San Antonio, TX's "The Bubble Puppy" was a handful of furry young men who played earthy hippy rock music with three-part vocal harmonies. "Oh great, another bunch of long-haired reefer hairs playing ass-long solos on top of forgettable shit riffs" is probably what you're thinking, according to my seismograph. But see no that's inaccurate. Aside from their ridiculous name, what separated The Bubble Puppy from so many other no-name earthy hippy rock bands of the late '60s was their insistence that a song needs a great melody -- be it a vocal hook, a gorgeous guitar arpeggiation or a blistering lead line shoving its hot rock action upside your head. They weren't out to blow your parents' minds with wild psychedelic explorations (aside from some truly unnecessary stereo speaker-to-speaker tomfoolery); they just wanted to bring some catchy, memorable new songs into the world. And they succeeded beyond what ANYBODY had a right to expect from a band called "The Bubble Puppy"; there is quite literally not a single bad -- or even GENERIC -- song on here.
Although I personally feel that they stand alone with their ear-pleasing merging of folk harmony vocals, "stick in your head" melodicism, Beau Brummelsy post-folk country rock and Blue Cheer-style proto-metal, it would probably help you the reader if I were to compare them to a few other bands. As such, I will do so post-haste.
No, better make that post-waste -- NNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!! (*ploop*)
Okay, the sort of cold, off-putting three-part harmony vocals are definitely reminiscent of the stuff on the fourth Byrds records and on into Crosby, Stills & Nash, as well as stuff like "Yours Is No Disgrace" from the first few Yes albums. Musically, there are touches of San Francisco marijuana country along the lines of the BEST compositions by such spotty outfits as the Grateful Dead and the Jefferson Starship. To be honest -- and I realize this will sound dumb -- but musically they remind me a lot of the Meat Puppets! So perhaps they were precursors of that whole sort of southwestern earthy harmony spirit hook-filled blues/country/folk/rock scene that may or may not have existed. Moments kinda resemble The Band too, I guess? But see, what's odd here is that I'm naming all these old hippy bands that I don't even LIKE -- yet I DO like this Bubble Puppy album quite a goddamned bit. And again, that's because although their instrumentation fit right in with the long-haired guitar solo-happy era of the late '60s, their melodic sensibilities were straight out of the folk-rock era of three or four years earlier.
I keep vacillating between an 8 and a 10 on this, as far as scores go. 9 is simply not an option due to a poorly-conceived ratings scale on my part. I'll go with a really, REALLY high 8 on the strength of the nonstop great songwriting, but resist the 10 due to the record's flat production (only a few rare moments really JUMP OUT!!! at you), a slight overabundance of guitar solos, and the kinda nondescript nature of their singing voices. Also, "Todd's Tune" is slightly weaker than the other nine tracks. So know that going into your experience! The others? Crikey! The supposed 'hit' "Hot Smoke And Sasafrass" LITERALLY cooks breakfast for me as it kicks Steppenwolf's ass all over the kitchen counter! And "Elizabeth"?! Just TRY to find another 32-note lead guitar lick that kicks as much ass as this one! "Hurry Sundown"? Warm guitar diddle-doos! "Beginning"?" Who-esque bombast! "Lonely"? Mysterious, but with a happy ending! "Title track"? Delicate gentle arpeggiations! "I've Got To Reach You"? Eight minutes of dark, sorrowful licks and somber chorale vocals! "Others"? Hell yeah, others!
So if you're a fan of late-'60s rock, stop asking "Who the Bubb are the Fuckle Puppy!?," "Who the Pupp are the Bubble Fucky?!," and "Fuck! The Bubble Puppy are The Who!?" and go buy the Collectables CD reissue of this album IMMEDIATELY. It's far too great a collection of tunes to be as obscure as it is. Why IS it so obscure? Maybe it was just an overcast day when the record came out, and it was obscured by clouds (*receives 'Cease and Desist' order from attorneys representing Roger Waters*).
Either that or maybe it just cost too much Money (*receives 'Cease and Desist' order from attorneys representing Roger Waters*)
Or maybe it was a beautiful day and all their potential record buyers were busy hanging out at the grand vizier's garden party (*receives thank you note and completed job application from Nick Mason*)
"Hot Smoke and Sassafrass" is one of those distinctive one-hits that really makes me miss the wide-open playlists of the 60's. This song was especially revered in my hometown due to a misunderstanding of one of the lyrics, the last line of the first verse. It's apparently "To the place above where it began" but blasting out of a three-inch AM radio speaker, it sure sounded like he identified my hometown, by name! The bad news -- other than my hometown's continued obscurity -- is that I see that the ten-track Collectables version of this CD is now superceded by a Varese release, remastered and chock-a-block with extra tracks! Sixteen in all!
