Texas garage band Bubble Puppy had a huge hit with "Hot Smoke and Sasafrass" in 1969, and the single was the highlight of their sole album for International Artists, released that same year. In retrospect, A Gathering of Promises is a good deal saner (and a whole lot less goofy) than the corresponding albums released by a host of high-profile San Francisco bands from the same era, and includes a handful of songs that are almost as good as "Hot Smoke," including "Lonely," "Beginning," and "Hurry Sundown," a solid piece of folk-rock. Fans of psychedelic garage rock should circle back and find a copy of this interesting album, for while some of it sounds dated, again, it wears as well or better than similar fare from much more famous bands of the time.