The Great Radio Controversy
| The Great Radio Controversy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Tesla | ||||
| Released | February 1, 1989 | |||
| Recorded |
1988 Bearsville Studios, New York, USA | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, heavy metal, blues rock[1] | |||
| Length | 59:18 | |||
| Label | Geffen | |||
| Producer | Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero | |||
| Tesla chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Great Radio Controversy | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Rolling Stone | [3] |
The Great Radio Controversy is the second album by American rock band Tesla, released in 1989. The songs combine 1980s metal with some blues-influenced elements, as well as the occasional love ballad. 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.
Track listing
- "Hang Tough" (Jeff Keith, Tommy Skeoch, Frank Hannon, Brian Wheat) – 4:21
- "Lady Luck" (Keith, Skeoch, Hannon, Wheat) – 3:39
- "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)" (Keith, Skeoch) – 4:41
- "Be a Man" (Keith, Hannon, Skeoch) – 4:20
- "Lazy Days, Crazy Nights" (Keith, Skeoch) – 4:26
- "Did It for the Money" (Keith, Skeoch, Hannon) – 4:25
- "Yesterdaze Gone" (Keith, Hannon) – 3:43
- "Makin' Magic" (Keith, Skeoch, Hannon, Wheat) – 5:03
- "The Way It Is" (Keith, Troy Luccketta, Skeoch, Hannon) – 5:14
- "Flight to Nowhere" (Keith, Skeoch, Hannon, Wheat) – 4:43
- "Love Song" (Keith, Hannon) – 5:20
- "Paradise" (Keith, Wheat, Hannon) – 4:59
- "Party's Over" (Keith, Hannon, Skeoch) – 4:24
Personnel
Tesla
- Jeff Keith – vocals
- Tommy Skeoch – guitars
- Frank Hannon – guitars, piano, organ
- Brian Wheat – bass
- Troy Luccketta – drums
Production
- Recorded at Bearsville Studios, New York, USA
- Produced and mixed by Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero
- Engineered by Michael Barbiero
- Additional recording and assistant engineered by George Cowan
- Mixed at Media Sound, New York City, USA
- Assistant engineered by Vic Deyglio
- Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound, New York City, USA
- CD mastered by Barry Diament at BDA, New York City, USA
Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Billboard 200 | 18 |
Singles and Album Tracks
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Hang Tough | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 34 |
| 1989 | Love Song | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 7 |
| 1989 | Love Song | Billboard Hot 100 | 10 |
| 1990 | The Way It Is | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 13 |
| 1990 | The Way It Is | Billboard Hot 100 | 55 |
| 1991 | Paradise (Five Man Acoustical Jam version) | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 28 |
References
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-great-radio-controversy-mw0000199418
- ↑ The Great Radio Controversy at AllMusic
- ↑ 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.