Published on Mar 16, 2001
I remember running out to buy
The Great Radio Controversy, the second album from
California-rockers Tesla, the day it hit the stores way back in
1989. I had become a fan of the band thanks to
Mechanical Resonance, and was eager to hear if they had been
able to recapture the magic on this new disc. That afternoon, I
think I discovered what “sophomore slump” meant in the music
business. I was extremely disappointed, and filed the record away,
pulling it out on rare occasion to see if I had missed
anything.
Twelve years later, I still find myself disappointed in
The Great Radio Controversy, though I’ll admit that time has
shone more light on a few of these tracks. Jeff Keith and company
did have the daunting task of living up to high expectations with
this release. Some of my colleagues in this industry call this
release Tesla’s best. Sorry, my voice won’t be joining them.
Oh, all of the trademarks that Tesla established on
Mechanical Resonance were along for the ride the second time
around. You had the dueling lead guitar work of Tommy Skeoch and
Frank Hannon filling the air with some great solos; you had Brian
Wheat bringing his bass to the forefront when the moment called for
it. You had Keith slowly becoming the next incarnation of Steven
Tyler with his hoarse shouts and vocals, and you had Troy Lucketta
solidly anchoring the band with his drumwork. So far, so good.
Where things took a downturn was in the songwriting itself.
Where
Mechanical Resonance had a few clunkers (which is almost
forgivable on a band’s first effort),
The Great Radio Controversy is padded with them. Tracks like
“Lazy Days, Crazy Nights,” “Yesterdaze Gone,” “Did It For The
Money” and “Paradise” all fall flat like a bottle of soda left
uncapped overnight. The talent is there musically, but if you don’t
have the songwriting to back it up, musical ability means
nothing.
This isn’t to say that
The Great Radio Controversy is without merit. True, had I
written this back in 1989, I’d be pooh-poohing the entire album.
But time has shown me that the opening suite of songs – “Hang
Tough,” “Lady Luck” and “Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out)” actually are
strong efforts on all fronts, and suggested that Tesla might just
have beaten the sophomore slump. If only they didn’t lemming off
the cliff right after that.
The centerpiece of this disc was, and remains, “Love Song”. This
is another track that I’ve had to warm up to over the years, but it
has proven to be one of Tesla’s best songs in their catalog.
Building the power from the guitar instrumental (which is almost
never heard on the radio) to the eventual chorus (which seems
almost operatic in comparison), Tesla prove they can have mastery
over their domain when the material is there to back them up.
Tesla was a better band than the bulk of the material on
The Great Radio Controversy lets on to, and there are times
when Keith and crew rise above the mundane to bowl over the
listener with their talents. I’d be lying if I said this was their
worst disc – but I’d also be lying if I said this was their best
work. It’s worth checking out – but approach it with caution.