LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Rhino Handmade's got more Cactus than Death Valley! With the release of two new double-CDs, the complete live and studio output of one of the most powerful acts of the 1970s is once again available to quench the thirsts of hard rock fans. With bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice from Vanilla Fudge, guitarist Jim McCarty of The Detroit Wheels, and singer Rusty Day of The Amboy Dukes, this erstwhile supergroup signed with Atco Records and served immediate notice that British bands like Led Zeppelin had better start looking over their shoulders. Cactus' 1970 self-titled debut -- referred to by McCarty as "the methedrine album" -- turns the blues up to 11 and lets the boogie commence. Recorded at Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady studio with his engineer, Eddie Kramer, Cactus' 1971 follow-up One Way…Or Another offered a similar mix of R&B covers and originals like "Hometown Bust," a succulent slab of the band's drug 'n' drum-fueled lifestyle. With overdubs to a minimum, 1971's Restrictions was a let's-get-down-to-bidnezz affair and the last with the original line-up. When Bogert and Appice revamped Cactus for their final release, 1972's half-live/half-studio 'Ot 'N' Sweaty, they were accompanied by singer Peter French, guitarist Werner Fritzschings, and keyboardist Duane Hitchings. This Rhino Handmade release presents these three-plus studio albums in their entirety, along with the previously unreleased songs "Rumblin' Man," "The Sun Is Shining," and "Hound Dog Sniffin'," drawn from sessions for the first two records. Russell H. Tice's liner notes to Barely Contained claim Cactus was one of the hardest rocking bands of all time, and the 33 tracks here (most new to CD) leave little doubt about that. Barely Contained: The Studio Sessions is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 5,000 copies.
TRACK LISTING PARCHMAN FARM (3:05) BRO. BILL (5:10) MY LADY FROM SOUTH OF DETROIT (4:20) YOU CAN'T JUDGE A BOOK BY THE COVER (6:44) LET ME SWIM (3:50) NO NEED TO WORRY (6:00) OLEO (4:49) FEEL SO GOOD (6:00) SWEET LITTLE 16 (5:04) RUMBLIN' MAN (4:20) THE SUN IS SHINING (5:20) LONG TALL SALLY (6:27) ROCKOUT, WHATEVER YOU FEEL LIKE (3:56) ROCK N' ROLL CHILDREN (5:40) BIG MAMA BOOGIE - PARTS 1 & 2 (4:59) SONG FOR ARIES (3:05) FEEL SO BAD (5:30) HOMETOWN BUST (6:38) ONE WAY…OR ANOTHER (5:05) HOUND DOG SNIFFIN' (5:20) RESTRICTIONS (6:17) TOKEN CHOKIN' (3:07) GUILTLESS GLIDER (8:45) EVIL (3:14) ALASKA (3:38) SWEET SIXTEEN (3:17) BAG DRAG (5:11) MEAN NIGHT IN CLEVELAND (2:10) BAD STUFF (3:08) BRINGING ME DOWN (5:27) BEDROOM MAZURKA (4:33) TELLING YOU (5:10) UNDERNEATH THE ARCHES (0:30)