Cactus - Fully Unleashed / The Live Gigs, Vol. 1 (1970-72 us, amazing hard rockin' boogie, 2004 digipack two disc set)

Fully Unleashed: The Live Gigs (2004) is the companion volume to the similarly thorough Barely Contained: The Studio Sessions (2004). Each double-disc package is filled with not only the combo's respective four long-players, but also plenty of remarkable and previously vaulted sides. That is an understatement when considering the two-plus hours of vintage concert material from three distinct incarnations of Cactus, centering on the first lineup's final show on December 19, 1971 at Ellis Auditorium in Memphis, TN. Jim McCarty's wailing lead electric guitar introduction to "Long Tall Sally" is a precursor to the hard-and-heavy onslaught that alternately pulverizes and soars on other classic covers, such as their (dare say) definitive workout of Mose Allison's "Parchment Farm" or the 17-plus-minute oldies medley containing "Heeby Jeebies" and "Money," plus the Memphis-apropos "Hound Dog" and "What'd I Say." 

The original roster is additionally featured on "No Need to Worry" and another incendiary reading of "Parchment Farm" from the 1970 Isle of Wight performance. Although both were initially available on the First Great Rock Festivals of the Seventies (1971) anthology, neither has been on CD before. A short-lived lineup with Ron Leejack (guitar) was captured on the title track to One Way...Or Another and "Bro. Bill" from June 27, 1971 at Gillian's in Buffalo, New York, and the remaining cuts are from the group's April 1972 appearance at the Mar y Sol Pop Festival in Puerto Rico with Werner Fritzsching (guitar) and former Atomic Rooster member Peter French (vocals). While "Swim," "Bad Mother Boogie" and "Out L'il Rock-N-Roll Thing" were incorporated into 'Ot 'N' Sweaty, "Bedroom Mazurka" can be found on the out-of-print Mar y Sol (1972) compilation. 

by Lindsay Planer

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Into / Long Tall Sally (Robert Blackwell, Enotris Johnson, Richard Penniman) - 12:16

2. Bad Drag (Jim McCarty, Rusty Day) - 3:10

3. Evil (Chester Burnett) - 16:11

4. Parchman Farm (Mose Allison) - 6:21

5. Alaska (Jim McCarty, Tim Bogert, Rusty Day) - 3:56

6. Oleo - 11:20

7. No Need To Worry - 20:18

8. Let Me Swim - 5:06

Disc 2
1. Big Mama Boogie - Parts 1 & 2 - 15:31
2. Medley - 17:04
.a.Heeby Jeebies (Maybelle Jackson, John Marascalico)
.b.Money (Berry Gordy, Janie Bradford)
.c.Hound Dog (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller)
.d.What'd I Say (Ray Charles)
3. No Need To Worry - 5:08
4. Parchman Farm (Mose Allison) - 4:30
5. One Way... Or Another - 9:14
6. Bro. Bill - 6:12
7. Swim - 4:44
8. Bad Mother Boogie (Carmine Appice, Tim Bogert, Peter French, Werner Fritzchings, Duane Hitchings) - 5:25
9. Our Lil Rock-N-Roll Thing (Carmine Appice, Tim Bogert, Peter French, Werner Fritzchings, Duane Hitchings) - 7:00
10.Bedroom Mazurka (Duane Hitchings, Peter French) - 4:58

All songs by Carmine Appice, Tim Bogert, Jim McCarty, Rusty Day unless as stated

Cactus
*Tim Bogert - Bass, Vocals
*Carmine Appice - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Jim McCarty - Guitar
*Rusty Day - Vocals, Harmonica

With

*Ron Leejack - Guitar

*Duane Hitchings - Organ, Piano, Electric Piano

*Werner Fritzchings - Guitar

Cactus
1970  Cactus (Japan SHM remaster)
1971  One Way...Or Another (Japan SHM remaster)
1971  Ultra Sonic Boogie (2010 issue)

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