TESLA – Twisted Wires & The Acoustic Sessions (2011)
At this point, Tesla is some kind of a legend.
2011 marks the 25th Anniversary of the band’s first release ‘Mechanical Resonance’, and Jeff Keith and the boys have again loaded up the gear and hit the road to celebrate the landmark, as well as their latest release “Twisted Wires & The Acoustic Sessions”.
25 years in the business is no small task these days, and considering the group has stayed relatively active with touring and albums over that stretch (minus a brief hiatus during the late 1990s), you’d be hard pressed to find a more cohesive, harder working band in rock and roll.
Instead of having one or two songs to carry them through the State Fair circuit, Tesla’s history is filled – to the brim – with great, memorable tracks spanning over all seven of their studio albums.
It’s because of this that the band has been able to continue touring and recording all these years, and with the release of their eighth studio album, it’s obvious they plan on making a little more history for themselves before they’re done.
“Twisted Wires & The Acoustic Sessions” thankfully is not a cash-grab recording. Sure, it is a collection of previously recorded songs, but not their biggest hits. Also, it is acoustic, and we all know how Tesla spawned the acoustic craze in the early ’90s with ‘Five Man Acoustical Jam’ and the smash hit “Signs”.
So if anything, this new album could be considered a return to their roots, and they sound damn good doing it.
It would have been easy for Tesla to record unplugged versions of their biggest hits, but I think the inclusion of lesser known tracks and the more obscure hits will cater to more than just the casual fan.
But let’s break it down just a bit so you know what you’re getting with this release.
“Twisted Wires & The Acoustic Sessions” is a combination of some old stuff, some borrowed stuff, and some brand new stuff as well.
The band has freshly re-recorded a handful of their songs from previous albums and stripped them down to the bone.
“Into The Now,” “Hang Tough,” Edison’s Medicine,” “What You Give,” “Changes” and “Song and Emotion” are all revisited here, but often with a completely different take. You’ll recognize the lyrics, but it comes across extremely fresh.
A credit to the song-writing, undoubtedly, but just as inspiring is the rest of the band reinventing the tracks instrumentally.
You can tell these songs are deep in the heart of everyone involved – and the end result is emotional, authentic and memorable.
Half of the album are some tracks recorded in 2005 at bassists Brian Wheat’s J Street Recorders studio, which was the last recording sessions with original member Tommy Skeoch.
“Shine Away” and “A Lot To Lose” might not have been huge hits for the band, but the versions presented here are truly fantastic.
The band has kept mum about his departure, and the real reasons we may never know, but I thought it was very classy to include these recordings here – as Skeoch was every bit a part of the band during their peak of popularity.
Here’s also a little surprise on this disc, a cover of The Climax Blues Band’s “I Love You.” I can’t think of a better song for Keith and company to take on – and they really make it their own. The vocals are soulful, and it’s a great tribute to a piece of music’s history they obviously hold dear.
Lastly, we do get a couple of new tracks here as well. And both stay true to the Tesla sound.
“2nd Street” and “Better Off Without You” were penned exclusively for this release, and while they are songs you haven’t heard before, they fit so comfortably in the flow of this album that you might just miss them if you’re not careful.
“2nd Street” is a soulful romp that keeps the acoustic vibe going and represents everything good about Tesla. The vocals and lyrics are powerful and the music leaves its mark with great structure and form with its sing-a-long chorus.
The second 2011 track, “Better Off Without You” is a slow-crawling ballad that, again, suits the record perfectly. Soft strumming and crooning give way to an electric guitar/piano instrumental solo that is the heaviest thing on the album, but it reels itself back in to finish the song off.
Both cuts are solid, when combined with the rest of the album add just the right touch to what may be Tesla’s most definitive release since ‘The Great Radio Controversy’.
Tesla has once again done an incredible job. This studio effort proves these guys can pull off the blend of hard rock and acoustic guitars work with flawless execution.
The great thing about this “Twisted Wires” project is Tesla have chosen tracks that are not featured on ‘Five Man Acoustical Jam’ so listeners don’t have to worry about whether or not the guys could improve on what they did back in 1990.
Instead here are some cool and soulful variations on lesser known songs. I think that’s why I’m enjoying this album so much, it doesn’t seem like a ‘safe’ release.
Jeff Keith’s vocals are as awesome as ever. Fan of the band or not you will be impressed. Would like to see some of the supposed ‘big boys’ of the current scene produce something like this.
Ever since their return in 2004 Tesla have matured extremely well and their performance on “Twisted Wires” proves it doesn’t matter whether they’re amped up or stripped down fans are going to end up getting their money’s worth.
Recommended.
01 – Into The Now
02 – Hang Tough
03 – 2nd Street [new track 2011]
04 – Edisons Medicine
05 – What You Give
06 – Better Off Without You [new track 2011]
07 – Shine Away
08 – I Love You (Climax Blues Band cover)
09 – Changes
10 – A Lot To Lose
11 – Caught In A Dream
12 – Song And Emotion
Jeff Keith – vocals
Frank Hannon – guitar
Dave Rude – guitar
Tommy Skeoch – guitar
Brain Wheat – bass
Troy Luccketta – drums
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