Turn it up (Ted Nugent) (LP 3373 - 3378)

Ted Nugent  Free For All (Vinyl, Epic Records, 1976) ****  

Ted Nugent  Double Live Gonzo! (Vinyl, Epic Records, 1978) ***  

Ted Nugent  Craveman (CD, Spitfire Records, 2002) *****  

Ted Nugent  Love Grenade (CD, Eagle Records, 2007) **  

Ted Nugent  Full Frontal Nugity (CD, Eagle Records, 2008) *** 

Ted Nugent  Motor City Mayhem (CD, Epic Records, 2009) ***   

Genre: Hard rock

Places I remember: Marbecks Records, HMV

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Stormtroopin' (Double Live Gonzo!)

Gear costume: Street Rats; Dog Eat Dog (Free For All). I still love this song!

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Right winged. Motor-mouthed. Obnoxious. Offensive. Loud. Crass. Ted Nugent is all of those things and more, but I guarantee he doesn't give a damn.

My introduction to his music came via 1ZM's Barry Jenkins playing Dog Eat Dog on his music show in 1976. Woh!! I was sold! Buying the album Free For All (Ted's second solo album after leaving The Amboy Dukes) was a no brainer after that first taste and I wasn't disappointed.

Three singers are featured on the album: Ted Nugent on one song, Derek St Holmes on two (he had briefly left the band) and a pre-Bat-Out-Of-Hell Meatloaf on the other six.

It's an album full of tuneful hard rock, with Ted's lead guitar leading the charge. Meatloaf does a good job given the short notice and this not quite being his thing. I was impressed enough to grab the double live album next.

Double Live Gonzo! showcases the Nuge in his element - LIVE and in yer face! The album cherry picks the best versions from 1978 gigs and so presents some definite versions of his early seventies' songs - most notably stonking versions of Great White Buffalo and Stormtroopin'. There are some tedious moments as well - the lengthy Hibernation - a 17ish minute version is just too long, and I can live without the puerile Wang Dang etc.

I bought Craveman for one pound from HMV and didn't have too much hope for it. It was twenty years since his seventies' heyday; it has a terrible cover and title. 

Plus, along the way I'd bought and then sold Cat Scratch Fever, Scream Dream and Intensities in 10 Cities. His relentless sexual poses turned me off, so I bought Craveman mainly because it was so cheap.

When I dropped Craveman into the CD player a blast of noise hit me and I couldn't stop smiling! Woah. He's amazing on this album! This was a revelation, and the fact it only cost me a pound doubled my enjoyment.

He appears to have adopted the metal approach of all those bands he influenced on this album. It's heavy! It's rocking! It's raw! It's got the songs! It sounds fresh, still. One caveat - do NOT listen to this on Spotify. It's a crap reduction in power. Instead - grab the vinyl or CD and crank it up (like I'm doing right NOW!!!!!!).

The band are tight as a drum - kudos goes to his power trio, and less-is-more approach - with Marco Mendoza on bass, and Tommy Clufetos on drums. Woah!! A real peak. I love this record!! 

My hopes were high for the follow-up, but, unfortunately, Love Grenade is weak. Instead of Craveman excellence we are served up a large helping of sleaze in weaker songs and the music doesn't excite either. It's a real turn off. 

This crude aspect to his personality/music also featured on Craveman but the innuendo wasn't excessively outrageous, plus the rawness of the music and the infectious riffs saved the songs. That's not the case for Love Grenade.

The live albums have too much focus on his motormouth, but when he shuts up and plays his guitar, he delivers. Stick with Double Live Gonzo if you want a taste of the live experience.

Where do they all belong? That's enough of the Nuge. I remain a fan of those early seventies' albums, and Craveman is exceptional.

P.S. Fitting that I share this post while visiting the United States this week - there are plenty of places my wife and I have visited that feel like Nuge territory! Wango Tango!