Come Taste the Man

Album Review

Tommy Bolin has been the subject of countless releases over the years (especially after the formation of the Tommy Bolin Archives label in the late '90s), much of which were either rarity- or live-based. With the 1989 double-disc box set The Ultimate, long out of print, new fans who were looking for a comprehensive collection of Bolin's career highlights were out of luck. That was until the release of the 1999 single-disc Come Taste the Man. With a title that's a play on words of the one and only release Bolin appeared on with Deep Purple (1975's underrated Come Taste the Band), the 15-track collection is a fine introduction to the oft-overlooked guitarist — compiling the crème de la crème of previous Tommy Bolin Archives releases. Mixing standout tracks with several vintage interview segments, highlights include Bolin's best-known song from his solo years, "Teaser" (which was later covered by Mötley Crüe), as well as the mood-shifting "San Francisco River," the jam fest "Post Toastee" (which eerily sees Bolin singing about an autobiographical out-of-control drug habit), as well as "Meaning of Love," which shows that Bolin had an underrated singing voice, to boot. If you're looking for a single-disc sampler of Bolin, then Come Taste the Man is just what you're looking for.