Hard Stuff - Bulletproof (Great 1st Album UK 1972)

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Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

Hard Stuff was an English hard rock and early heavy metal group, which included John Du Cann and Paul Hammond formerly of Atomic Rooster. Also in the lineup were vocalist Al Shaw), and John Gustafson, formerly of Quatermass.

Du Cann and Hammond had left Atomic Rooster due to disagreements with Vincent Crane over the increasingly bluesy, soulful direction he wanted to take that band in. Consequently, compared with Atomic Rooster's more progressive leanings, Hard Stuff were based more heavily on aggressive guitar.

Originally, Du Cann, Hammond and Shaw had formed a band provisionally entitled Daemon, with the intention of eventually touring and recording under the name Atomic Rooster. Gustafson was invited to join them on that basis, but after finding out that Crane retained the rights to the Atomic Rooster name, the quartet decided to continue anyway, but under the name Bullett instead.

As Bullet, the band released one single, "Hobo", the first on Deep Purple's Purple Records label. Following that release, however, they were prompted to change their name yet again, this time to Hard Stuff, due to a legal threat from a US band also called Bullet.

Hard Stuff toured heavily across Europe, particulary in Germany and Italy, often as support to Deep Purple and Uriah Heep. Their career was curtailed by a car crash in which Du Cann and Hammond were badly injured. Although the release of a second album went ahead, the band were soon to fold.

Hard Stuff's first album featured Shaw, but he had left the band by the time of its release and was uncredited.

John Cann, the guitarist for Hard Stuff, came hot off the heels of Andromeda and Atomic Rooster, a hard driving prog rock group led by keyboardist mastermind, Vincent Crane. Hard Stuff's Bulletproof, which was released under Deep Purple's Purple Label in 1972, was considerably heavier with thick mounds of aggressive guitar chords and lightning fast leads. The music itself is very rooted in the 70s and doesn't age as well as say, Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin. But that's really if your ear is untrained to true 70s hard rock authenticity. 

Hard Stuff is to Blairwitch Project as Led Zeppelin is to Nightmare on Elm Street, with the latter being more raw, gritty, and not filtered through big production values and commercialism. Songs on the album like the hard hitting blues fest 'Sinister Minister' or the heavy metal self-document 'Time Gambler', convey a sense of soul, strength, and edginess which seem to be missing in most of today's contemporary hard rock music. To sum up, if you want to experience the vintage sounds of of an obscure long-haired, 70's metal group, then this is it. 

01."Jay Time"
02."Sinister Minister"
03."No Witch at all"
04."Taken Alive"
05."Time Gambler"
06."Millionaire"
07."Monster in Paradise"
08."Hobo"
09."Mr. Longevity: RIP"
10."The Provider: Part One"
+ Bonus

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