• Voto:
I Tesla sono cinque ragazzi di Sacramento che amano il rock e lo sanno suonare. Formatisi ad inizio anni ottanta, nel 1985 ottengono un contratto con la Geffen e l’anno successivo debuttano con il buon disco d’esordio “Mechanical Resonance”, ottenendo discreti riscontri di pubblico e critica. Nel 1989 pubblicano il successivo “The Great Radio Controversy”, album che affina le linee melodiche e vanta una produzione decisamente più curata. Quest’ultimo lavoro li consacra come una delle più belle realtà del panorama hard rock di quegli anni.
Nel tour promozionale che ne segue i Tesla improvvisano una serie di spettacoli acustici che mandano i fans in delirio e, a seguito delle forti richieste, la Geffen si decide a dare alle stampe la registrazione di uno di questi concerti (al Trocadero di Philadelphia). Nasce così il precursore della fortunata serie “Unplugged” di MTV (o EmptyV che dir si voglia) e uno dei dischi live più interessanti della storia di questo genere: “Five Man Acoustical Jam”.
Il disco è la summa del verbo musicale del gruppo, un hard rock con profonde venature blues e un raffinato gusto melodico. Ma la vera protagonista è la voce roca del carismatico frontman Jeff Keith, che dimostra la sua abilità anche come intrattenitore.
“Comin' Atcha Live” apre le danze con un blues grezzo e spigoloso, impreziosita dal medley con la famosa “Truckin’” dei Grateful Dead. Seguono due hits dal secondo lavoro: la blues-oriented “Heaven’s Trail” e la romantica “The Way It Is”. La prima cover proposta dalla band è “We Can Work It Out” dei Beatles, in una riuscitissima versione. I Tesla si confronteranno successivamente con classici quali “Mother’s Little Helper” dei Rolling Stones, “Lodi” dei Creedence Clearwater Revival e con la meno conosciuta “Signs” dei Five Man Electric Band. Tutte le canzoni vengono eseguite impeccabilmente e personalizzate con grande gusto e qualità. Ma le canzoni originali non sfigurano di fronte a questi pezzi.
“Gettin' Better”, song dalle due facce, che inizia lenta e melodica per poi sfociare in un rock più classico. E’ il preludio ai brani più ispirati della discografia del gruppo. La struggente “Before My Eyes”, con la graffiante e appassionata interpretazione di Jeff, la cui voce arriva veramente al limite delle proprie possibilità. Si prosegue con la ballata “Paradise”, con un delicato piano a dipingere, insieme agli arpeggi della chitarra, delle melodie sofferte. E se avete dimenticato gli accendini, non vi resta che asciugarvi gli occhi. A seguire il gruppo propone i propri singoli più fortunati, “Modern Day Cowboy” e “Love Song”. Il primo in versione acustica forse perde un po’ della propria carica aggressiva, ma acquista decisamente maggior liricità. La seconda invece è una ballad romantica ed ispirata con un finale in crescendo decisamente emozionante. Il disco si chiude con due episodi minori di matrice country, “Tommy's Down Home” e “Down Fo’ Boogie”, che comunque stemperano la drammaticità dei pezzi precedenti.
Siamo giunti allo spartiacque tra la fine di un’era, quella del cosiddetto hair metal, e l’inizio del nuovo fenomeno del grunge. Nonostante le sempre minori attenzioni di pubblico ed addetti ai lavori, i Tesla pubblicano due discreti lavori come “Psychotic Supper” e “Bust a nut”, prima di sciogliersi nel 1994.
Si riuniranno successivamente nel 2000, ma questa è un’altra storia. Il mio cuore si è fermato a questo meraviglioso ricordo.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
02 Heaven's Trail (No Way Out) (04:41)
You know I'm on a slick trip.
I'm always ready to kick ass.
Up on the stage I'm in a rage.
Yes, I'm havin' the time of my life.
Yes, indeed. What a sweet, sweet life it is,
Until some loco two-bit floosie
With a Louie Le-strange.
Ain't good for nothin' but trouble,
They're just two fools livin' up to their names.
And now it's startin' to rain on my parade.
(You) know there's nothin' like the real world
To get me down.
Nothin' like the world outside
That turns me upside down,
Makes me feel like I'm headin' down a one-way, dead-end street.
There's no way out, no way out
Of this living hell.
No way out, no way out
Unless you walk heaven's trail.
No way out, no way out
Of this living hell, livin' hell.
You know I had it made in the shade
Thinkin' that it's not so bad after all.
That's when I woke up, smelled the coffee.
Now I'm back where I started again, yes.
And now it's pourin' rain on my parade.
You know there's nothin' like the real world
To get me down. No!
One is there to lift you up,
One to drag you down.
Now, don't you see
That we're headin' down a one-way, dead-end street.
There's no way out, no way out
Of this living hell.
No way out, no way out
Unless you walk heaven's trail.
No way out, no way out
Of this living hell.
I guess I'll live in hell.
There's no way out, no way out
Of this living hell.
No way out, no way out
Unless you walk heaven's trail.
No way out, no way out
Of this living hell, livin' hell.
