The Great Radio Controversy
The Great Radio Controversy | ||||
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Studio album by Tesla | ||||
Released | February 1, 1989 | |||
Recorded | 1988 | |||
Studio | Bearsville Studios in Bearsville, New York, US | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 59:18 | |||
Label | Geffen | |||
Producer | ||||
Tesla chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Great Radio Controversy | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 7/10[2] |
Kerrang! | |
Rolling Stone |
The Great Radio Controversy is the second album by American hard rock band Tesla, released in 1989. The songs combine 1980s metal with some blues-influenced elements, as well as the occasional love ballad.[1] The record features many two-part counterpoints provided by guitarists Frank Hannon and Tommy Skeoch, on both electric and acoustic guitars.
The hit singles "Love Song", "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)", "Hang Tough" and "The Way It Is" received considerable MTV airplay and rocketed the band to stardom. Many tracks on this album later received acoustic versions on their follow-up album, Five Man Acoustical Jam, a precursor of the Unplugged trend.
The album is titled after the controversy about the identity of the inventor of radio. It is posed that Serbian engineer Nikola Tesla (whom the band is named after) is the true inventor of radio, while the Italian Guglielmo Marconi took the credit and is widely regarded as having the title. The album's inner sleeve recounts this story.
The album was certified double platinum by the RIAA on July 23, 1998.[5]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hang Tough" | Jeff Keith, Tommy Skeoch, Frank Hannon, Brian Wheat | 4:21 |
2. | "Lady Luck" | Keith, Skeoch, Hannon, Wheat | 3:39 |
3. | "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)" | Keith, Skeoch | 4:41 |
4. | "Be a Man" | Keith, Hannon, Skeoch | 4:20 |
5. | "Lazy Days, Crazy Nights" | Keith, Skeoch | 4:26 |
6. | "Did It for the Money" | Keith, Skeoch, Hannon | 4:25 |
7. | "Yesterdaze Gone" | Keith, Hannon | 3:43 |
8. | "Makin' Magic" | Keith, Skeoch, Hannon, Wheat | 5:03 |
9. | "The Way It Is" | Keith, Skeoch, Hannon, Troy Luccketta | 5:14 |
10. | "Flight to Nowhere" | Keith, Skeoch, Hannon, Wheat | 4:43 |
11. | "Love Song" | Keith, Hannon | 5:20 |
12. | "Paradise" | Keith, Hannon, Wheat | 4:59 |
13. | "Party's Over" | Keith, Hannon, Skeoch | 4:24 |
Personnel
- Tesla
- Jeff Keith – vocals
- Tommy Skeoch – guitars, backing vocals
- Frank Hannon – guitars, piano, organ
- Brian Wheat – bass, backing vocals
- Troy Luccketta – drums
- Production
- Steve Thompson – producer, mixing at Media Sound, New York City
- Michael Barbiero – producer, engineer, mixing
- George Cowan – additional recording and assistant engineer
- Vic Deyglio – assistant engineer
- George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound, New York City
- Barry Diament – CD mastering at BDA, New York City
Charts
Album
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1989 | Billboard 200 (US)[6] | 18 |
Singles and Album Tracks
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
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1989 | Hang Tough | Mainstream Rock Tracks (US)[7] | 34 |
Love Song | Mainstream Rock Tracks (US)[7] | 7 | |
Billboard Hot 100 (US)[8] | 10 | ||
1990 | The Way It Is | Mainstream Rock Tracks (US)[7] | 13 |
Billboard Hot 100 (US)[8] | 55 | ||
1991 | Paradise (Five Man Acoustical Jam version) | Mainstream Rock Tracks (US)[7] | 28 |
References
- 1 2 Huey, Steve. "Tesla - The Great Radio Controversy review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ↑ Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 353. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5.
- ↑ Guy, Lyn (28 January 1989). "Radioactive". Kerrang!. No. 223. p. 14. ISSN 0262-6624.
- ↑ Neely, Kim (1989-05-04). "Tesla: The Great Radio Controversy : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-12-27. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
- ↑ "RIAA Searchable Database: search for Tesla". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2013-01-05.
- ↑ "Tesla Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved 2018-05-26.
- 1 2 3 4 "Tesla Chart History: Mainstream Rock". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved 2018-05-26.
- 1 2 "Tesla Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved 2018-05-26.