Ted Nugent
The Palace At Auburn Hills
Detroit
31 Dec 00

released as Full Bluntal Nugity - a must for any Ted fan, go buy it

 1.  Klstrphk
 2.  Paralyzed
 3.  Snakeskin Cowboys
 4.  Wang Dang Sweet Poontang
 5.  Free For All
 6.  Yank Me Crank Me
 7.   Hey Baby
 8.   Fred Bear -  acoustic version
 9.   Cat Scratch Fever
10.  Stranglehold
11.  Great White Buffalo
12.  Motorcity Madhouse

drums - Tommy Aldridge
bass - Marco Mendoza

return

Anyone who has had the opportunity to see Ted Nugent perform live over the past few years (be it during 1999's "Rock Never Stops" tour, his 140 opening dates for Kiss during their farewell tour in 2000, or this year's stint with Deep Purple and Lynyrd Skynyrd) no doubt realized rather quickly that the man puts 110–percent into each and every live performance. Whether he his headlining the bill or first on stage, Nugent has always reveled in the raw energy of a live performance. The past few years seem to have brought out the best in him, too, because Nugent himself was so impressed with the band's performance during their tour with Kiss that he decided the time was right for a new live album. Fast forward to December 31, 2000, at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, Michigan (USA), and all the settings are in place for Nugent to capture live what he describes as "the beast untamed in his wild environment."

And that is exactly what "Full Bluntal Nugity" delivers: pure, live, energetic rock–and–roll as only the Motor City Madman can. Aided on stage by drummer Tommy Aldridge (Black Oak Arkansas, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, etc.) and bassist Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy), the band rips through an hour–plus set of music that covers a wide span of Nugent's career. Everything you would expect to be included is there: "Motor City Madhouse," "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang," and, of course, "Cat Scratch Fever," which Nugent has described as having the sexiest guitar lick of all time. But there are also a few nice surprises in there, like "Free For All," "Stranglehold," and an acoustic version of "Fred Bear," which is probably the one track in his career where Nugent opens up about something deeply personal to him. It is a unique few minutes during an otherwise charged set of the music the man does so well.

You really couldn't have picked a better trio to perform these tracks either. Nugent is simply all over the fretboard of his guitar, switching back and forth between lead and rhythm sections, as needed. Mendoza, though sometimes overpowered by Nugent's guitar playing, keeps the rhythm at a steady pace throughout the evening; though he really shines during "Stranglehold." And Tommy Aldridge remains one of the most powerful, fluid drummers in rock today, no matter who he is working with. As good as this recording is, it doesn't do his performance justice. You really need to see him perform live to truly experience what he can accomplish behind the drums.

This is one of those live albums that anybody can enjoy, provided, of course, they are a fan of good old rock–and–roll. Anyone who thought for a moment that this kind of music was slowly being forgotten need only give a listen to "Full Bluntal Nugity" for a proper attitude adjustment.