![]() ![]() There is, in fact, a break point halfway through that serves as a dividing line between the “Everlong” and “All the Madmen” portions of the song, a great transition that rescues you, sonically with a bit of a circus or carnival musical flair, just as you think you’ll never get the hauntingly gurgling, otherworldly chorus of “Everlong” out of your head. Indeed, “Suite 1 & 2: Everlong, All the Madmen” has some progressive rock leanings, and that’s not primarily a reference to it’s length rather, my comparison is due to the song’s meandering ways. It’s one of my favorite 7-plus minute songs, a rarity for me as I tend to get antsy somewhere between four or five minutes. I’m also quite fond of how “Elevation” ends so suddenly in a very live rock ‘n roll way. Indeed, the next track “Elevation” thumps away, as drums-and-harmonica driven as “Third Time Gone,” though with a vastly different rhythm line. “Preaching Woman Man Blues” returns the collection to the blues fold – in this case that of the relentlessly rhythm rockin’ blues variety – interestingly after an intro that seems significantly more classically-driven than blues-based, the first such strong appearance on Tightrope, though it’s pretty brief still, it serves perhaps as foreshadowing that a bigger style variation might await.īut not yet. “Shake That Thing” is another heavily thumping blues-heavy rock number, followed by “Primitive Touch,” which leans back into the sort of off-balance rhythm that’s the opening title track’s calling card. “Third Time Gone” restores the energy, with a scene-setting blues rock harmonica piece helping get things rolling and steering the song, with some energetic fretwork that’ll appeal guitar aficionados, and a kickass, harmonica-accompanied Carmine Appice drum solo toward the end. It’s a sign of the depth of the blues’ influence throughout this record that such a pure rockin’ blues number slips so nimbly into this collection. “Poison in Paradise” follows, a slowly thumping, testifying, sad blues number, positively dripping with despair and regret. “All Shook Up” begins all jangly with hints at Beatles-esque harmonies before digging in with crunchy guitars and a slightly gritty blues rock vocal wail. The band takes that edginess into its next song, a growling, bluesy-wailing, juke joint-recalled rendition of “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.” Yowza, what a kickass cover! Very classic ’70s rock with an uneven beat that stops each and every groove just as it’s getting started, purposely delivering an uneasily energetic ride balanced on a (as you may have guessed) tightrope. With Tightrope‘s tricky beats, heavy rhythms, and sidewinding ways, Cactus also proudly displays the heavy blues influence that underpinned its lane of the ’70s classic rock superhighway.Īlbum-opener “Tightrope” kicks things off with grinding guitar, stop-start rhythm, and edgily insistent vocals. Guest appearances are made by legendary rock vocalist Phil Naro (whose music I used to review regularly back in the ’90s when I published Geoff Wilbur’s Renegade Newsletter) and original Cactus guitarist Jim McCarty.īeginning to end, Tightrope reminds you why that era of rock ‘n roll is timeless – why it persists to this day and was the foundation upon which the rock ‘n roll of my teens and twenties was built. They’re joined by new members Paul Warren (lead guitar, vocals) and James Caputo (bass). On this album, Appice is joined by longtime members Jimmy Kunes on vocals and Randy Pratt on harmonica. The band then disbanded until 2006, when it was resurrected by its original drummer, rock legend Appice. An incarnation of the band continued to perform in the later ’70s. It’s album-oriented rock that straddles the ’70s and ’80s styles, with screeching guitar solos, instrumental mid-song jams, high-pitched vocal wails, a significant blues influence, and the inimitable drumming of Carmine Appice.Ĭactus was an early 1970s classic rock band, founded in 1969, that released three albums from 1970 through 1974. ![]() With that recipe, you just can’t go wrong. The new album from Cactus, Tightrope, hit stores on April 2nd. Album Review of Cactus: Tightrope ( Cleopatra Records/ Purple Pyramid)Ĭlassic hard rock from a bunch of veteran musicians who know how to make great music and still love rockin’. ![]()
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