Legendary Rock Songs: CATCH STRACH FEVER: TED NUGENT.

TED NUGENT

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Theme:CATCH STRACH FEVER.
Disc:Cat Scratch Fever.
Year:1977.

Wild as an animal and brute as a caveman. Ted Nugent is one of the most controversial characters in hard rock. His passion for hunting, guns and his conservative and patriotic thinking lead him to reap a real mountain of criticism every time he opens his big mouth and pronounces his speech in defense of American moral values and other of his debatable beliefs.

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TED NUGENT

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But on the other hand, there is his musical worth, which is a lot, and which would probably be much less energetic and emphatic if this man were a convinced Greenpeace activist. Everything is part of the character, of this guy who with pride and excessive ego has come to define himself as “the best guitarist in the world”. Disproportionate it is, no doubt, but it is also true that few like him can produce such outrageously intense riffs and behave so vital at such a deafening and distorted volume on stage. “The Nuge” is a real live beast, wielding his guitar as if it were one of his beloved rifles and firing it wildly in a waste of force and unbridled electricity.

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Original photo from my magazine.

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Good proof of this is the monumental live double “Double Live Gonzo” (1978), testament to the line-up with which Ted reaped his greatest success in the 70's (with Derek St. Holmes on vocals and guitar and Rob Grange on bass) and perhaps the best reflection of what a true rock n' roll concert ever recorded is all about.

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Cover single

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Many were the masterful moments of that incendiary vinyl, but undoubtedly one of the most chilling was when it sounded this great guitar. Nugent and co. had recorded it a year before for the album of the same name, and with it they had reaped success, placing the single in the American top 30 and definitively turning Nugent into the star he was born to be and of whom people were already starting to talk about on both sides of the Atlantic.

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TED NUGENT

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Nobody could resist the power of that guy who came on stage disguised as Tarzan and literally went crazy with his hyperactive instrument and his hysterical screams. “Catch Scratch Fever” is his most famous song, one of the greatest rock hits of the 70's that has had a multitude of versions; from the one made by Motorhead (Eddie “Fast” Clarke would have killed to sign that riff at triple speed) in their 1992 album “March Or Die” to the one made by Pantera for the soundtrack of the movie “Detroit Rock City”, birthplace of a Ted Nugent that could not be missing in an album titled after the name of the Motor City where he developed his noisy and killer style. The title of the last Ep of the British band The Wildhearts would be a good phrase to define him: Riff After, Riff After Motherfucking Riff!

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My people a big hug for all, and I hope you like this editorial on this topic, a vocalist and guitarist who has been an influence for many artists and bands, this song was covered by the band motorhead. In the meantime, here is the original version of this song. Enjoy it and once again thanks for reading me, and be aware of the legendary rock songs.

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