COME TASTE THE BAND

First of all, let's get one thing straight: this album has little if anything to do with prog. That said, it is a great album, much better than its predecessor, "Stormbringer" - a blend of hard rock, blues, soul and funk. After Blackmore's departure, Glenn Hughes was free to stamp his personality on this record, supported by the fact that Ritchie's replacement, the young American guitar whiz Tommy Bolin, had become a fast friend of his. Both were more attracted to other kinds of music than straightforward hard rock, and this shows quite clearly at a compositional level. Unfortunately, both musicians had also become seriously addicted to drugs, Hughes to cocaine and Bolin to heroin, which would ultimately result in his untimely death, soon after the band's demise.

For a long time "Come Taste the Band" was an extremely underrated album, considered by many to be nearly worthless. Fortunately, in more recent years its value has been reassessed, which is a very good thing, for it contains quite a few unexpected gems. Being a Glenn Hughes fan, my personal favourite is the intensely romantic "This Time Around", a towering vocal achievement where Hughes sings accompanied by Jon Lord's piano, which segues into the instrumental tour de force that is "Owed to G". The closing , mid-tempo "You Keep On Moving" showcases the considerable talents and sharply different styles of Coverdale and Hughes; while the brisker, funkier "Gettin' Tighter" is another great Hughes moment, which the bassist still plays live with his band.

Overall, a strong album, with great musicianship and stunning vocal performances - one I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who loves great rock music and keeps an open mind.