Drummers beware

Highlander · October 21, 2009, 02:50:19 PM

"motormouth"...? Nugent...? what's he been doing now...? not heard this...

Last LS cd I bought (other than replacing earlier releases was 1991; last Nugent LP was early 80's (Damn Yankees/ "Nugent")

uwe · October 21, 2009, 05:02:15 PM

The idiot ranted from stage to his dwindling imbecile buddies about how Rodney King got what he deserved while black bouncers were protecting Herr Nugent's sorry white ass in front of the stage. That is just so beneath anything imaginable no matter what you think of Rodney King and police violence. A Brit journalist from Classic Rock (generally a mag in awe of Uncle Ted's guitar skills) overheard it and basically wrote in his review that Nugent for all his contributions to hard rock in the past should better shut the f*** up these days and not tarnish his own legacy further. I also have a friend who saw Nugent live last year and left the concert after the umpteenth break in which Nugent welcomed his NRA buddies by name. Perhaps he should restrict himself to playing only on their conventions.

Dave W · October 21, 2009, 05:59:50 PM

Wally Pleasant had a song in the mid-90s called The Day Ted Nugent Killed All The Animals. I don't think he ever did a video but you can hear it here: http://www.myspace.com/wallypleasant

Mildly amusing lyrics like

And when the news hit the wire Greenpeace activists were crying in their hankies
They hadn't heard anything so awful since the first record by Damn Yankees

uwe · October 22, 2009, 05:15:09 AM

"The day Ted Nugent killed all the animals
Because he had so much respect for wildlife ...
Which is the equivalent that you have so much admiration for an art museum
That you burn all the paintings as soon as you see'em"

Also love the way he starts the song with Nugent's archtypical "you didn't come out to be mellow tonight" stage rap.

Ok, so we are all in perfect agreement that the Lord giveth (guitar playing skills) and taketh (brains) at the same time. And Lynyrd Skynyrd don't really deserve to be in one thread with Ted Nugent either. Never mind that Rick Medlocke is a professional hunter too, but only Florida eco-system alien Burmese Pythons, South American Anacondas and Nile Monitor Lizards which are all notorious liberaptiles anyway! He even holds a license to do so.

rahock · October 22, 2009, 07:33:22 AM

I've pretty much kept my Nugent opinions to myself because he always has had quite a following in the Detroit area (where we both live). Going way back to late 60s early 70s, I attended various parties and jams where Ted was around. Without a doubt, he's always been a jackass. He just became a little more outspoken since he's grown older and made a lot of money. In the old days there was usually somebody around who would shut him up. It seems that no one is around to do that anymore.
Rick

uwe · October 22, 2009, 08:46:41 AM

His inability to listen to well-meaning people explains where he is today career-wise. I'll never forgive him for kicking out Derek St. Holmes from the original line-up anyway.

It's funny because Nugent as a young man didn't look like the hard-ass at all he pretended to be. He had those handsome, chiseled, even angelic features

and that rather squeaky voice. More Jesus Christ Superstar than Weekend Warrior.

rahock · October 22, 2009, 09:31:52 AM

He has always been very into the hunting thing and he is a legitimate heavy hitter with a bow. I have a couple buddies who were in competitons with him years ago . Although they outscored him, they both admitted that he was a force to be reckoned with. As far as being a hard-ass.......I'd go with just ass.
Just kind of an out of control kind of guy who always fancied himself as Tarzan or something .Not a tough guy or anything like that, just kind of a nut job.
Rick

Denis · October 22, 2009, 10:35:58 AM

Lynyrd Skynyrd was never afraid to take on contentious issues, even the original lineup. Here's "Saturday Night Special" from 1975.

Two feets they come a creepin
Like a black cat do
And two bodies are lyin naked
Creeper think he got nothin to lose
So he creeps into this house, yeah
And unlocks the door
And while a man reaching for his trousers
Shoots him full of .38 holes

Its a saturday night special
Got a barrel thats blue and cold
Aint no good for nothin
But put a man six feet in a hole

Big jims been drinkin whiskey
And playing poker on a losin night
Pretty soon, big jim starts a thinkin
Somebody been cheatin and lyin
So big jim commences to fightin
I wouldnt tell you no lie
And big jim done grab his pistol
Shot his friend right between the eyes

Hand guns are made for killin
Aint no good for nothin else
And if you like your whiskey
You might even shoot yourself
So why dont we dump em people
To the bottom of the sea
Before some fool come around here
Wanna shoot either you or me

uwe · October 22, 2009, 10:45:44 AM

Do I misunderstand this lyric or has Lynyrd Skynyrd's attittude towards guns made a 180 degree turn?

"Hand guns are made for killin
Aint no good for nothin else
And if you like your whiskey
You might even shoot yourself
So why dont we dump em people
To the bottom of the sea
Before some fool come around here
Wanna shoot either you or me"

Or perhaps they will play it as a medley with "God & Guns"?

