| Ted Nugent, the first solo effort of the "Motor City Madman," is a rock album released in 1975 after Nugent disbanded from his former group, The Amboy Dukes.
Ted Nugent, tired of the Dukes' lack of effort and discipline, decided he had enough and left the group, taking a three month vacation (his first ever) clearing his head in the Colorado wilderness, spending his time deer hunting and enjoying the outdoors.
Renewed, Ted returned to civilization in search of a new direction and a new band. Joining him in the Ted Nugent band would be former Amboy Duke Rob Grange on bass, along with Cliff Davies (ex-IF) on drums and finally, from a local Michigan band called Scott which had opened for the Dukes previously, a singer/guitarist named Derek St. Holmes.
The new group hit the road and then the studio, forming the songs which would send the album into the Billboard Top 30 and into the multi-platinum range. The first track, "Stranglehold", would set the stage for Ted's career, an eight minute plus guitar attack with vocals by St. Holmes and Nugent, a healthy dose of a Gibson Byrdland guitar, and a famous guitar solo recorded in one take. Songs such as "Stormtroopin'," "Hey Baby," "Just What the Doctor Ordered," and "Snakeskin Cowboys" (with St. Holmes providing the lead vocal on all of them) would prove to be staples of the band's wild concert tours for years to come. Ted's ode to his hometown, "Motor City Madhouse," as well as tracks like "Where Have You Been All My Life," "You Make Me Feel Right at Home," and "Queen of the Forest" not only showcased the musical ability of the band and Ted's mastery of the guitar, but also a fine songwriting capability as well.
The album, produced by former IF-manager Lew Futterman and Tom Werman, greatly influenced the genres of rock and heavy metal. As Ted once said, "If anyone wanted to know what rock 'n roll was all about, that's the only album they'd need."
The last track on the album, "Queen of the Forest", was the 1st rock song played by Dr. Johnny Fever on the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply. |
