75. Favourites: Drifter Coming Home This Time around.❤

My sister's fave Purple album, no argument accepted! 😅 Love the dogs in the inner sleeve pictures. 🐶🦮 Any idea why Comin' Home wasn't played live? Tommy Bolin didn't sound at home with Burn, so his own uptempo number might've been a better opener onstage. That one, Gettin' Tighter, Love Child, and This Time Around / Owed to 'G' are my fave tracks, but the whole album's enjoyable. Wild Dogs live was a real highlight too - it's a shame it went on Tommy's solo album rather than on Come Taste the Band. Cheers Phil - great review.👍

Terrific review. Kevin Shirley's 2010 remix of Come Taste The Band turned this underrated gem into a must have record for any fan of rock music. Shirley's mix brings added life to the brilliant guitar riffs of the late, great Tommy Bolin and his addition of previously unreleased tracks (e.g., Drifter, Bolin/Paice Jam) raises this album to new heights. IMO, this 2010 remix is easily 1 of the top 5 albums (e.g., In Rock, Fireball, Machine Head, Burn) in Deep Purple's catalogue and for sheer sonic enjoyment, Come Taste The Band is their best work.

If I was a fan of this album from 1975 I would be livid that Same in LA and the Paice/Bolin jam tracks were not issued at the time!

Yeah, always found it interesting considering Martin Birch produced both Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow and Come Taste the Band that CTTB would be so much better sounding, was it that Purple had a huge label backed budget and Blackmore self-financed? Never was too clear on that but it always struck me as odd.. CTTB sounds so good it’s truly remarkable

Thanks Phil for your review of CTTB.It was great to see the Chekoslovakian ( my spelling has deserted me) album. Yes, D.C’s vocals are great throughout and Glenn shined too. My highlights from the Kevin Shirley remix are: ‘I Need Love’ where Tommy gets in some ‘shredding’. ‘’Comin’ Home’ with the unedited guitar solo and Jon Lord’s pumping Piano! I’ve never known why Tommy’s guitar slide at the front end of YKOM was ever left in, it’s rather anti-climactic after the vocal harmonies on intro. A ‘Classic Albums’ presentation on CTTB,should have been done around the time of expanded edition. Isolating,soloing tracks etc. Perhaps Johnny Bolin,Karen Ullibarri,plus the surviving MK4 members. Perhaps they might have found Glenn Hughes’ lost vocals on ‘Dealer’!

Thank you very much! Great review, as always! I agree with you in everything. Great album, great rehearsals vol 1...!

Only just discovered your channel. Love it CTTB is a superb LP. Love it and love Tommy Bolin. It was my entry point to DP. This and 24 carat. Can’t wait to,catch up on your other videos. I am a HUGE DP and family tree fan. Got shedloads of LPs and CDs from these bands Cheers Phil, Chris

Great review Phil, really enjoyed that and share your love for the diversity of music this amazingly talented band produced. Always struggled a bit with the mix on CTTB. It felt a bit but muddy but I was blown away with the Kevin Shirley remix and listen to this album all the time. Gettin' Tighter was always my favourite track but the remix really shone a light on Dealer for. The clean sound and huge power. Fantastic.

Nice analysis of my favorite Purple album! Agree that it's Paicey's best work.

Fantastic review again. Remember getting my name in and pre booking the lp back then, i said too the record store woman, are i am the first person to collect the new purple album, unfortunately i was 3rd. 14 years old i was devastated.😅, fantastic video phil.👍🔥

Muy buena reseña, álbum brillante! Saludos desde Argentina

Great review. Live your knowledge and your attention to detail.

I remember seeing it staring at me in all the record shops when it was first released and totally ignoring it. My opinion at the time was no Gillan, no Purple! I didn't give Burn and Stormbringer much notice until I heard Sail Away playing in the background one day and bought all three albums. Now Come Taste is one of my favourite albums of all time. I just wish they had released it under another band name with a hype sticker: featuring ex members of Deep Purple. It may have been received for enthusiastically. Water under the bridge now. I still love it and was introduced me to Tommy Bolin. Say no more!

Great review This album is truly a slow burner and easily in my top 5 Purple albums But it's unique and in a category of its own.

