TESLA Mechanical Resonance LP Original 1986 Germany press with Inner Sleeve
$
59
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#400
"Tesla’s debut album is a must for all US hard rock fans. With a line-up of Geoff Keith (vocals), Frank Hannon and Tommy Skeoch (guitars), Brian Wheat (bass) and Troy Luccketta (drums), the band have copped a Van Halen riff or three and whisked it up with such diverse influences as Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, Free and maybe even Ratt to produce, believe me, one of this year’s best releases and an album that’s being raved about in high places!" (Metal Forces).
"Tesla takes a decidedly heavy-metal approach to its material. Mostly it's the showy twin-guitar attack of Tommy Skeoch and Frank Hannon that keeps the band from sounding overly polite. Fast and flashy, it's perfect post-Van Halen ear candy, offering little content but plenty of excitement. Unfortunately, like many bands fresh from the bar circuit, Tesla still seems wedded to the sort of mannerisms demanded of cover bands." (Rolling Stone).
"While their jeans-and-T-shirts getups made Tesla the regular Joe’s of the hair-metal era, this album was anything but average. Tommy Skeoch and Frank Hannon were a formidable duo who graduated with honours from the Thin Lizzy school of duelling guitars. Tesla produced a series of high quality albums, but this, their debut, displays a combination of spontaneity and attention to detail that sets it above the rest of the band’s output." (Guitar World).. What you said... Alex Hayes: Wow. In my mind's eye it's sometime in the late 80's again and I'm up in my teenage bedroom listening to a vinyl copy of this on my headphones. The walls are covered in posters of my favourite bands and a Van Halen Why Can't This Be Love picture disc sits atop one of my stereo speakers. It was Kerrang! magazine that directed me towards Tesla, albeit during the Great Radio Controversy period a couple of years after the release of this debut album. Remember when that mag was actually worth reading?.. The narrative that surrounded Tesla back then was that they were more than just a run of the mill 'hair metal' band. Although largely true, that distinction just doesn't seem as important with hindsight. This is most definitely an album of it's time, boasting some very 80s production values. Please don't misread that as criticism though as this music has stood the test of time extremely well. I found side two to be particularly strong with tracks like Changes, Modern Day Cowboy and Before My Eyes standing out.
Sadly, the 90s were just around the corner. Suddenly, Kerrang! was full of bands that I couldn't have cared less about and groups like this were in serious decline. Tesla ended up falling off my radar and this has been my first full listen to Mechanical Resonance in donkeys years. It's an album that compares favourably to any of that period, represents said era well and is definitely recommended. Right then, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to give Skyscraper and Once Bitten... a spin... Iain Macaulay: I didn’t listen to this band when they came out. Listening now, I quite enjoyed both run throughs I’ve had so far. There are some nice song ideas, some great musicianship and great production. However, I couldn’t remember the songs after the album finished. Whether that means I should listen more or leave it alone I can’t tell.
Chris Downie: There is a prevailing argument that in rock and metal's 1980's commercial peak, even the most mediocre bands could rack up platinum level sales, sold-out tours and MTV stardom. Whatever the merits of this argument (and there are some, given the depletion of the ozone layer at the time, such was the predominance of run of the mill 'hair metal' bands) there were also many who, despite having all the ingredients for huge success, remained in the second tier. Tesla are one such band whom, despite the close ties with Def Leppard and a string of platinum albums, remain one of the most underrated of their time... Musically closer to the classic hard rock swagger of Zeppelin and Aerosmith than the likes of Motley Crue and Poison, their style was more along the lines of where their tour mates Def Leppard could have gone if they had continued in the pre-Hysteria vein. While the band are best known for hits such as Modern Day Cowboy and the excellent Edison's Medicine, their album cuts were just as invigorating and it is a mark of true songcraft that they maintained such consistency over several albums.
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