Very very true.....tracing the origins of Cactus one can see why they were a huge influence on a lot of later bands and played hard rock. Bogart and Appice, fresh from Vanilla Fudges breakup, were planning to join forces with Jeff Beck until he was in a car accident that left him out of music for over a year. They brought in Jim McCarty who had been in Mitch Ryders Detroit Wheels and Buddy Miles Express and Rusty Day who had been in Amboy Dukes. McCarty and Days bands were out of Detroit, where there was a heavy rock scene. The Stooges were very prominent in the scene, but the bad boys of Detroits burgeoning 60s rock scene were the high priests of sonic energy The MC5. The 5 and The Stooges were huge influences in Detroit, so with Days and McCartys background around that scene combined with Bogart and Appices heavy handed rock approach in VF, it was a lineup made in heaven to play very loud very heavy hard rock...though they did some serious fast boogie as well....witness Parchman Farm and Bad Mama Boogie 1 and 2. These boys rocked very hard. They did not last that long but you knew when they were in the building....cause it rocked! Both the Live gigs Unleashed are good stuff, and there are 2 lps Birth of Cactus 1970 and Ultra Sonic Boogie 1971 that are readily available on Discogs for a reasonable price!
