THE NEW CACTUS BAND, 'DADDY AIN'T GONE' (mono/stereo) (Atco, 1973)
This song really has no business being good. A fake, reformed Cactus (yes, that Cactus) trying to go mainstream boogie-woogie with future tax-scam impresario Mike Pinera and a few other bros from Iron Butterfly along for the ride, sadly, not including Doug Ingle (because – as everybody knows – when Doug’s there it’s insanity). However, in this case Doug’s absence may in fact be a mental mercy of sorts, as the prospect of this record not aurally resembling the 'Ot ‘N’ Sweaty' waistbands of Canned Heat roadies already borders on Burmese write-in candidate odds as it is (‘madness’). This record’s palatability is akin to going to see one of the three touring version of L.A. Guns or Ratt at the county fair or catching ‘The Four Tops' at a reservation casino and enjoying one’s self without the intake or assistance of drink, drugs or comp tickets (or funnel cakes).
All that said, ‘Daddy Ain’t Gone’ is a tasty, if inexplicable denim home-brew, with the residual foam left behind in your flavor-saver perhaps most suggestive of an American Faces and with that first, great, guitar-draught striking pure, unintentional pop gold in the vein of Estus, Frankie & Johnny, Appaloosa and a million other similarly happy accidents. Not a home-run maybe, but still a strong at-bat. And, if what is written on my copy’s label is to be believed, there also apparently exists an album from whence this fine song was drawn. Still, as fun as the NCB prove to be at 45, something inside tells me that I shouldn’t make the New Cactus Band's acquaintance at 33 a top personal priority.
Move over Magic Dick, it’s these poseurs’ turn now!
GET DOWN MAMA with ‘Daddy Ain’t Gone’ right here chere below:
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