For Nugent completists only...
John Ackermann | Richmond, B.C. Canada | 08/20/2002
(2 out of 5 stars)
""Noble Savage" is a mid-priced collection covering Ted's 80s output during his tenure at Atlantic Records. The 80s were a period of adjustment to say the least for many 70s rock acts, Nugent being no exception. On many of the tracks in this set Nugent is either trying to stay current or relive past glories, and often attempts both in the same song. This set is useful in anthologizing a difficult and often overlooked area in Nugent's discography.After famously leaving Epic Records, dumping his management team, and parting ways with longtime drummer, producer, and collaborator Cliff Davies in one fell swoop in 1981, Ted signed with Atlantic Records. Tracks 1-6 on Disc 1 are taken from Ted's 1982 Atlantic debut, "Nugent." For this album, Ted brought back vocalist Derek St. Holmes after a period of four years apart in which St. Holmes attempted various band projects while Nugent retained the vocal services of one Charlie Huhn. Fans know St. Holmes as the throat behind such Nugent hits as "Just What the Doctor Ordered," "Hey Baby," and "Stranglehold." Nothing on "Nugent" comes close to anything from that time, but "No, No, No" at least captures some of that earlier attitude. Unfortunately, "Tailgunner" is a very blatant attempt at re-writing "Stranglehold." The overtly political "Bound and Gagged," inspired by the nature of U.S./Mid-East tensions in the early 80s, is at best an exercise in cartoonish jingoism. Take this lyric for example: "All the way/We're the U S of A/Might is Right/If you're willing to fight, fight, fight..."Ted returned in 1984 with "Penetrator" and with yet another new line-up. Quite possibly his most desperate sounding attempt to sound contemporary, on this album Nugent enlisted Billy Squier's rhythm section to form the core of the band and hired Lou Gramm sound-alike Brian Howe to handle vocals. The result sounds like a bad Foreigner cover band with Ted as its guitarist. (Howe of course would go on to make several similarly generic sounding recordings with a Paul Rodgers-less incarnation of Bad Company.) Ted sings a couple of tunes on the album but the horrid production manages to sink these tunes as well. "Thunder Thighs" and "Lean Mean Rock N' Roll Machine" also contain some of the ... sounding Nugent lyrics this side of the "Scream Dream" album. As well, the riff for "Thunder Thighs" is a not too subtle ...of "Free-For-All."1986 saw Ted return to form somewhat with the release of "Little Miss Dangerous" -- arguably his strongest 80s release. The title-track is probably the best thing he has done in his post-Epic recording career. Another high-point is "Crazy Ladies," a speed-rocker in the same vein as "Cruisin'" and "Motor City Madhouse." Nugent is also known for having an interesting taste in choosing cover songs. His take on Burt Bacharach's "Little Red Book" is his most interesting yet. The keyboards and electronic drum sound date the song a bit, but it's pleasing for its comic value and audacity. The only drawbacks are the tunes sung by Dave Amato, who seems to serve as a Derek St. Holmes sound-alike here.Ted reteamed with Tom Werman, the producer responsible for capturing "Ted Nugent," "Free-For-All," and "Cat Scratch Fever," for 1988's "If You Can Lick 'Em, Lick 'Em." The album is a fair, if unspectacular effort. One curiosity is "That's The Story of Love," a track Nugent penned with none other than Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. Strangely, the producer of this compilation totally avoided Ted's 1995 album, "Spirit of the Wild" in favour of three tracks from Nugent's 2001 live release, "Full Bluntal Nugity." The energy of these three tunes is far and above any of the other performances on the rest of this compilation and thus seems out of context here. Furthermore, "Full Bluntal Nugity" was Nugent's first release under his new contract with Spitfire Records, so a few tracks from "Spirit of the Wild" would have made more sense from a thematic standpoint. "Spirit of the Wild" is one of Ted's most consistent albums, and certainly meets the high-water mark of his Atlantic years set by "Little Miss Dangerous." Meanwhile, "Full Bluntal Nugity" deserves to be heard in its entirety."Noble Savage" will probably be of use to those Nugent fans who want to have the bulk of his Atlantic material in one low-priced collection. However, this isn't a collection that should be bought right away by those new to Ted. Instead, I recommend "Great Gonzos" or the double-set "The Ultimate Ted Nugent.""
It's Uncle Teddy, It Rocks, Shut Up, Case Closed!!!
Grant Coatsworth | Merlin, Ontario Canada | 09/20/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ted's Atlantic Record days are featured here. Why should you buy this...well, it's a good way to pick up Ted's best material throughout the 80's, in one fairly low priced set, instead of purchasing all his Atlantic releases. (Shame on you if you haven't done so already) The 80's was a difficult time for lot's of musical acts that were big in the 70's...Ted being one of them. In Ted's case, his political views, and his love for the outdoors (hunting) made it harder for Ted to get major airplay on most radio stations. Some of the songs from that period, do have a "toned down" approach, but there are several others here that show the ol' Nugent Rock & Roll style, with a major wad of stick it in your face attitude. I too would have liked to seen some material from "Spirit of the Wild", but there is enough here to satisfy the inner beast. Go out and purchase this CD. It's Uncle Teddy, It Rocks, Shut Up...Case Closed!!!"
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1