Friday April 23, 2021 “Strangelhold” Ted Nugent
Let’s make this a frivolous Friday song.
I pretty much don’t like anything that Ted Nugent stands for politically or personally but I heard this tune on the radio recently and was reminded what a brutal piece of rock it was with such an infectious bass line. And this brings us back to the question of whether we should avoid an artist’s work based on questionable moral, political or personal activities.
Interesting to note for those of us who spent time in the northwest suburbs of Chicago that as a teenager, Nugent attended St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights and for a short time, William Fremd High School in Palatine. Small world?
"Stranglehold" is the debut single and the first track from Ted Nugent's self-titled 1975 album. The vocals are by Derek St. Holmes (real name). However, the "Sometimes you wanna get higher" verse is sung by Nugent.
The guitar solo was recorded in a single take. Producer Tom Werman said, “I used delays to create this really wild guitar duet with Ted. It was like two guys were playing. I sent it off to Ted for his approval. He called me up and said, ‘I love what you did with "Stranglehold", but don’t ever do that again without asking me.’
Questionable lyrical content and too much guitar solo but then there’s that bass line.
Stay safe and well...and Ted had been spreading strange conspiracies about the actual existence of covid but now it appears that he contracted it himself. His final take on the existence of the virus, “I thought I was dying.” Karma?