The Amboy Dukes-Journey To The Center Of The Mind (1968)

Formed in Detroit, The Amboy Dukes was Ted Nugent's first major project, long before he launched his meteoric solo career in the 1970s. In 1965, Nugent arrived in Detroit from his native Michigan, where he had previously founded the first incarnation of the band, which, however, had little impact. Once in the Motor City, he reformed The Amboy Dukes with a new lineup, which, in addition to Nugent himself, included bassist Bill White, drummer David Palmer, vocalist John Drake, guitarist Steve Farmer, and keyboardist Rick Lober. For several years, the band became a sensation in Detroit's clubs and venues, and in 1967 they released their self-titled debut album, "The Amboy Dukes", which featured an interesting repertoire of psychedelic tracks, hints of British pop, and energetic hard rock. However, due to dissatisfaction with the final result, the band reformed, bringing in keyboardist Andy Solomon and bassist Greg Arama, with whom they recorded their second LP, "Journey To The Center Of The Mind". This second album showcased a wide variety of sounds, ranging from blues rock to hard rock, all seasoned with touches of acid and psychedelic sounds. The excellent work of the two guitars, played by Nugent and Farmer, is a fundamental part of the sound, which, along with Arama's acid organ and a solid rhythm section, produced tracks like the title track, a superb acid rock number, followed by other outstanding pieces such as the blues rock "Mississippi Murder", the proto-psychedelic "Surrender To Your Kinks", the powerful folk rock "Scottish Tea", and the hard blues "Dr. Slingshot". After this, the band would release several more albums; The experimental "Migration" (1968) and the more predictable "Marriage On The Rocks/Rock Bottom" (1970) followed, but neither achieved the same acclaim as "Journey To The Center Of The Mind". In the early 1970s, under the name Ted Nugent and The Amboy Dukes, several more albums were released, most notably "Call Of The Wild" (1974). That same year, the band's adventure came to an end, and Nugent began his solo career, which culminated a year later with his splendid debut album.