Music : Great Gonzos: the Best of Ted Nugent

Rating: - Ted's a nutter, but he sure can play guitar!
Yes, Ted Nugent is something of a loon. When a guy can play guitar this good, do we really need him onstage in a loincloth or similar revealing his lunchbox? No, we don't. Playing to a largely male dominated audience, oh no, no, no, no, no we don't. But whatever he might dress or be partly dressed in, you cannot argue, 'cos he's one hell of a guitar player, it's just a pity he doesn't wear jeans or something and just do it. But this is rock 'n' roll, and Ted's well-known for returning to nature and going out hunting with no more than a bow and arrow, so we put up and shut up, and listen to a guitar legend, regardless. Quite a few years down the line now, Ted recorded some great songs and albums, perhaps the first two were the best, then he got into this screaming thing which put me off. But however much I might try and escape it, as a guitar fan, when a friend played 'Stranglehold' for the first time on his hi-fi in 1976, it reduced me to a jibbering heap on the floor. What stunning playing! This CD, for me, are Ted's Great Gonzo's, the tracks I can put up with which have little or no screaming on them. He is a master of the instrument, and apparently uses that huge Gibson Byrdland he's totin' with on the cover to get the feedback and sustain he needs. And on 'Stranglehold' it demonstrates exactly how he does this, with humming strings and other strange sounds, and a playing ability many would gladly die for. All present here are Ted originals but for Them's 'Baby Please Don't Go,' which he keeps close to the orginal with the Nugent trademark indelibly stamped upon it forever. For guitar freaks, this one in your collection is an absolute must.