CACTUS

V

Escapi
rating icon 7 / 10

Track listing:

01. Doing Time
02. Muscle and Soul
03. Cactus Music
04. The Groover
05. High In the City
06. Day For Night
07. Living For Today
08. Shine
09. Electric Blue
10. Your Brother's Keeper
11. Blues For Mr. Day
12. Part of the Game
13. Gone Train Gone
14. Jazzed


A band of competent sidemen who had a shit-kickin' good time in the '70s without ever actually, you know, writing much of a song, CACTUS recently reunited to do more of the same. With SAVOY BROWN frontman Jimmy Kunes replacing the deceased Rusty Day, the core of the band — drummer Carmine Appice, bassist Tim Bogert and guitarist Jim McCarty remains intact, and so does their penchant for amiable, if somewhat forgettable, blues-rock swagger.

This is meat-and-potatoes bar-band blues rock at its best, with one of the most rock-solid rhythm sections in the business, good-time bluesy licks from McCarty, and throaty, charismatic vocals. These guys are way too old and savvy to do anything but play to their strengths — you're not gonna hear anything on "V" that wouldn't go down a storm at a Sturgis biker rally, or an opening slot for the equally workmanlike modern-day MOLLY HATCHET. The harmonica on standout track "The Groover" brings the band's Brit-blues influences, which in turn have seeped into everyone from FIVE HORSE JOHNSON to RAGING SLAB, full circle, furthering the band's B-list credentials and acquitting these gracefully-aging rockers well.

This is one of those reunions that falls squarely in the middle of the spectrum, between a glorious reinvention of a band's original sound and a total disaster. The world could probably have done without the self-congratulatory "Cactus Music" and the chooglin' "Living For Today", but by the same token, who can get mad at such a well-made collection of ear-friendly backyard summertime rock and roll? CACTUS doesn't really stand up to intense analysis or scrutiny, but that's not quite the point – just pop it in, hit play and put the pedal to the metal. Fun music for an age that could use some.

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