Ok, Mark, now you've done a fine review, just sit back and wait for all the mail to pour in from Bubble Puppy fandom ...
I remember back in the late 60's, I and my best bud, Bob K, bass player extraordinare, yea right, walk into our local record shop..."United Furniture Mart" (you heard me right...Furniture Mart) on Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. They had a small record section along with guitars and amps from Tiesco too!! Had my eye on that four pickup, mega toggle switch nasty geetar. But alas, they wanted a whole $99.99 for that which at 16 years of age was unreachable. But I regress,
We , Bob and I, started to flip through the albums and we came across "BUBBLE PUPPY", Turning, simultaneously, we asl "Who the hell is "BUBBLE PUPPY!?". Now here's why we bought the damn record. He and I never heard of the band and collectively we had six bucks between us which would keep us well fed with Chick's Drive In (also a Milwaukee Avenue denizen) gut grenades, a.k.a. hamburgers and greasy, grimy french fries for two days or buy the record. Seeking out reasons to go hungry, Bob came up with it. In that we were both huge Errol Flynn fans, you know, Adventures of Robin Hood, Captain Blood and stuff like that there, hell, we even knew the script by heart, of Robin Hood (I was always Sir Guy of Gisbane, Basil Rathbone's part, you know, the bad guy and Bob always got to be Sir Robin of Locksley, but again I regress) Well, anyhoo, Bob was quick to point out that the bass player, Roy Cox, son of lesbian Sheepherders himself {check out their website...his own BIO is quoted}, looked like Errol Flynn! So we bought the damn record!!
We took it home and man, it was up there with Moby Grape and the like, in our opinion. We wore that sumbitch down to smooth. But again at 16, new to cannibus and other assorted enhancers, DeBarge woulda sounded good, I suppose. We love it! I wish I could find my original vinyl but alas no can do, eventhough I trusted my son to be the guardian of my collection. I even had every Beatle album from VeeJay to Capitol to Apple, in poifect condition from the inside paper protectors to the cellophane wraps aorund the jackets. God knows where they are now., but again, I regress. Criminy, I could retire off off what I would make off of Ebay!
Anyway, if anyone reads this rambling wierdness and has comments flail away at jimmfulfer1@hotmail.com.
Time to flare up the hookah! CLoves now, no more funny stuff!~
Yours Puppyingly,
JIMM
Marc... the band is a 10.. but the package did suck.
Anyone besides me.. ever wonder if the actual tracks were sped up?
I stand before all man... stating here and now.... I will discuss this band with anyone who ever wants to write me.
BTW...Todd Potter has a new Cd out.. look him up.. Todd Potter.com... tell him Ricky sent ya.
The thing I find to be so great about it is the perfect match between music and lyrics. Guitars and drums start out kind of simple before building up, with cresendos leading into more and more build up parts and then finally an awesome guitar solo, while backup guitars, bass and drums just hammers on... all accompinied by lyrics like "It's music for all of my time / So things won't catch up with my mind / So I still have hope you'll be mine" and "It's the only time we are together / It's the only time we are together / When I play" --> BAM!! -> SOLO!!!
No great poetry perhaps but the timing just make it brilliant! Sends chills down my spine everytime I listen to it.
Just came across your Review site when running a lyrics search for Hot Smoke & Sassafrass. Just wanted to let you know that the former 1969 "Sassafrass Kid" has given her approval of your Review. Back in the day, I would call and request the Song be played by a local radio DJ at which point he began to inquire of me, "Is this The Sassafrass Kid"? Of course my reply was , "yes"!
Once the ecstatic moment arrived when the first grip of the song took hold I was on a wild ride to the finish. For some unknown reason this song prompted me to grab a Yardstick , place it to my chin and stare up at the top while spinning in a circle as fast as possible in the bedroom floor. By the time it was over I'd fall down with the room spinning ! It was WILD to say the least!
Being the Sassafrass Kid wasn't always an easy legend to keep upright! Have fun with it and glad to find out they did do an albumn . Will search for the CD reissue.
ps. one day, i shall shamelessly emulate you and somehow gain noteriety as "rolling stone's best music critic ever". thank you for the template. i shall merely follow (and overtake, of course... you stand not a chance, boy!).