Customer Reviews

Ted Nugent

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ted Nugent's first solo album defines what was great about mid-'70's hard rock, commercial yet not altogether radio friendly
songs that still stand up today. This was the first Ted CD I bought after listening "Great Gonzos" for the last ten years. I knew a record which already contained "Stranglehold", "Doctor" and "Madhouse" would have other killer songs and I wasn't disappointed. "Stormtroopin'", "Hey Baby", "Snakeskin Cowboys", and "Queen of the Forest" also push this album into classic status. I love the combination of Ted's obnoxious guitar and Derek St. Holmes' struttin' vocals. I think St. Holmes was a very underated singer and his contributions to this LP have helped me enjoy it even more. The fact that Ted only sings one line in "Stranglehood" and solo vocal on "Madhouse" was another pleasant surprise. It's too bad the two of them couldn't continue in the same vein after Ted asserted his dominance over all aspects of his music including his sometimes ridiculous singing voice. As far as the extras on this CD reissue go, like many other reissues of classic albums(see also Judas Priest),....who needs them! "Magic Party" [stinks] and the three live tracks are all on "Double Live Gonzo", so why bother? Just give me the nine tracks from the original 1975 release and that's all I need from Terrible Teddy's classic Epic debut.

I love this album for several reasons. The tracks are very diverse. I like Stranglehold, Motor City Madhouse and Hey Baby, but I'm sure you'll disagree with me, because there are songs for all the tastes. In any case, this is rock'n'roll at its best: nice guitar riffs and solos, a good singer and interesting songs. As a guitarist, I've always liked the clean and dense sound of Ted's guitar... He is not a conventional rocker: his solos (listen to Stranglehold!) have a special lyricism and emotion not found with other guitar heroes. He's much better than many. He knows the meaning of silence and space in music, which is especially uncommon to many rock'n'roll guitarists... It's a pity he didn't have the ability to keep together a permanent band around him...The extra tracks in this CD show that Ted really could play live at the same standard as in the studio. I also like a later album called 'Weekend Warriors', although it's not usually ranked among his best by other people.

This CD is his first and best ever. In the first song, Stranglehold, Ted's guitar playing is beyond belief. Other great songs included on this album are Stormtroopin', Just What the Doctor Ordered and Snakeskin Cowboys. The extra tracks include live versions of Stormtroopin', Just What the Dr. Ordered and Motor City Mad House. Also live is Magic Party, which I didn't care for much, but one song out a whole album is not bad! Do yourself a favor...take a trip back to the 70's and buy this CD.

I got this album as part of a two album set called X2:Ted Nugent/Cat Scratch Fever and it was way better than Catch Scratch Fever part of the set. If you're a big fan, look for the set to see if it's a better deal than buying this album alone. Originally released in 1975, this version has 2 live tracks that are amusing. In the beginning of a live track he's like thank you thank you and he does the same exact greet in one of the 2 live tracks on Cat Scratch Fever. What I found refreshing was the unedited nature of the albums, especially Cat Scratch Fever where he mentions P*ssy twice and other synonyms. Of course, if you're offended by such things, why are you listening to Nugent?!

The singer himself is an interesting personality, being something of a conservative unlike most rockers. You can read the story on Wikipedia. He is very into hunting and archery and has a very active public life. It's amazing how many times he's been on reality TV.

"Strangehold" is easily my favorite track on the album, followed by "Hey babe" and "Where Have You Been All My Life". In "Where Have You Been All My Life", he's like where have you been all my life? I'm looking for a wife. My favorite line in the song is "all you naked women running round in my head". He definitely seems a little preoccupied with sex, but what male isn't. The three biggest compelling things in life are wine, women and song, or in modern time, sex, drugs and rock n' roll. So he's combining 2 of them, although the singer has personally taken a big stance again the wine/drugs part of the equation.

From top to bottom, this album has to rank right up there with BTO's "Not Fragile" as one of the most consistent and entertaining that hard rock had to offer in the 1970's. The first Nugent album to feature vocalist Derek St. Holmes, "Ted Nugent" was a comeback of sorts for Nugent after years of paying dues with seminal thud rock/psychedelic warriors The Amboy Dukes. Although this release features all of the guitar wizardry and histrionics we've come to expect from Nugent (and despite what you think of his politics, let's face it: the guy knows his way around a fretboard) on "Stranglehold," "Just What The Doctor Ordered," and "Snakeskin Cowboys," he also shows a flair for swing on "Hey Baby," which was later covered by blues diva Koko Taylor. Contains probably the best description of my hometown of Detroit in "Motor City Madhouse": "Such a healthy place for the boys and girls/It's the murder capital of the world." What's starting to worry me is that although I've never picked up a gun or bow in my life, I find myself agreeing with most of what he says, and there's something weirdly charming about his maniacal desire to kill every deer in North America. One of the best albums from the decade that helped to define heavy metal.

