Tesla Alive in Europe
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
Capturing a live Tesla show on record is no easy task. As is the case with many great live bands, as easy as it is to record a show, it’s virtually impossible to encapsulate the energy and atmosphere of actually being there. Alive In Europe attempts to do just that, and though it’s not exactly the same as a real show, it is a great representation of one of hard rock’s most elite bands.
Kicking off with “Forever More” from the 2008 album of the same name, it is instantly apparent that, to reference an old Tesla song, time has in fact not made changes, at least it terms of the band writing killer songs and playing them perfectly live. The energy carries over into another new track, “I Wanna Live,” and which point the band goes into a string of classics, both old and relatively new.
“Modern Day Cowboy” is as powerful, and strangely poignant, as ever, and features a small but great live tweak as the third acoustic-into-verse riff is played electrically rather than acoustically. This tiny change adds a large amount of darkness to the already dark and heavy song.
A surprising addition, “Shine Away” from Bust a Nut makes a welcome appearance, and fits beautifully into the set. Its instrumental mid-break remains one of Tesla’s finest chill-inducing moments, not just on its original album, but across their catalog as a whole.
It becomes strikingly obvious that the album was recorded in Europe when the intro to mega-hit “Love Song” is accompanied by a thousand fans “oooohing” along. This Euro trend hasn’t quite caught on in the US, but it is fun for both the audience and band, and gives the songs a huge, “rockers-united” sort of feel.
’90s hit “What You Give” stands as the only representative from the Psychotic Supper album, and sounds great as always, though the revelation that it was written about Jeff’s beloved dog does add an air of creepiness. But bestial undertones aside, it’s a fine track and a great reminder that not all power ballads have to be generic and nauseating.
Closing track “Into the Now” from the 2004 comeback album Into the Now wraps the show up in an odd-time, melodically heavy fashion, and though Jeff Keith’s vocals do start to sound a wee-bit tired here, it’s the first time they falter and this can easily be forgiven. Considering the vocal-skill loss that has affected so many other singers from the same time period, it’s nice to know that Jeff still sounds the same he did over 20 years ago.
Complaints? Well, the biggest one would be regarding song variety. While it’s nice seeing newer numbers, and the aforementioned “Shine Away,” many classics and deep cuts are nowhere to be found. It would have been cool for the band to have included one or two other non-hits; perhaps “Flight to Nowhere,” “Rubberband,” or “Makin’ Magic” for the diehards. Of course, when coupled with 2001’s Replugged Live and 2008’s Comin’ Atcha Live! DVD, there are a great number of songs captured live, though quite a few are repeated as well. This would seem rather an obvious statement, however, as few bands would risk not playing the hits.
Though technically an import, it would be unwise for any Tesla fan to pass up Alive in Europe. Hell, it would be unwise for any fan of hard rock/metal to pass it up. The members of Tesla seem unable to stop being awesome, and if all goes well, they’ll never decide to. While it may not fully replicate the energy and pure rock bliss generated by an actual Tesla show, it’s still a damn fine souvenir.
Label: Frontiers Records
Web: www.teslatheband.com
Band Lineup:
Jeff Keith (vocals)
Frank Hannon (guitars)
Dave Rude (guitars)
Brian Wheat (bass)
Troy Luccketta (drums)
Tracks:
1. Forever More
2. I Wanna Live
3. Modern Day Cowboy
4. Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out)
5. What A Shame
6. Shine Away
7. Love Song
8. What You Give
9. The Way It Is
10. Breakin’ Free
11. Hang Tough
12. So What!
13. Signs
14. Lil’ Suzie
15. Into The Now
Hardrock Haven rating: 9.1/10