Bubble Puppy
Certified Badass (Actual Artists)
Reviewed by Greg Beets, Fri., Dec. 22, 2017
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.
