No Life 'til Metal - CD Gallery

The Yanks are a "supergroup" made up of Ted Nugent, Tommy Shaw (Styx), Jack Blades (Night Ranger) and drummer Micheal Cartellone. Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades went on to record a disc together titled Shaw Blades, with Micheal Cartellone performing as a guest drummer. Shaw and Blades aslo teamed up to write many songs for other famous artists including Aerosmith. Ted Nugent successfully resurrected his solo career releasing several new CDs as well as headlining and co-headlining several tours.

My initial interest in this band was, of course, that Ted Nugent was their guitarist. Unfortunately, Ted's influence on the band's sound wasn't what I had hoped and this album sounds more like the polished, radio-ready, hard rock of Night Ranger than anything the whackmaster would crank out. In spots, however, Nugent's influence is apparent. "Piledriver" especially sounds like a Ted Nugent song. This is the only song that Ted handles the lead vocals, although his voice can be heard in various parts of other songs as well. There are excellent vocal melodies throughout (ala Styx) as Shaw seems to handle the majority of the lead vox. Opener "Coming of Age" rocks with a hard, crunchy chorus. "Bad Reputation" and "Damn Yankees" also sport heavy riffs and some infectious, sing-along choruses. ("Bad Reputation" was used in Gremlins 2 in the scene where the little green gremlins were tearing the room to bits.) "High Enough" is one of the mellower moments on the album. This ballad gave the Yankees a good amount of radio airplay and pushed this album to sell double platinum. "Rock City" is typical of 80's hard rock both in sound and in the lyrics. However, having grown up in that musical time period, I didn't mind the lyrics at all. So, while this CD was initially a letdown due to my preconceived ideas, I quickly grew to like and appreciate this disc. Shaw and Blades are an excellent songwriting team.

Interesting story regarding this CD. I was flipping through the used CDs at a local shop and listening to the kid next to me in the Korn shirt have a discussion with his friend who was wearing a Metallica t-shirt. They picked up a used copy of this CD and laughed. The kid in the Korn shirt said of Ted Nugent, who is simply wearing jeans and a black t-shirt, "ah, he's just trying to copy Metallica when they were an 80's band." Shows how ignorant the trend following kids are today that they don't even know the roots of their own music. This is a band of rock legends, especially Ted Nugent, who has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid in grade school in the 70's. (My mom bought me "Double Live Gonzo" as a new release. If she would've actually heard the album she would have flipped.)

A bit heavier than their debut. "Don't Tread On Me" starts off with what sounds like a Ted Nugent inspired riff before breaking into a semi-heavy melodic metal song continuing right into another rocker "Fifteen Minutes of Fame." The rest of the album follows in a similar pattern to the debut with radio ready ballads and hard rock anthems. Not really up to par with anything Ted Nugent did as a solo artist in my opinion.

1. "Damn Yankees"
2. "Uprising"
3. "High Enough"
4. "Don't Tread On Me"
5. "Where You Going Now"
6. "Fifteen Minutes Of Fame"
7. "Come Again"
8. "Coming Of Age"
9. "Renegade"
10. "Cat Scratch Fever"
11. "Rock In America"

A live DVD filmed in Denver, CO in 1992. The Damn Yankees were, of course, the "supergroup" made up of Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blades of Night Ranger, Michael Cartellone and the one and only Ted Nugent. The band is in top form. Their vocal harmonies are outstanding. I sort of wonder is they are doctored in the studio or not. There is
one scene in the video where three fourths of the band is in a restroom singing and the harmony is perfect, so perhaps the live stuff isn't given the studio treatment. Frankly, it's hard to tell. The set list includes most of the essential from the two Damn Yankees albums as well as Renegade (Styx), Cat Scratch Fever (Nugent), and Rock In America (Night Ranger). While the studio versions of the Damn Yankees material is highly produced, to the point of sounding more like glossy pop than rock and roll, the live versions of these songs give them a boost of energy that makes them much more enjoyable. Frankly, I'd like to see this show released on CD.

The behind the scenes footage that is sprinkled throughout the set is a lot of fun to watch. Ted is a character for sure and makes watching the DVD a ton of fun. He tends to tick people off with his pro-guns, pro-hunting, shoot 'em and grill 'em remarks, but frankly, I find him to be downright fun. Of course, this is coming from a guy who has been a Nugent fanatic since the 70's

Damn Yankees - Extended Versions (Sony) 2008

1. Damn Yankees (4:45)
2. Uprising (5:35)
3. High Enough (4:55)
4. Don't Tread On Me (5:28)
5. Where You Goin' Now (4:36)
6. Fifteen Minutes Of Fame (6:52)
7. Come Again (5:56)
8. Coming Of Age (7:05)
9. Renegade (4:43)
10. Cat Scratch Fever (5:21)
11. Rock In America (5:14)

As part of the Sony budget "Extended Versions" series, the Damn Yankees CD is a repackaging of the "Uprising Live!" DVD. Since the DVD was never released on CD, it's nice to finally have an officially released live CD from the band, even if the packaging is beyond cheap. The single-sided booklet offers little information other than it is "Recorded Live". The show was actually recorded in Denver, Colorado in 1992 at the Rocky Mountain Jam. The Yanks were in top form at this point. The vocals and harmonies are nearly flawless, despite the live setting. The set list includes most of the essentials from the two Damn Yankees albums. The first two tracks are fire-y in this live setting. Without the studio sheen, the songs come off a bit heavier. "High Enough" was the band's big hit at the time and is a powerful, melodic ballad. Ted Nugent's guitar fury can felt much on this live setting. The recording really manages to capture that live energy that cannot usually be duplicated in a studio. Unfortunately the recording is censored, so some of Ted's colorful banter in between songs is slurred ridiculously. Frankly, I would have rather they just remove the talking rather than distort it like they did. The set is finished off with one song each from the three of the members former bands, Renegade (Styx), Cat Scratch Fever (Nugent), and Rock In America (Night Ranger). While most of the "Extended Versions" CDs are worthless repackaging of other live albums there are a few like this CD that are welcomed.