Of course if you consider that today's Lynyrd Skynyrd only feature Gary Rossington from the line up that wrote Saturday Night Special, then the astonishing about-turn makes sense.

nofi · October 22, 2009, 12:03:30 PM

derek lives in my town and among other things runs a school music program for grammer and middle school kids, including mini rock shows by his band for the classes. a good guy. nugent is a dick.

from what i understand nugent was envious of derek's voice which may have contributed to his departure from the band.

i'm sure 'god and guns' is a deliberate effort to increase sales down here in the gun totin' bible belt. but then again it's barely LS anymore so...

Highlander · October 22, 2009, 03:34:33 PM

What I heard at the time was DST's departure was due to Nugent's stance on chemical abuse, or so the story went, but I felt the greatest loss was that band - DST, Cliff Davies, and especially, Rob Grange, who was an outstanding bass-player - just listen to the 2 Discreet LPs or the re-issue CD of both... Being veggie, I always had "issues" with his stance, but I tended to "listen" to the music... Ole "Motormouth" has always been just that, but if he's taken that stance, then I'll side with Mr Hornung's politics on that point...

Sat Night Special was an RVZ and Ed King song, so maybe Rossington's politics lean further that way... RVZ was "p*ss*d" that they got the meaning of "Gimme Back My Bullets" the wrong way... but he lived and died by the sword, in the cruelest of ways...

Detroit/Michigan gents obviously know of Mr Farner, being overtly and outspokenly religious, but intently pro NRA... should we boycott GFR...?

Best we listen to the music...

Here, we have the BASC (British Association for Shooting and Conservation) - sort of conserving the animals, because if you can't protect the animals, you can't shoot them... go figure... Gun crime is on the increase, because we have banned the ownership (even in clubs) of "hand-guns"... go figure again...

America is a land of patriots... how many homes flew the flag, post 9/11, and probably still do... Guns and patriotism go hand-in-hand with present American politics, away from the cities, but here...?
Post 7/7 nobody put flags up on every corner here, and the political outlook is so crippled by PC that we celebrate St Patricks, and St Andrews, and Diwali, and Ramadan, and so on... but put up the cross of St George, and there's outrage... go figure...

Still, everyone forgets that being English (which I am not, even including the "accident of birth") is a "state of mind, not a race of people", and that quote is mine...

Tonight, we have an interesting person by the name of Nick Griffin, leader of the British National Party, on a live television debate called "Question Time" (a regular political debate program on the BBC - watch it later on BBC iPlayer) - he is a legitimate Member of the European Parliamant (MEP) with over 1,000,000 British votes... if you think Nugent is a Jerk, do some studying...

I'm all for "free-speech", but...

Straying awfully close to politics here, Dave... Sorry in advance...

uwe · October 22, 2009, 04:54:59 PM

Quote from: nofi on October 22, 2009, 12:03:30 PM
derek lives in my town and among other things runs a school music program for grammer and middle school kids, including mini rock shows by his band for the classes. a good guy. nugent is a dick.

from what i understand nugent was envious of derek's voice which may have contributed to his departure from the band.

i'm sure 'god and guns' is a deliberate effort to increase sales down here in the gun totin' bible belt. but then again it's barely LS anymore so...

Nugent can't sing for shit. He's a great melodic guitarist, has real tone and a top notch rhythm playing with experienced timing and lots of groove, but - like Gary Moore - he can't sing for shit.

I once saw Holmes play a sweet little solo at a Nugent concert. At half the volume his master would and only for a couple of seconds, yet it was so different, but complementary to Nugent, I immediately thought, "wow, this band could be so much better if they did this more often".

uwe · October 22, 2009, 05:15:35 PM

I don't have issues with people being patriotic (as long as it doesn't obscure anything else), liking to hunt (if it's hunting and not mass slaughter), being religious (but don't sell war as justified by their particular religion) or if they hold political opinions less liberal-left than mine (if at the same time they are able to show tolerance for other opinions). But Uncle Ted is a grating mix/caricature of all that. He actually behaves as if Michael Moore invented him for one of his - likewise grating - movies.

Highlander · October 22, 2009, 05:22:54 PM

He (DST) did a bit more than that on the first UK tour... let off the leash a few times... DST and Grange (drummer was Carmassi) had a spin-off band, St Paradise, recorded one LP and toured here supporting Van Halen, but missed them as I saw someone else...

Seems to be working with luthier Paul Reed Smith now... gonna check his stuff out...

Sounds like he's (NO-gent) become quite an 'A' hole, Uwe... and that caricature is all that's left...

but true...

Dave W · October 22, 2009, 07:17:52 PM

Let's back away from the political edge.

Music I like strikes an emotional chord with me. I can't be bothered with worrying about the artist's political or religious beliefs. OTOH when an artist tailors his music to push a political agenda, I won't be listening because I don't listen to music for political messages.

I never listened to Nugent anyway, even before he decided to revel in being a horse's ass.