You know, I'm on a slick trip.
I'm always ready to kick ass.
04 We Can Work It Out (02:08)
(Lennon/McCartney)
Try to see it my way
Do I have to keep on talking till I can't go on
While you see it your way
Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone
We can work it out
We can work it out
Think of what you're saying
You can get it wrong and still you think that it's alright
Think of what I'm saying
We can work it out and get it straight, or say good night
We can work it out
We can work it out
Life is very short, and there's no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend
I have always thought that it's a crime
So I will ask you once again.
Try to see it my way
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong
While you see it your way
There's a chance that we may fall apart before too long
We can work it out
We can work it out
Life is very short, and there's no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend
I have always thought that it's a crime
So I will ask you once again
Try to see it my way
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong
While you see it your way
There's a chance that we may fall apart before too long
We can work it out
We can work it out
05 Signs (03:14)
And the sign says "long hair freaky people need not apply"
So I put my hair under my hat and I went in to ask him why
He said you look like a fine outstanding young man I think you'll do
So I took off my hat I said "Imagine that Huh Me working for you"
Signs Signs
Everywhere there's signs
Blocking up the scenery
Breaking my mind
Do this, don't do that
Can't you read the sign
And the sign says "Anybody caught trespassing will be shot on sight"
So I jumped the fence and I yelled at the house, Hey! What gives you the right
To put up a fence And keep me out Or to keep Mother Nature in
If God was here He'd tell it to your face Man You're some kind of sinner
Signs Signs
Everywhere there's signs
Blocking up the scenery
Breaking my mind
Do this, don't do that
Can't you read the sign
Oh Say now mister Can't you read
You got to have a shirt and tie to get a seat
You can't watch No You can't eat You ain't supposed to be here
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
And the sign says "Everybody welcome Come in Kneel down and pray"
But then they passed around a plate at the end of it all
And I didn't have a penny to pay
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign
I said Thank you Lord for thinking about me I'm alive and doing fine
Signs Signs
Everywhere there's signs
Blocking up the scenery
Breaking my mind
Do this, don't do that
Can't you read the sign
Signs Signs
Everywhere there's signs
Blocking up the scenery
Breaking my mind
Do this, don't do that
Can't you read the sign
06 Gettin' Better (03:30)
all that rain
outside my window
but I'll live on I know
its gettin' better every day
soon the sun will shine
through my window
when its gonna come
you know i really, couldnt say
but i know, its gettin better
every day
ahh its gettin better now
every day
yeah yeah yea yea
im a hard workin man doin all that i can
tryin to make ends meat
just a makin my way through this jungle today
its gettin the best of me
but i know its gettin better
and a change is gonna come my way
yes i know its gettin better
better every day
ah ha yea
been a changin the scene
if ya know what i mean
good things are comin my way
now im livin my life and im doin it right
sun shinin every day
i can feel it gettin better
and a change is gonna come my way
yes i feel it gettin better
better every day
now its only gettin better
and a change has finally come my way
yes its only so much better
aaaah gettin better every day
aaah yea yea yea gettin better
oaaah every day
i feel it
gettin better
its gettin better
im gettin better
im gettin better
07 Before My Eyes (06:05)
(Keith, Skeoch, Hannon, Luccketta)
She comes on softly as she moves across the room before me
I can't resist, I'm hypnotized, I'm surrounded by her
I can't, I can't forget that face, and I will, I will go back to that place
She stands before my eyes, right before my eyes
I can see the colours are coming one after another for me
I hear the words, I feal the sound, going round in my head
But I know there's something out there, please tell me, is this reality
Right before my eyes, right before my eyes
[Solo]
She comes on softly as she moves across the room before me
I can't resist, I'm hypnotized
I can see the colours are coming one after another for me
I see an image of myself
Before my eyes, right before my eyes
Before my eyes, before my eyes
That was nice, whoo! Typical nice, right Philadelphia? Right?
Yeah, I mean, you know (can you turn on the air conditioning, please?)
Can you turn on the air conditioner, please? It's fuckin' hot!
Turn on the air conditioner, or these people are gonna kill you!
Wait a minute, here. Oh! Oh, hey! (Oh, hey, we got a...)
Oh, Brian, you tried to give this play bass, didn't you, oh, hell no
Let's go jam a little Ebony and Ivory
Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time
Maybe I'm afraid of the... well, we don't know that song
But, anyway, right, we got mr. Brian Wheat...
Thank you, that's just what I was... oh, and old Ted Tulsa hat
Well shit, goddamn, hell-puh - alright!
And anyway, we got mr. Brian Wheat on the piano for ya on this one and
It's a tune of our second album (hit it!)
