There are very few bands from metal’s earliest years who are still active today. Cactus is one of them. Formed out of the ashes of Vanilla Fudge, Cactus delivered hard hitting, hard rocking blues with an extra dose of sleaze and soul. Of the original lineup, only founding drummer Carmine Appice remains, although guitarist Jim McCarty makes a guest appearance on Cactus’ seventh and latest album, Tightrope. Joining Appice is longtime singer Jimmy Kunes and harmonica player Randy Pratt, as well as some new faces: Paul Warren on guitars and James Caputo on bass.
I must admit that I was a bit weary going into Tightrope. The original Cactus lineup was such a powerhouse. Even during their initial run, after the departure of McCarty and singer Rusty Day (R.I.P.), the drop in quality was drastic (see 1972’s ‘Ot ‘n’ Sweaty). Fast forward 50 years and one original member later. You can’t blame me for having my doubts. Thankfully, Appice is a man of honor and integrity. He’d never compromise the legacy of Cactus by haphazardly slapping their name upon a cheap knockoff record. Instead, he put together an incarnation of Cactus that plays with the same tenacity, swagger, and chops as the original lineup.
Tightrope boasts all the classic Cactus trademarks. At 74 years old, Appice plays with the same vigor he did at 24. Kunes is no Day, but his killer vocals shine like a blues rock beacon. The guitar riffs are big and brawny, while the guitar solos lie somewhere between blistering and scorching. And although the bass is a tad to low in the mix for my liking, I can let it slide. Cuts like the title track, “Primitive Touch”, and “Elevation” are just too rocking for me to be mad. The latter two tracks are dance friendly funk rockers, chock full of that hip swiveling Appice shuffle which propelled Rod Stewart to the top of the charts.
Being the straightforward, orthodox band that Cactus is, I didn’t expect them to throw any curveballs on this album, and yet there are two. The first is a dark blues rock spin on the Motown standard, “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”. You’d never even know it was originally done by The Temptations. This new arrangement is a force to be reckoned with. I look forward to hearing it live, in which case an extended jam section is almost definite. The second curveball came in the form of “Suites 1 & 2: Everlong, All the Madmen”. I’d expect an organ drenched, psychedelic progressive rock epic from Vanilla Fudge. Cactus? To say this was unexpected would be an understatement. That said, it’s a very welcome surprise; serving as a palette cleanser on an album dominated by blues and boogie.
The only real downside of Tightrope is its lengthy running time (an hour and 2 minutes to be exact). This is not necessarily the band’s fault. For whatever reason or another, record labels like to “get the most” of their artists and feel the need to milk an entire CD’s worth of music from them. I’m not sure why this has become standard practice. Back in the old days, 40 minutes was all Cactus needed to blast out your stereo. 40 minutes is all that should be needed for any blues based release, period, but I digress. If the most I can complain about this week is hearing “too much” Cactus, then my life’s really not that bad after all.
6 out of 10
Label: Purple Pyramid Records
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Led Zeppelin, Humble Pie, Free