Tesla is a band that was formed in the early 1980s [till 1985 under the name City Kidd] and has released a number of memorable albums over the years. “Mechanical Resonance,” “Psychotic Supper,” and “Five Man Acoustical Jam,” to name just a few examples.
high-quality achievements
Despite these high-quality achievements, including several Billboard chart placements, the band never rose to the heights of their peers. As far as widespread fame is concerned, Tesla always remained a band that was off the beaten path for the general public.
Singer Jeff Keith was often compared to Steven Tyler because of his raspy voice. And fortunately, he still has that voice! After a brief hiatus in the 1990s, the band picked up their instruments again in 2000 and haven’t put them down since. Since then, the band has released seven more albums, with 2019’s “Shock” being their latest release.
influences
“Hommage” is their newest album, but with the exception of one track, it consists entirely of covers of songs by bands that influenced the band members in their early years of making music. Tesla felt it was time to pay tribute to their masters, and that’s how “Hommage” came to be.
So we’re treated to an album featuring songs by bands and artists such as Queen, Elvis Presley, James Brown, Etta James, and Sam Cooke, among others.
There’s nothing wrong with that in itself, but I would have expected more from a band like Tesla, especially when it comes to the way the songs are recorded. The arrangements don’t differ much from the artists’ original versions. While Tesla has certainly proven in the past that they can put their own spin on a song and make it their own, that clearly hasn’t happened on this album. And I think that’s a shame and a missed opportunity.
tribute
“Hommage” is therefore a nice little inbetween treat as far as I’m concerned, but unfortunately, that’s all it ended up being. Yes, the tribute was a success, but that’s about it. The new song ,,Never Alone” certainly carries the Tesla DNA and is a fun track, but it isn’t the hit that can lift this album to greater heights.
I hope the guys will record a full album of original material soon, because even though the band may never have been among the absolute top, they can still count on a large number of fans around the world.
Report by Raymond Helebrand
