Customer Reviews

Cactology: Cactus Collection

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

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."

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.

Searching for obscure rock in the era I was born into, I stumbled across this gem of a band. CACTUS were an original, tight, hard rockin' juggernaut of a group who were on par with the rest of the 70's rock pantheon (ie Zeppelin and Skynard). In fact, their sound is akin to both those groups. Why they faded into obscurity is beyond me because every tune is a flawless heavy rock song. It's a shame really but to me this greatest hits collection is a time capsule, an archeological relic from the 70'S. "Rock-n-Roll Children" is an anthem if there ever was one, and should be a standard on classic rock radio and "Rumblin' Man" is a dense, killer track, evoking MC5's level of chaos and power. I like to think that when I was born these guys were rockin' out somewhere out there. It'd be a shame if they went unheard. Awesome road trip music, by the way.

Cactus were surely one of the most underrated rock bands ever.they were formed from remnants of two excellent groups vannila fudge and the amboy dukes and had a rythm section featuring great artists like Carmine Appice,Tim Boogert,Jim Mcarty on guitar and Rusty Day on vocals.This excellent compilation features classics like You cant judge a book by the cover,one way or the other,Alaska,Restrictions and Rock'n'roll children.very highly recommended.get this cd along with the best of Foghat.

I was fortunate enough to see these guys open up for 10 Years After at the Capitol Theater in Porchester, NY back in the early 70's (1971 to be exact). For a band to blow away the headliners like they did is a memory I will have forever!!! The 1st 3 albums are the true essence of this band (Cactus, One Way... Or Another & Restrictions). Ot 'n Sweaty was done with Jim & Rusty :-(

Never has a band cut to heart of the matter in the style that Cactus did. Todays musicians should all take a hard listen to this band, Tim Bogart and Carmine Appice laid down the bottom, and took it over the top. Rusty Days balls out style was as refreshing as it was infectious. Jimmy McCarty is the consumate guitarist. This is a man who epitomizes mastery of his craft. His latest efforts are with a Detroit based blues band called Mystery Train....pick it up and give it a listen, latest release is titled Love Lost....it is fantastic. His work after Cactus , with the group the Rockets also showcase his incredible talents.He has worked with Bob Seeger and many others, why he is not acclaimed as he should be is beyond me, and a true shame. After thirty years I still slip in the cactus tapes and wonder at the talent and energy of these guys.

This is a 'greatest hits' album. I own two copies of this CD so I can have one in the house, at work, lent out, or in the car. I have two other Cactus albums on vinyl, Cactus and One Way or Another. I also have two other CDs, One Way or Another and Hot n Sweaty. I used to have Restrictions on 8 track long ago which was my introduction to them. I would recommend any Cactus to Boomer/Gen-x people as well as the younger listner as an excellent representation of quintessential non-pop of the early 70's (not to be confused with the late 70's which seems to define the 70's these days). These guys were one of the original alternative/boogie rock bands in rock history. The material, although somewhat derivative, comes from a myriad of sources, synthesized into a unique sound. If you like a kick in the pants while you drive, then this album is for you. While some material is a little dated, the majority of it stands the test of time as well written. In its day, it was extremely innovated and ahead of its time back when this genere was known as progressive rock.

You want straight ahead rock and roll with no strings attached, Cactus is it!! This CD burns with some of the best down to earth rock/boogie and blues that has ever been captured on tape! Parchment Farm is a classic both the studio and the live version. Jim McCarty is one of the most underrated guitarist in the history of rock. Add Rusty Days' ballsy vocals and harp, plus one of the heaviest rhythm sections in rock of Carmine Appice on drums and Tim Bogert on bass and you have the ingredients of one of the greatest rock groups of all time!! I saw them live in 1971 and they burned the place down!! Get this CD and turn it up!!!

This Cd is worth the price just for the first song alone "evil" kicks major butt up there with any hard rock song ever recorded.. after that you get a good carmine appice drum solo, and atleast a half dozen really great songs. good musicianship and i dont have to talk up the rhythum section of bogert/appice anybody reading this knows they were among the best......