Great review, thank you :-) Having no band pics on the Czech version may simply have to do with money and the license fees, we had enough long haired bands on this sid of the Iron Curtain too :-)

This is the first Purple album I ever heard, on a 8track. So this was my introduction to the band, apart from Black Night on the jukebox. Purple have been so many bands - none of them bad.

Such a great album, really love it.

Loved the track by track breakdown. Great to hear some love for Drifter and that breakdown in the middle. You Keep On Movin should have been a classic rock staple up there with Stairway, More Than a a Feeling etc.

This was a great video. I love the background stories you gave. I like this album more than Stormbringer. I’m posting a ranking of the songs from Come Taste The Band later on this afternoon on my channel. Would love to know your thoughts.

Ritchie Blackmore loved the album. Joe Walsh got Tommy Bolin the gig with James Gang, when he left the band. Walsh told people, "This kid plays circles around me" Tommy Bolin could play anything with any one. Tommy Bolin played on the Billy Cobham "Spectrum" album. Jeff Beck's favorite player of all time was Tommy Bolin. Come taste the band was a masterpiece. One of the greatest productions of all time. Best remastered version was done by Caveman Shirley who did many Iron Maiden albums. (Double CD) All fans must get Tommy Bolin "Teaser" remastered. Why hasn't anybody remastered "Private eyes" ???

Tommy Bolin Glenn Hughes David Coverdale Ian Paice Jon Lord

I used to own a copy of Made in Europe that had the faces off come taste the band around the edge of the label. So Blackmore and Bolin were on it 😊. Wish I still had it

although a dramatic shift in style i always loved this album, best DP album without Ritchie ?

My favourites are - Love Child - You Keep On Moving

Wow, what a fantastic in-depth review of a brilliant Purple album. Hi Phil, Keith from Dublin here! I've somehow only discovered your channel now (your turning to Crime review!) and as a huge Purple and Gillan fan I'm knocking out your DP/Ian related videos first 😁 Excellent review of a Purple album I personally rank very highly. I'm looking forward to trawling your channels archives! 😎

It's way better than Stormbringer, fantastic record.

A very good review! Please, review the Morse-powered album next. "Bananas" and "Abandon". 👍

Thanks for the background story, to how you were converted to the albums charms.I wonder how many fans added extra photos to the inside of the case and customised case according, on the 1990 CTTB CD? Re: the ‘guru’s’ remix, was very hit and miss for me. Glenn’s iconic bass run on ‘ Lady Luck’ disappeared. ‘’I Need Love’ & ‘Comin’ Home’ extended mixes,are the stand outs because of Tommy’s previously unheard fluid guitar lines . The effects on Glenn Hughes’ vocals on ‘This Time Around’ are wisely back off, to the betterment of the track.Infact it didn’t need to be joined to ‘Owed To G’, as it’s strong enough in hindsight. It would sit well now on a future Glenn Hughes career spanning CD! I prefer the original mix of ‘Gettin’ Tighter’ despite Tommy’s extra post fade guitar work. Why didn’t the ‘guru’ take out the unremarkable Slide run that Tommy does on YKOM, just before the drums kick in properly? Still niggles me, all these years on.

Album maravilloso

Yes I agree. What do you think was their best concert of that tour.

Do you know why they changed the running order for the tracks on the remixes CD?

The album is called Come Taste The Band from Deep Purple, correct?

What about fireball...in rock..

Behold ... the first whitesnake album.

I am a massive Deep Purple fan, but in my opinion Come taste the band is sadly their least inspiring. I think if you compare In Rock with this, its not Deep Purple at all. Its more like a platform to spring board Whitesnake into action. Jon Lord has even said in interviews since that by Come taste the band it was all over for Deep Purple, and that speaks volumes in my opinion. Even Blackmore had left by then. Sorry but this isn't Deep Purple at all, I am not saying its terrible musically, but its the album I play least. How you compare it with Made in Japan is beyond me. This album Come taste the band is to me more like a pre cursor to Whitesnake. But still not a patch on Whitesnake's first album Trouble, that is one of my favourite Whitesnake albums along with Slide it in, that is my all time favourite Whitesnake album. Sorry Come taste the band is the worst thing to happen to Deep Purple ever! And I dont say that lightly.