Cactus: Rusty Day (vocals, harmonica, percussion); Peter French (vocals); Jim McCarty (guitar, slide guitar); Werner Fritzschings (guitar); Duane Hitchings (organ, piano, electric piano); Tim Bogert (bass, background vocals); Carmine Appice (drums, percussion, background vocals).

Additional personnel: Albhy Galuten (piano).

Producers include: Geoffrey Haslam (tracks 1, 5, 11, 15); Cactus (tracks 2-4, 6-10, 12-14).

Compilation producers: Gary Peterson, Carmine Appice, Tim Bogert, Jim McCarty.

Engineers include: Eddie Kramer (tracks 1, 4-6, 9-10); Bill Stahl (2-3, 7-8, 12-14); Dave Palmer (track 11); Mike DeLugg (track 15).

Principally recorded at Ultra-Sonic Recording Studios, Inc., Hempstead, New York and Electric Lady Studios, New York, New York. Includes liner notes by Rick Clark.

Personnel: Rusty Day (vocals, harmonica, percussion); Peter French (vocals); Jim McCarty (guitar, slide guitar); Werner Fritzsching (guitar); Duane Hitchings (piano, electric piano, organ); Albhy Galuten (piano); Carmine Appice (drums, percussion, background vocals); Tim Bogert (background vocals).

Audio Remasterers: Dan Hersch; Bill Inglot.

Audio Remixers: David Palmer ; Gene Paul; Geoffrey Haslam; Bill Inglot.

Liner Note Author: Rick Clark.

Recording information: Electric Lady Studios, NY, NY; Media Sound, NY, NY; Ultra Sonic Recording Studios, Inc., Hempstead, NY.

Photographers: Lee Marshall; Tim Bogert.

Unknown Contributor Role: Michael Delugg.

Arranger: Cactus.

Cactology is the definitive collection of music from one of the most underrated and overlooked hard rock bands of the '70s. From the opening notes of Howlin' Wolf's "Evil" (cast by Cactus as a Black Sabbath/Led Zeppelin-type monster riff sludge rocker), the listener is swept into a dark world of beer-swilling, testosterone-fueled stud boogie. On the CD's second track, the band gives Mose Allison's lightly swinging jazz/blues classic "Parchman Farm" a hyper-speed freight train treatment that shames even the Who's thunderous Live at Leeds version of Allison's "Young Man." All the while, bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice (both of whom are better-known for their work with Vanilla Fudge and Jeff Beck) add a thunderous, chops-heavy bottom end. This rhythm section is perhaps the most distinctive element of the Cactus sound, a kind of missing link between Cream's Jack Bruce/Ginger Baker tandem and the virtuoso grooves of Rush's Geddy Lee and Neil Peart. Although Cactus never had an actual hit song, Cactology includes all of the band's best-known recorded moments as well as two previously unreleased tracks. The first of the these is the gem, a reworked version of fuzz guitar pioneer Link Wray's "Rumble," entitled "Rumblin' Man." This track must rank among the heaviest music ever recorded prior to the advent of Metallica. A slow, steamroller-like goliath of a song, "Rumblin' Man" sounds like the upset digestive tract of some evil giant. Although this disc makes clear that Cactus lacked the songwriting skills to ever reach a mainstream Top 40 audience, it also gives the band its due as one of the most energetic pure heavy rock ensembles ever to enter a recording studio. ~ Pemberton Roach