V

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Gave the fans what we were asking, 2008-05-26
In my opinion Cactus are one of the most under-rated groups or super groups to come out of the lates 60's. All players are in great form.To say that it sounds exactly like the old Cactus would be crazy,but they have all retained the great hard-rocking blues taste that makes them great.Kunes replaces Rusty and does an admirable job. br /My favorite part of the cd is that it's so diverse from hard-rocking blues to boogy woogy to slow killer blues.The harmonica is also a killer item that has been lost in blues. br /All 70's fans of true hard-rock blues fans should check this out.It is a testament to the roots of hard rock as we know it today.All of the hard rock bands today need to give thanks to these guys for paving the way.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Shadow of Cactus..., 2008-02-17
I like nostalgic returns as much as the next guy, but Cactus died a long time ago. Rusty Day's absence is not just noticeable, but painfully so as it was on earlier reincarnations without him, including the ill-conceived Son of Cactus. Cactus V rocks hard enough to keep it marginally interesting, but overall the songs simply don't measure up to even the more mundane moments of their first three albums. Lacking serious material, this version of Cactus, more appropriately named Shadow of Cactus, is reduced to writing about themselves and how awesome they are according to "Cactus Music". Truth is, great bands never have to say so. Rest in peace, Rusty, I think it's finally over.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Couldn't be better, 2007-10-30
After reading some reviews of this cd, I tried to think of someway it could be better, but to no avail. This is just as good of Rock-N-Roll cd as it gets. The new singer fits in very well, the music is really good. We don't know how long this band will be together so get this while it's still hot off the presses. You won't be disappointed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

"CACTUS RETURNS", 2007-02-17
Although Rusty Day the original lead singer for Cactus has passed away the remaining members and new addition have put out a very good C D. br /The music has their trademark hard edge and rocks out!!!I do not think you will be disappointed and I like the fact that they did not ressurect any of the previous material as some groups do on reunion efforts...the new material stands up.

10 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

dissapointing ressurection of legendary rockband, 2007-02-01
They call themselves now proudly "The American Led Zeppelin", I wish it could be. 35 years after their true onforgettable albums "Cactus", "One Way ...or Another" and "Restrictions", which indeed come close to the first 2 L.Z. albums I and II and are at times slightly reminiscent of III and IV, the same band minus leadsinger Rrusty Day (who has long since gone and lives now in a better world, I hope) ressurects from the grave but better had not done so. The new songmaterial is flat, so is the new singers voice. But then, who can stand in the shadow of Day? But besides that, not a moment I have the idea of listening to the remarkable rythmtandem, formerly of Vanilla Fudge, later among others Beck Bogert Appice, of bassplayer Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice, let alone leadguitarist par excellence Jim McCarty. At that time he used a simple two knob device "the screamer" and got the hell out of his Les Paul and small ampstack. The music was intense and loud! Of course, times change, tastes too and those people are not the youngest anymore, you cannot compare their deeds nowadays with those of three and half decade before, but one wonders why should they take the trouble to make an album under the Cactus flag. No single song can stand against one on the mentioned classic albums. The acoustic guitar instrumental "Blues for mr. Day" is strongly reminiscent of "Mean Night in Cleveland" and as such a poor tribute to their excellent leadvocalist. Jim Kunes as singer should not have been first choice (but instead Paul Rodgers of Free and Bad Company, who now teams up with Queen), his voice is simple too flat and not in the least comparible with that of the late mr. Day. That is not strictly necessary of course but the endresult is not promising. Like I said, the songs are not the strongest either. Bogert and Appice can do much much better than that, for instance take a listen to "DBA", from which the D stands for Rick Derringer, just a couple of years back. The songs on that album are not only stronger, much more in the vein of the earlier work, but also more varied. Well, the world is not disengrating with this new album and happily I will return to my roots with the really outstanding Cactus 2 CD "Barely Contained - the Studio Sessions" [5 stars for that].