Ted Nugent is a musical hero that has no equal.
Put any other guitar warrior in a life or death scenario -- the end result would be death. If Eddie Van Halen was fighting crocodiles in the Everglades, his only defense would be finger-tapping up and down the croc's bumpy spine. If Slash was stuck in the Amazon battling an anaconda, he may be able to befriend him, but everyone knows snakes are sneaky. One minute they'll be slithering together, the next thing you know, that reptile's belly'll be shaped like a top hat. In either of these situations -- or one as perilous -- the Nuge has a plan for action.
As a guitarist and a showman, very few compare to Uncle Ted -- he's extreme and unfiltered. As a human being and an American, Nugent is just as extreme and unfiltered. He doesn't care if you agree with him. He couldn't give a shit if you dislike him. The man is firm in his convictions, and you'd be hard pressed to find anyone with a meatier lust for living.
We were fortunate enough to be given an access key to the Tedquarters Top Secret Email Portal -- so, before you catch him live at Revolution on Tuesday, check out what he had to say to us about life, end times, and the state of rock and roll.
New Times: When you rocked with the Amboy Dukes, were you into psychedelic exploration -- or were you more about guitar exploration? Obviously, the guitar work was decades ahead of its time, but we wonder if you dabbled in trippy hippie stuff back then.
Ted Nugent: It has always been about the music. I have been clean and sober for 64 glorious years, and there has never been a Plan B. I am allergic to dabbling. I am wired for all things gung-ho, extreme, over the top radical. It's the only way to live.
What is the state of rock 'n' roll now?
Due the indefatigable celebration of killer music by me and my band, Sammy Hagar, Chicken Foot, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, ZZ Top, Van Halen, Styx, REO, Journey, Kid Rock, AC-DC, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dave Grohl and his bands, and so many honest to God soulful musicians carrying on, the best music in the world is alive and well. As far as new bands go, I'm afraid I cannot name any that thrill me, but confidence roils eternal.
If Romney were a rock band, what band would that be? Obama?
Out and out politicians are anathema to rock-n-roll, so I hesitate to attempt to connect the two. But on important issues, I am saddened to admit that Obama represents everything bad about humanity and Romney pretty much all that is good. It is really that stark.
