Cactus is a great blues rock band from the 70s. The band is still with us, and their latest album rocks hard. This is a love release from Philadelphia 1970. I have to admit that I’m a collector of Cactus’s live recordings because this band was simply unpredictable on stage. This recording is new to me, and it simply blows me away.
Cactus in the studio is great, but Cactus on stage is even better. This band was meant to project its magic in front of the audiences. You can always count on a solid jam when Cactus is involved. It’s a shame Cactus was always a little overlooked, but they are a monster that refuses to go away.
This show is only 40 minutes long, but what 40 minutes it is. The band packs a solid punch and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I suspect they must’ve been an opening act for a bigger act, or perhaps it was part of a festival. Either way, whoever had to follow this performance had their work cut out for them.
Cactus delivers a blistering from the opening “One Way…or Another” to closing “Parchman Farm.” The Philadelphia crowd goes wild, and that energy pushes the band to work even harder. This performance also captures a very special moment in rock music. What Cactus was doing over 50 years ago had no musical boundaries, and was very free-spirited. They were writing the rules as they went along.
There are several of those Cactus live recordings released over the years, and all of them are great. Even if the quality is not perfect, they make up for it in the spirit of the delivery. Cactus is still rock’s best kept secret, and based on their latest release, they still haven’t said their last word. This release is archival, but an essential piece of the puzzle.
Mark Kadzielawa
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