Customer Reviews

Nugent

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

While many Ted fans think he fell off the earth after 1981's Intensities In 10 Cities, that is not true. This album contains many songs that would have easily been at home on some of his earlier albums. the cuts Fightin' Words, Tailgunner, We're Gonna Rock, Habitual Offender and Don't Push me all contain the tough guy Ted formula that made him a star in the first place. Tailgunner is equal to Stranglehold and Smokescreen for it's power. Four songs mention guns, classic Nuge. The song Bound And Gagged is a patriotic song about the Iranian hostage crisis. This album boasts Derek St. Holmes at singer, and he sounds good. Teds guitar work is fast and crisp. This album gets a bad rap because it marks a point where Ted for whatever reason tried to change the direction of his career. Many of the albums after this were a joke, but this one is solid. In recent years Ted has released the excellent albums Spirit of Wild and 1979 Live At Hammersmith, but on the whole new Ted albums are becoming more rare than Bigfoot sightings, don't overlook this unfairly maligned album

I received "Nugent" as part of my initial shipment of LPs in December 1982 when I was only 16 and had decided to join Columbia House Record & Tape Club. I remember being only marginally satisfied with it at that time. Now jump nearly 25 years. Without a working turntable for at least the past 15 years, I've not played this album in ages but I've just acquired the reissued CD and have decided to give it another chance. The passing of time has not changed my opinion of it one bit. I always LOVED playing "Tailgunner" in my bedroom as loudly as possible when I could. Call it "Son Of Stranglehold" as Ted was clearly trying to Do It Again with that one - and he did - although at 7:03 I wish it would run for at least another 3 minutes. His solos soar and wail in "Tailgunner" with awesome distortion and grit not heard anywhere else on this album. It's just too damn bad all of the other songs were made to sound so clean and restrained by comparison. The only reason I bought this CD when I did is because I remembered how much "Tailgunner" entertains. When I heard "Ebony" again, I swear, visions of Mike Reno standing on a stack of whiskey barrels popped into my head. So so sad! This album doesn't suck but neither is it a classic. Sorry Ted. P.S. It was also sad to see that the reissued CD doesn't claim to be made from raw backstage nookie hide (or whatever) like the original LP does. Damn digital discs! They just don't make 'em like they used to! LOL

There are at least a couple of songs on this album that have serious balls like the songs we have grown up to know and love from terrible Ted. "Good and Ready" and "Fightin' Words". "Good and Ready" is the best song on the record, make sure you play it as loud as humanly possible.

Overall, "Nugent" is not a bad record, but it cannot resist a comparison with Ted's 70's production. The band that takes part in the recording of this work is impressive, above all Derek St. Holmes and Carmine Appice, but the results are somewhat disappointing. There are some good songs like "Bound And Gagged", "Habitual Offender" and "Tailgunner", but the rest of the tracks can be considered as fillers. If you have not heard anything by Ted Nugent, go for "Cat Scratch Fever" or "Ted Nugent" instead.

I saw Derek St. Holmes perform solo about a month before going to see Ted Nugent and Bad Company perform in concert. From my perspective Derek St. Holmes sounded better and more like the Ted Nugent I grew up loving. If you look into who wrote and sang the best of the Ted Nugent songs you will see what I am trying to say here. Derek St. Holmes actually played the guitar with better sound than all of Ted's screaming and crazy antics on stage. Come on Ted .. without Derek and his voice and song writing skills your music has been very disappointing. Get off you high horse and share the wealth. I had completely given up on you until you brought back Derek and put out this great release. It is really sad to see this happen to so many of the great rock bands from my generation.

This one had some real strong nuge songs on it like 'bound and gagged' , 'tailgunner' , 'habitual offender' and it should be considered at least as good as the last few discs ted made. "scream dream' and the less satisfying 'state of shock' so I don't know why critics would diss this one it is not that far removed at all from his previous efforts.

I just bought the CD, popped it in, and the memories of twenty seven years come right back. This is great guitar, vocals, etc. Sure, each track isn't "Stranglehold" , but come on, you got "Tail Gunner" "Bound and Gagged", etc.
Great stuff, thanks Ted!

Some people think that Ted Nugent lost it musically after 1981's INTENSITIES IN 10 CITIES, but that simply isn't true. This CD proves otherwise, reuniting him with singer Derek St. Holmes and featuring a strong set of songs. "Bound And Gagged", contrary to what it's title might suggest, isn't about sex, but is instead a patriotic song about the Iran Hostage Crisis. Nugent's blend of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Outlaws, and Foghat is updated here with more of a sheen while retaining its raw edge. Nugent, along with such bands as the Outlaws and .38 Special, helped keep the spirit of rock & roll guitar alive in an era increasingly dominated by synthesizer-based pop. This CD is a must-own for any rock fan.

Take it from me...Ted Nugent is my favorite guitarist. But this album was a turning point in the wrong direction for him. "Ted Nugent", "Free For All", and "Cat Scratch Fever" were classics, when Derek St. Holmes was with the band. "Weekend Warriors", "State of Shock", and "Scream Dream" were also great, although you began to hear a little bit of the pretty boy 80's lyrics that were about to ensue. "Intensities In Ten Cities" was the last good album Ted put out (it's live). Then came "Nugent". Don't get me wrong; this album is better than "Predator" (1984). That album was so bad I sold it halfway through the tracks. I am going so sell this one soon. The only good song is "Tailgunner". The rest sounds like Lover Boy, Poison, etc. Interestingly, in changing his style, he did predict the raunchy bleach-blond 80's mainstream rock. Unfortunately, it sucks. This album sounds way too sober for a rock star.

Ted Nugent is a great American patriot and given the current events of 2001 this album has really struck a cord of patriotism. I hope that Ted will be motivated to come out with another album like this one. The song Bound and Gagged was inspired by the hostile take over of the American embassy in Iran during the early 80's. Another great song is Tailgunner.