CACTUS: V

Cover	Release	Style
	2006-07-28	blues rock
	Label
	Escapi Music
	Website
	Cactus
	Contact
	-
	Playing Time	Cat. N°
	62:57	EMUS20060
	Review by	Rating
	Edwin	9/10
nederlands	Review
Along with Cozy Powell, Carmine Appice is probably my favourite drummer in the history of rock. Like Powell, the list of bands and projects he’s played with is incredibly long, but mentioning ROD STEWART, VANILLA FUDGE, CACTUS, OZZY OSBOURNE and BLUE MURDER should make it clear that Appice is not just anybody. Of course - as opposed to Cozy Powell - Appice has the distinct advantage of still being alive. And he’s at least as active as he has always been. Now, Appice has reunited with other original CACTUS members Tim Bogert (bass) and Jim McCarty (guitars) in order to reform the band, along with ex-SAVOY BROWN vocalist Jimmy Kunes (replacing original singer Rusty Day, who died in 1982). V is their first album in no less than 34 years! CACTUS were hailed as the ‘American LED ZEPPELIN’, and while they may never have quite lived up to that reputation, there’s no denying that in their short existence, this band was an incredibly powerful unit, which influenced a lot of musicians. V delivers exactly what you could expect from CACTUS: rough and ready, funky blues and boogie rock, right up the alley of what they were doing at the start of the 70’s. Newcomer Jimmy Kunes has an excellent raw, bluesy voice, sounding like a mix between Leslie West (MOUNTAIN) and Nicky Moore (SAMSON). CACTUS couldn’t have hoped for a better replacement of Day (who gets an appropriate tribute in ‘Blues For Mr. Day’). Appice and Bogert deliver the firm rhythm base we’ve come to expect of them, while Jim McCarty lays down some incredible guitar work. Where has this man been all these years? Randy Pratt of THE LIZARDS appears on a few tracks playing harmonica – it reminds you of the fact how much CACTUS have influenced THE LIZARDS (which have become one of my favourite bands, by the way). Noticeable tracks are the boogie staples ‘Doing Time’ and ‘Gone Train Gone’, the funky ‘Your Brother’s Keeper’, ‘High In The City’, ‘Part Of The Game’ and the slow blues ‘Day For Night’. The honour of being rewarded the best song on the album is reserved for ‘Cactus Music’. Honestly, though, this album is pure rocking fun from start to finish. Nope, this ain’t very trendy, this music, but an excellent voyage back in time to those wonderful 70’s. For the youngsters among us: buy this and find out what the fuss was all about!
Musicians
Carmine Appice: Drums/ BG Vocals Tim Bogert: Bass/ BG Vocals Jimmy Kunes: Lead Vocals/ BG Vocals Jim McCarty: All Guitars Guest: Randy Pratt: Harmonica
Tracklist
1. Doing Time 2. Muscle And Soul 3. Cactus Music 4. The Groover 5. High In The City 6. Day For Night 7. Living For Today 8. Shine 9. Electric Blue 10. Your Brother's Keeper 11. Blues For Mr. Day 12. Part Of The Game 13. Gone Train Gone 14. Jazzed
Discography
Cactus (1970) One Way Or Another (1971) Restrictions (1971) ‘Ot And Sweaty (1972) Barely Contained: The Studio Sessions (2004) Fully Unleashed: The Live Gigs (2004) V (2006)


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