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.