Ted Nugent Double Live Gonzo! 1978 (Epic)
Hard Rock
Just what the doc ordered from the motor city madhouse.
The best way to hear Ted Nugent’s testosterone no-frills brand of hard rock, was usually in a live setting rather than in the confines of a studio album, because by and large as a studio artist he was often found wanting, despite the fact that he does offer some good studio albums. His best studio album by far, had been his third the previous year’s
Cat Scratch Fever (see review) but its follow up album 1978’s
Weekend Warriors now with a new rhythm/vocalist in Charlie Huhn and a new bassist in John Sauter, fell well short of
Cat Scratch Fever quality wise! Thus making the sprawling double live-set
Double Live Gonzo! released in between these two albums, the essential Ted Nugent release for 1978.
Double Live Gonzo! consists of eleven tracks and a large amount of these tracks aren’t featured on any of the previous three studio albums by ‘The Nuge’ either. These songs include “Yank Me, Crank Me” “Great White Buffalo”” the excellent “Gonzo” and the lengthy “Hibernation”. The utilizing of non-studio album tracks was often the case around this time anyway, thus making live albums at this time, important parts of an artist’s discography. There is also a version of the much covered Big Joe Wiiliams song “Baby Please Don’t Go” early on the album as well and there are well known stellar tracks like “Stranglehold” “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang” and the addictive “Cat Scratch Fever”. The album is produced by ever present producer Tom Werman, who was also at this time still busy dishing out those legendary early Cheap Trick albums! The album would also see the final release from Ted Nugent’s best ever line-up, as the talented Derek St.Holmes would depart after this release and not return until the band’s seventh album
Nugent in 1982, also to depart would be bassist Rob Grange as well.
Double Live Gonzo! came out at a time, when there was certainly a level of blandness afflicting a number of hard rock and heavy metal bands, and this album offered much like the AC/DC album above, a blast of raw and honest hard rock served up on a platter and basically what you saw is certainly what you got here! The album is basically one big heavy guitar based party in a live setting, enjoy!
Derek St. Holmes- Rhythm/Vocals
Ted Nugent- Guitar/Vocals
Rob Grange- Bass
Cliff Davies- Drums
Production- Tom Werman
Various US locations 1976-1977