Re-enlivened by their 2011 Austin Music Hall of Fame induction, these Sixties psych rock gladiators swing for the rafters again like the shoulder-chipped opening act they spent much of their career being. Original guitarist/vocalist Rod Prince and drummer David Fore enlist guitarists Gregg Stegall and Mark Miller, and bassist Jimi Umstattd for this live studio re-recording of classic selections from BP and their sequel band Demian. Glorious twin guitar leads and regal vocal harmonies proliferate on an elongated “What Do You See.” 1969 Top 20 hit “Hot Smoke and Sassafras” retains dynamic punch, but lesser-known Demian songs prove revelatory. Everyman anthem “Only a Loner” rings worthy of the AOR immortality that eluded it in 1971. Whichever regulatory body certifies badassery, Bubble Puppy got this one right.
This article appears in December 22 • 2017.
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Greg Beets was born in Lubbock on the day Richard Nixon was elected president. He has covered music for the Chronicle since 1992, writing about everyone from Roky Erickson to Yanni. Beets has also written for Billboard,Uncut, Blurt, Elmore, and Pop Culture Press. Before his digestive tract cried uncle, he co-published Hey! Hey! Buffet!, an award-winning fanzine about all-you-can-eat buffets.
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