After years of playing in his childhood band, The Amboy Dukes, Nugent had finally honed the band down from 7 guys doing variations of Acid Rock, to 3 and sometimes 4 guys that were ready to take on the Hard Rock world face first, Ted, as most know, had a huge hit with the 'Dukes in the mid 60's with "Journey To The Center Of The Mind" and a minor hit with that band's version of "Gloria". But again, those tapped into the Acid Rock culture. Ted had bigger and meaner Rock songs in mind, and as an avid anti drug advocate, the Acid Rock tag, left him cold. By the way, when those two songs hit, Ted was all of 16 years old!! After recording two more "Ted Nugent and The Amboy Dukes" albums in 73-74 (notice the name change) while having bigger and harder sounds, still got lumped into the hated genre. Producer Tom Werman, who had been following all this with a keen eye, went to Ted, and told him it was time to fullfill his potential. Ted agreed, but said in an interview, that he told Werman, only half jokingly "If my guitar sound comes out wimpy, or my vision for what I'm doing doesn't come across due to production, I will hunt you down, and kill you, your wife, and your kids" Although joking, Ted knew it was make or break time for his career and he wasn't going out without a fight. Still using the remaining rythmn section from the 'Dukes, Nugent dipped deep in his big bag of tricks, and blessed the Rock World with one of the best guitar albums, if not Hard Rock albums, of all time.

I STILL, to this day, get goosebumps and shivers when I hear that opening guitar lick to "StrangleHold"! This song kicks major ass from first note to last. Most people miss that there is a short bass solo in there, just before the breakdown into the bluesy middle part. And that guitar note that leads into the middle just seems to hang on forever, without going into feedback. I find my head rising to it, anticipating the drop on it to let the middle part officially begin. For someone trying to drop the Acid Rock tag, this song fits into that tag so well. The side to side backward cymbal crashes, the flanged bass underneath it all, just the whole movement of the entire piece is so captivating. Ted is playing in such a bluesy manner, that he hasn't really played before or since. Even he says that he doesn't know where half that stuff came from. He just shut his eyes, and let it come. I have two different "live" versions of this song, and he doesn't come close on either one. BUT, I got to see him live for the first time on Kiss' 2001 Farewell tour, and at 51 years old, when he played this song, it was note for f#@$%g note! Absolutley amazing!
"Stormtroopin'" sounds like it could have been on any of the later Amboy Dukes albums, but a good song nonetheless. "Hey Baby" is more of a hard rock blues, a harbinger really, of what a lot of bands were getting ready to do, this could have fit on any early "Bad Company" album, quite comfortably. The same with "Where You Been All My Life" A lot of people point to "Motor City Madhouse" as the guitar tour de Force, for Ted, but when played alongside "StrangleHold" It just doesn't, in my opinion, hold up. And the fake ending on it, kinda makes this one my least favorite on the record.
There is a "hidden" gem on this record, that never really got the respect it deserved, "Feel Right At Home", which is basically just organ, bass, and drums/w.brushes.it is such a cool soulfull little piece, which was such a departure from anything else on the album, and for Ted personally, that it just never got the attention it deserved. If you have this album, throw that little number on, forget that it's Nugent, and REALLY listen to it. You'll be sorry you missed it all this time.
For me, there is a "Holy Trio" of "must listen to" songs on this album, that whenever I pull the album out I...well, must listen to..lol The first one being "StrangleHold" of course. The second one is "Just What The Doctor Ordered" Which, if you listen closely is Ted telling his story, of how he got to that point. The guitar riff in this song is just fantastic, as is the playing, the arrangement and the structure. As on StrangleHold", Nugent steps out of his "box" in his playing, and it pays off big time. The other one is "Snakeskin Cowboys", While not really being a departure guitar wise for him, it is a great song that again, I feel never, got it's due. And the "tough guy" imagry in the lyrics is excellent. This is the kind of song, that he seemed to be aiming the Dukes at all along, and in that vein, it deserves more attention than it recieved.

For what it's worth. My band usually ends it's night with "Stranglehold" and knowing that we can never even get close to Ted's brilliance on this song, we just basically use the middle section to give everyone in the band a solo, and it works, at least from my perspective. I always introduce the song by saying "We are the only band in Orlando crazy enough to try this song" Whether that's the true case or not, It hypes the crowd, because they know what is coming...lol

For me, although he did have some songs later that rated with the ones on this album, he never really had an album that held together as well as this one. A brilliant moment of everything working right at the right time. And a primer to the Metal assault that was soon to be upon us in 80's.

If you grew up in the midwest, this album was in every self respecting rock and roll animal's collection. Growing up in Chicago in the 1970's, this album was a rock and roll bible..right up there with Led Zep II, Deep Purple's "Made in Japan", Sabbath's Paranoid and Beatle's "WHite Album".

