Fated never to rise to any heights at all,
Hard Stuff -- formed by guitarist
John Du Cann following his unceremonious firing from
Atomic Rooster -- had already been through two names before they were signed to
Deep Purple's
Purple label;
Daemon lasted a few rehearsals;
Bullet survived a single; they became
Hard Stuff after another
Bullet fired a legal complaint at them, and Bulletproof was their riposte. It is heavy and it is loud. Period reviews mused on the
Purple influence and they are not far from the mark, but only if organ were excised from the mix, to be replaced by guitars, guitars, and more guitars.
Du Cann showboats through the album, a ferocious assault that is at times reminiscent of a lot less bluesy
Cream or
Taste, but fellow
Rooster alumni
Paul Hammond (drums) and veteran bassist
John Gustafson are equally on the ball, to create an album that was hallmarked by virtuosity as much as volume, and truly deserved to be heard. Instead it slipped away, alongside a second single ("Jay Time"), and Angel Air's 2011 remaster, with 45-rpm bonus tracks intact, marks its first reappearance in 40 years. It is a welcome return. ~ Dave Thompson