Hit it
08 Paradise (05:49)
Hold me close now, hold me tight, don't let go of me tonight
You're all I want, you're all I need
Hold me close now, hold me tight, and don't let go of me tonight
Sweet paradise, yeah
How I love all of those crazy little things you've said and done for me
You're the one for me
Darlin', dry your eyes, I can't stand to see you cry
Now just turn and walk away, don't look back when I say goodbye paradise
Days go by and life goes on, I feel I've been away too long
What I would give to be with you, days go by and life drags on
Feel I've been away too long, for much too long, yeah
And all the while that I'm away, don't let our love fade away
Don't you fade away
Now as sure as the sun is gonna shine, the day will come
Now I'm waitin' for the day, there'll be no more sayin' goodbye paradise
My sweet paradise, you are the reason why it tears me up inside
And I break down and cry, didn't wanna say goodbye paradise
I'm comin' home to you tonight, comin' home to you tonight
So hold on tight, tonight I'm on my way back home to paradise
I'm so lost without you, I can't live without you
I've been away too long, now, tonight I'm on my way back home to you
My my paradise, my my paradise
To hold you in my arms, you're all that I adore
To see your smilin' face as I walk through the door
I'll never say goodbye again, no
09 Lodi (02:53)
(J.C. Fogerty)
[Originally by Creedence Clearwater Revival]
Just about a year ago, I set out on the road
Seekin' my fame and fortune, I'm lookin' for a pot of gold
Things got bad and things got worse, I guess you know the tune
Oh Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again
I boarded on the Greyhound, and I'm walkin' there, by the road
I was just passin' through, it must be seven months or more
I ran out of time and money, it looks like the two were friends
Oh Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again
[Solo]
Man from a magazine, who said I was on my way
But somewhere I lost connection, I ran out of songs to play
I planned many times of one-night stands, it looks like my plans fell through
Oh Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again
If I had a million dollars for every song I've sung
Or every time I had to play while people slapped their tongue
I know I'll catch the next train, back to where I live
Oh Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again
Oh Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again
There we go, get ready!
11 Modern Day Cowboy (06:08)
Stormy night under jet black skies
Billy pulls into town.
Thunder rolled and the lightnin bolts
come crashin to the ground
Cold as ice, hard as stone
As he walks into the room, with
Another man who was feelin the same way
All hell breakin loose
Bang Bang, shoot'em up
Bang Bang, blow you away
It's a showdown, in a no-man's land
For the cowboy of the modern day.
Come on, sundown, don't be hangin 'round,
'Cause the cowboy will blow you away
Al Capone and A Bad Boy Jones
On the wrong side of the law.
Johnny D and his company,
Always first to the draw.
Gangster lean, feelin so mean,
Tryin to take more than their share.
Cause all they saw was ruling it all.
The scent of blood was in the air.
Bang Bang, shoot'em up.
Bang Bang, blow you away.
It's a showdown, in a no-man's land
For a cowboy of the modern day.
Come on, sundown, don't be hangin round,
'Cause the cowboy will blow you away. yeah.
Solo
Here we are and we've come this far,
But it's only getting worse.
The foreign lands with their terrorist demands,
Only cause the good to hurt.
The USA the USSR, with their six guns to their sides.
I see the message written on the wall,
Too much anger deep inside.
Bang Bang, Shoot'em up
Bang Bang, Blow you away.
It's a showdown, in a no-man's land
For the cowboy of the modern day.
Come on, sundown, dont be hangin round,
'Cause the cowboy will blow you away
repeat
It's a showdown
12 Love Song (09:53)
So you think that it's over,
That your love has fin'lly reached the end.
Any time you call, night or day,
I'll be right there for you if you need a friend.
It's gonna take a little time.
Time is sure to mend your broken heart.
Don't you even worry, pretty darlin'.
I know you'll find love again. Yeah.
Chorus:
Love is all around you. Yeah
Love is knockin' outside *YOUR* door.
Waitin' for you is this love made just for two
Keep an open heart and you'll find love again, I know.
Love is all around you.
Love is knockin' outside **YOUR** door.
Waitin' for you is this love made just for two
Keep an open heart and you'll find love again, I know.
Chorus / Outro:
Love will find a way.
Darlin', love is gonna find a way,
Find its way back to you.
Love will find a way.
So look around, open your eyes.
Love is gonna find a way.
Love is gonna, love is gonna find a way.
Love will find a way.
Love's gonna find a way back to you, yeah,
I know. I know. I know.
14 Down Fo' Boogie (03:20)
But we wrote this one, way back in the club days matters
When this was where it's at.
You know, fuck all that 15,000, this was it, you know
And we just love it, and this is the kind of shit we was writin' on the side
'Cos we love to get down fo' boogie
Oh take it away, Frankie, baby!
I wanna ride all around, into the sun
And I won't be back 'til the morning comes
I'm gettin' down fo' boogie, all night long
I said come what come, all gather round, 'cos we're all gonna put it down
Get down fo' boogie, all night long, ow!
[Solo]
Mr. Skeoch
[Solo]
I wanna ride all around, into the sun
And I won't be back 'til the morning comes
I'm gettin' down fo' boogie, all night long
I'm gettin' down fo' boogie, down fo' boogie
I'm gettin' down fo' boogie, all night long, yes I do
I'm gettin' down fo' boogie, all night long, tell me, how 'bout you
I'm gettin' down fo' boogie, all night long
That's all folks!
Philadelphia, thank you very much for puttin' up with us tonight
Thank you
Carico i commenti... con calma