These songs would have never been as good without the amazing singing of Derek ST. Holmes. What a shame that he left (or Ted got rid of him). He was a real integral part of the songs.

"Stranglehold" is the standout song. This is a macho/nonsensical song that simply provides an excuse to hear killer guitar riffs and psychodelic sounds. It works. Play it in your car and it will make you feel like a teen again.

I always loved "Snakeskin cowboys" a rocker that is very catchy and fast paced.

"Hey Baby" is a cover of a classic blues tune and this faster paced version works well.

"Just what the Doctor Ordered" is the last great song off the album.

The other songs are also good. There is no filler here.

This album should have put Ted Nugent in the upper realm of hard rockers. He did not catch on nationally until "Cat Scratch Fever" which is a more novelty work then these more blues based songs.

Ted was a true talent and even a truer wildman. That probably affected his career. Not that Ted did not get famous b/c he did get huge. However, I think a large part of his fame was attributed to his infamy rather than his talent.

The band that played on this album was compareable to anybody else from that period.

I am not a Ted Nugent fan, am no head banging freak but this is a terrific, rocking, high quality album. This and "Free for All" are his best works.

When he sang about pootang he lost his credibility

This is where Ted finally got his chance to shine. Free of the psychedelic baggage of the Amboy Dukes, and with a decent producer and engineer for the first time ever, he struts his stuff -- not just as a guitarist [that's a given], but also as a songwriter. These songs hold up decades later, and you can listen to this CD with no apologies. After this one, he began his gradual descent into becoming a cartoon of himself -- "writing" "songs" where the vocal melody is exactly the same as the riff, cranking out lyrics to make you cringe, till he eventually wound up producing non-songs like "Wango Tango"....

But who knew back then what was to come? When it was released, this album was all that we knew of solo Ted, and it is worthy rock all the way thru. Remastered? Bonus! Extra tracks? Bonus! But even without, this is still the motherlode of Ted. Anyone laughs at him, make 'em listen to this and they'll learn some respect.

Ted Nugent and bands 1975 self titled debut is quite a timeless rock record. Standing as one of the great portraits of 70s rock. Striking out from the Amboy Dukes in the early part of the decade, he formed a cooking band featuring Cliff Davies on drums, Rob Grange on bass and singer/rhythm guitarist Derek St. Holmes and kicked this first record out. It of course has gone onto become a staple for classic rock fans since featuring several of Nuge's best tunes as well as 70s rock staples. Opening up with the slow burn essential Stranglehold, 8 minutes of pure guitar heaven as Nuge injects an arsenel of inspired and steaming leads. Followed by cool rockers like Stormtroopers and Hey Baby and concert favorites Motor City Madhouse and Just What The Doctor Ordered, these tracks usually appear on all the best of's and will be most familiar with a Nuge novice. The other half of the record features more unheard tracks like Snakeskin Cowboys, the infectious Queen Of The Forest and the suprisingly mellow jazz type tune You Make Me Feel Right At Home and the more bluesy rocker Where Have You Been All My Life. The best thing about the album is its inspired playing. Everyone sounds like theyre making the rock record of their lives here and it comes off great.

Although Nugent's 70s albums inspired a whole wave of 80s rock and is closely associated with Kiss, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy and Van Halen as some of the most influential (to hard rock/heavy metal) of the decade, his albums werent exactly rock epics. If you like more thought provoking and complex music obviously you probably wont like Nugent no matter how great of a guitar player he was. Nugent cites this very album as his finest work and that is more than likely true, not just because of the great songs but the highly inspired and youthful attitude theyre performed with. Party rock knows few better than Nuge and this was the first in a string of high quality rock albums, albeit of the down and dirty 'whiskey and women' variety.

5 Stars = Masterpiece

I've been a Ted fan since 1975; it started with his first self titled release from Epic Records, "Ted Nugent, which features the immortal "Stranglehold." If there ever was a song which represented America's take on heavy metal in the 70's, it had to be "Stranglehold," the iconic monolith (or loin cloth?"), that stands ten miles high in the world of heavy metal. Many was the time I'd be partying & speak the immortal words, "Sometimes your going to get higher/Sometimes you gotta start low/Some people think they're going to die some day/I got news you never got to go." Yep, Uncle Ted had my ear drums wrapped around his guitar, & I loved every note. Of course their were other iconic songs on "Ted Nugent," who could forget "Queen of the Forrest," "Stormtroopin'," "Hey Baby," with its snaking guitar line, Motor City Madman," Just What the Doctor Ordered," & the killer "Snake Skin Cowboys." Man I love this album! "Ted Nugent" was the epitome of American heavy metal in the 70's, a little bluesy & a whole lot of ballsy! The music contained within this album was as wild as the Nuge's reputation & stage antics; it just rocked my world, back then, & call me nostalgic, but even today. One of three essential Ted Nugent albums!