He’s a phenomenally exciting guitar player and intense live performer but there are a disconcerting number of patchy studio albums to wade through in “Terrible Ted” Nugent’s discography. This 1975 album, his solo debut after ditching the Amboy Dukes band moniker, is as close to filler-free studio greatness as he ever got. Outside of a compilation or live album, this is the most classic Nuge songs that you’re going to find in one place.
And what classics! Stranglehold is an audacious and timeless opener: a moody, psychedelic workout that brilliantly showcases the excellent band, Nugent’s guitar chops and that superbly raunchy Gibson Byrdland tone. Motor City Madhouse is a gonzo rager and the stunning hard rockers Just What The Doctor Ordered and Stormtroopin’ are two of my all-time faves. The lesser-known Hey Baby and Snakeskin Cowboys are catchy, swaggering rock n’ rollers that hold their own among the hits.
But the patchy criticism still applies and Ted doesn’t always hit the target here, running out of steam with a brace of comparatively forgettable closing tracks. But this is still the most consistently brilliant studio album of his career and a great place for newbies to start. Like the “murder capital of the world” referenced in Motor City Madhouse, Ted Nugent is loaded with killers.
HEAVY METAL OVERLOAD 
Patchy indeed. I find it hard to make it all the way through most Ted studio albums.
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His studio career really isn’t as good as he probably likes to think it is! Plenty of great songs but… just scattered about. I enjoyed going back to this more than I thought I was going to so I’m going to work through his albums I think.
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I really love Double Love Gonzo. I know Ted doesn’t, but that one is true love.
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Yes, I was really talking more about studio albums. He’s on surer footing with live albums. I love DLG and I’m a huge fan of the 79 Hammersmith album, it’s phenomenal!
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Yeah and that one is STILL on my wishlist from your first recommendation, however many years ago it was!
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Great album.
Great band.
I just got some Amboy Dukes stuff on vinyl I need to delve into now.
I was thinking of posting about him too, but I wondered if it would turn into a political thing, so I held off.
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I know… I just tried to just avoid it. Would be harder if it was a more current album but that personality isn’t as big a part of the older stuff.
Only heard a few Amboy Dukes songs but couldn’t get into it. Would like to track down Tooth Fang and Claw though.
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I wonder, has anyone heard his 2014 album Shut.Up & Jam (kind of how I feel about Ted) with Derek St. Holmes and Sammy Hagar guesting?
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me and ladano both reviewed it…
Great record didn’t sell but still very good!
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I shall have ro check that out.
Thanks.
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He’s butchered his sales by talking too much!
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Can’t really do his modern stuff. Craveman and Love Grenade were too disposable. Don’t need any more.
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Cool Review Scott!
His 80’s output should have been put out as a retrospective called ‘PATCHY”
For my money I still love “Intensities In 10 Cities”…
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Heard good things about that one but never been able to pin down a copy. I like State of Shock too, some great stuff on that.
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I really only love his 70’s stuff after that it was downhill for me. This is a great one to start off with as you say.
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Yeah, I just stick with 70s Nugent too. Got a couple of newer ones but I hardly play them.
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I don’t know any Nugent and no matter how good a player or patchy the output, I’m afraid I’m unlikely to ever investigate now on account of him being too much of a walloper.
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Fair enough. I’d have felt the same way but be wasn’t as outspoken when I got into him. Mind you, I’m sure there are plenty of wallopers in your collection (Seagal?!) so one more won’t hurt!
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It does help, I guess. Seagal’s 100% walloper. Maybe 110%. And given recent allegations, quite possibly an abhorrent walloper. If I knew then what I know now…
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It helped that I got into him pre-internet too. Didn’t know as much about what he was like.
I’m trying not to add more wallopers to the collection but the ones I’ve got already get to stay. There’s too many of them!
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Aye, I know what you mean. I guess there’s a line you draw, eh? I haven’t discovered Nugent yet, so my awareness is his nonsense. It’s like trying to navigate an asteroid field to get to a planet that may have some water.
Seagal was just a really fascinating and bizarre chap when I got into him. Now he looks to be a total scumbag… and I’m finding it increasingly difficult to just enjoy the oddness of his DTV stuff and his crazy backstory (that whole CIA thing is too good).
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Yeah. There’s no way I’d be looking into Nugent stuff if I was just getting into him now. His persona and politics have just overshadowed anything he’s done musically. But I can’t ever unhear Stormtroopin’ so he’s here to stay.
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I was thinking of doing a series of posts about assholes in music.
I guess I can separate the music from the awful acts of the individual.
I have a teen daughter at home. Should I throw out all the music from bands that slept with teen groupies? (Led Zep and many, many more)
Should I throw out anything Bill Cosby related?
Eddie Van Halen is an asshole. Do I turf the VH?
Axl Rose is an asshole. Turf the Gunners?
Ritchie Blackmore seems like a dick. But he’s an awesome guitarist.
Where do I stop? I personally will not stop buying music/movies etc. that I like because of the actions outside of music.
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Good idea. It would need to be a series haha!
No to all of those except Cosby. Glad I could help!
I think asshole filtering would definitely decimate all our collections.
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I actually have a Cosby one planned one day.
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I don’t have any investment in his career really so he’s an easy one for me ignore. I watched some Cosby Show in the 80s… that’s about it. I don’t think he was as big a deal over here.
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It depends. I can handle someone being an asshat, but there’s a line… I think Nugent’s stuff recently has crossed it.
Crosby goes beyond asshat… he’s a predator. A ghastly bastard.
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But if you already had a bunch of Nugent albums that you love, would you get rid of them?
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Probably not, no. I just don’t really feel inclined to listen to anything of his.
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Aye, I think we’re on the same page. I doubt I’d send any more cash his way. Didn’t buy his last album.
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I have a couple of Nugent albums that I found cheap, well before the crazy became evident. One is Scream Dream and I think the other one is State of Shock. Never did get into them but also didn’t give them much of a chance.
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I quite like both of those but they’re probably not a great place to start. This one is much better. Cat Scratch Fever is strong and Double Live Gonzo is a classic. That’s the kinda peak era right there.
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I love Stormtroopin’ and Stranglehold but I just find him so objectionable as a person I never listen to him.
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What a coincidence! He told me loves your writing but can’t read it cause you’re a veggie commie! His words.
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Don’t know how i came upon this record but I do really like the two cuts 1537 mentioned. ‘Stranglehold’ just sounds good.
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Definitely the two biggies here. I love Just What The Doctor Ordered too… great rock n’ roll.
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I’ll re listen and catch that tune. I love “Doctor” songs.
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