Ted Nugent
Double Live Gonzo

Ted Nugent – Double Live Gonzo (1977)

Why would a vegan bassist, animal rights advocate, pacifist want to review a record played and sung by a devoted hunter, absolute carnivore, ultraconservative, and war lover guitarist? Simple, because music and politics are two very different things, and because the musician I'm talking about is undeniably unique. Speaking of uniqueness, we must mention Mr. Theodocious Atrocious, aka Ted Nugent, a rocker native of the famous and crazy city of Detroit. Active in the '60s with the Amboy Dukes, our man embarked on a successful and inspired solo career starting with the self-titled album in 1975. It was followed by at least 3 more unique records, including the well-known "Cat Scratch Fever," and many more works leaning more or less towards blues or metal. But the album I want to talk about here is another one, an album that brought Ted's fame beyond just public success. It's one of those masterpieces that, once heard, stays in the heart forever, like a film by Michael Cimino or a painting by Bosch. The title is "Double Live Gonzo" (1977), and it's one of the craziest and most adrenaline-pumping concerts you'll hear in your life. The most peculiar thing throughout the concert (which is a mélange of various nights from the "Cat Scratch Fever" tour) is the color that distinguishes it, black. Yes, black, because compared to the studio versions, the tracks are more intricate but also more sulfurous in their extended concert versions. "Cat Scratch Fever," "Great White Buffalo," "Baby Please Don’t Go," are all hits that intersperse with more heartfelt tracks like the milestone "Hibernation," a piece that allows Nugent to show his more intimate side, or the epic "Stranglehold." For this song, a premise must be made: it was half-written by bassist Rob Grange, and you can tell. The track, built around an innovative bass line, is a blast. The solid bassist also offers a brief solo that has entered hard rock legend, and every man dedicated to the four strings should know it by heart. The songs are sung by the skilled Derek St Holmes, who is also the second guitarist, alternated by Nugent himself. In my opinion, the latter is even better as a singer, but Holmes kept up with Ted, so hats off just for that. The drummer is Englishman Cliff Davies, a musician who stayed with Nugent for a while and unleashed himself behind the drums with vigor. All the other songs present are immortal and legendary, including the misogynistic "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang," the overflowing "Motor City Madhouse," dedicated to the smoky Detroit, and the belligerent and mysterious "Stormtroopin." Moreover, "Just What The Doctor Ordered" and "Gonzo" are beautiful anthems to living music as a drug, the first, and as a diversion to boredom, the second. Our guitarist (Ted) plays like he's possessed and sings like a Charles Bukowski of the microphone, about women, war, Indian legends, and murders. The band accompanies him making their presence known, especially the unstoppable Rob Grange, and the 85 minutes of the concert fly by wonderfully.

Heavy Blues, that’s how you can define good Ted's style, although at times even calling it Heavy Metal isn't excessive. After a series of studio albums that built a large and faithful following, and this double live album that consecrated his image worldwide, unfortunately, Nugent had the ill-calibrated idea of firing Grange and St Holmes from the band, a decision that changed the course of his career forever. Without the indispensable contribution of the two, in fact, Ted was never able to reach those heights that the original band was capable of achieving at every concert. St Holmes would return several times, but the unrivaled Grange would never collaborate with Nugent again, and considering that thanks to the bassist a track like "Stranglehold" exists, it's a crime.