Search - Cactus :: Cactology: Cactus Collection

Cactus: An Oasis Of Power Boogie

J. E FELL | Carterville, Illinois United States | 01/30/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Cactus was formed in 1970 by ex-Vanilla Fudge members Tim Bogert on bass and Carmine Appice on drums. Their original idea was to form a supergroup in the vein of Cream or Led Zeppelin. The group was supposed to be rounded out by Jeff Beck on guitar and Rod Stewart on vocals. The idea was put on ice after Beck was sidelined indefinitely as the result of a wreck and Rod Stewart elected to join the Faces with fellow Beck Group band mate Ronnie Wood. Instead Bogert and Appice tabbed Jim McCarty ex-Detroit Wheel and Buddy Miles Express guitarist to handle the frets. Another musician with Detroit ties Rusty Day ex-Ted Nugent's Amboy Dukes handled vocals and harmonica. This line up remained intact until their 4th album, the part studio part live "'Ot 'N' Sweaty". This release featured Werner Fritzchings who replaced McCarty on guitar, Peter French ex-Atomic Rooster who replaced Day on vocals and Duane Hitchings who joined the band on keyboards. The band broke up after this release when Bogart and Appice finally hooked up with Jeff Beck for the "Beck Bogert and Appice." album (not represented here). The bands trademark sound was a devastating form of power boogie. Tim Bogert's bass playing remains the highlight of this group. His playing eventually became so complex it was like another lead instrument hastening Jim McCarty's departure. The remastered anthology contains two rarities, the unissued studio track "Rumblin' Man" and an unissued live version of their best known track, a cover of Mose Allison's "Parchman Farm" (also included here in its studio version). Other notable tracks include a sledgehammer covers of Howlin' Wolf's "Evil" and Willie Dixon's "You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover", and their own tunes like "One Way Or Another" and "Restrictions". I would actually rate this 4.5 due to the rarities but I was disappointed that two songs in particular were not included. The first track "Mean Night In Cleveland" is an autobiographical song about their pot smoking exploits on a plane to Cleveland (they were subsequently arrested when the plane landed). The other track is the live cut "Bedroom Mazurka" from the rare "Mar Y Sol" album which contained live tracks from that festival by the various artists who appeared there. The band at its peak reportedly were able to blow Ten Years After off the stage. If you like seventies era rock this is a rare treasure as all four of their original albums are out of print domestically. The liner notes like in most Rhino releases are also very informative. Power boogie indeed!"

You can't judge a band by looking at the name

J. Thomas | Out on the Lost Highway | 07/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These guys were great and just slightly ahead of their time. Hard rock boogie blues. The only thing close was Foghat or Savoy Brown but Cactus would have blown them off the stage. Tim Bogart and Carmine Appice were the rhythm section from hell and Jim McCarty plays enough licks for 2 guitarists. This disc contains all of the first album except one slow blues tune and the best cuts from the One Way or Another album but leaves out some choice ditties from RESTRICTIONS, their most successful album. The last 3 songs on this collection are filler except for possibly the live Parchman Farm cut which gives a hint at their awesome quartet sound on stage. You can almost smell the reefer. Can you say that on Amazon.com? WEA/Atco...put all three studio albums out on polycarbonate! My import vinyl is getting thin. "I know for a fact it was the road house woman that done my brother in. They put the last clean shirt on my poor brother bill.""

This Review For Adults Around Fifty Years and Older

JC | Big Rapids, MI USA | 06/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"On the bad side of things, you are thirty pounds heavier than you were in high school and have once or twice found yourself wondering how long it will be, if you are a male, before you need Viagara.



On the good side of things, realizing most contemporary popular music sucks, you have some money now and are buying on CD some of those albums you remember from the 60's and 70's as being so good. If you liked Cactus in the early 70's, this one is a good gamble. The playing is as energetic as you remember and the sound of this CD is really good, even on your crappy old stereo with the twenty pound speakers. So give this one a try if you want to relive some raw, kick-ass rock and roll. I bet you will like it. If not, keep on trying. The music then really was better than the music of today."