Despite becoming one of the rock's biggest concert attractions,
Ted Nugent needed that one album and single that would break through in a big way, and the 1977 album and single of the same name,
Cat Scratch Fever, did the trick.
Cat Scratch Fever matched the focused ferocity of
Nugent's excellent 1975 debut (due to singer
Derek St. Holmes' re-entry into the band), featuring another first-rate set of brash hard rockers. While the title track is a certified classic anthem (the only solo
Nugent single to crack the Top 30), other tracks are just as delightful, such as the oh-so-subtle "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang." Further standouts include such underrated compositions as "Live It Up," "Workin' Hard, Playin' Hard," and "Out of Control," plus the exquisitely melodic instrumental "Home Bound," which
the Beastie Boys would sample on their 1992 mega-hit album
Check Your Head (the track "The Biz vs. the Nuge"). A Top 20 release,
Cat Scratch Fever was the last
Nugent release to feature his original solo band (
St. Holmes, along with bassist
Rob Grange, left for good in 1978). And while he enjoyed further chart success with such titles as
Weekend Warriors and
Double Live Gonzo, many consider
Cat Scratch Fever to be
Nugent's finest hour. [Note: As with
Nugent's other 1999 reissues, an insightful essay on this
Nugent era by journalist Gary Graff is included, plus bonus tracks.] ~ Greg Prato