Telsa is one of those bands I have a strange connection too. One of my best friends at the time had just moved to Oklahoma from California. The day their first album was released, I happened to be over at his house. His mom comes in and hands him a Tape and said it was so and so’s band from back in California. Turns out his mom was friends with some of the band members. I’ve been a fan since day one, having purchased their first Album twice on tape and once on CD and their second album once on tape and CD. I still have promotional materials from their first two albums that I picked up when I was working at Hastings Records when I was 17.

Labeled a part of the Hair Band movement of the 80’s, Tesla was never a true hair band and for some reason always seemed to be over shadowed by other acts, even though they hold several Platinum and Multi-Platinum album awards.

Mechanical Resonance – Platinum. If you have not heard this album and you like good old straight forward rock, then you need to listen to it.

Great Radio Controversy – Double Platinum. Their first album went Platinum the day their second album came out. Talk about being high on life. I can’t even imagine how that felt.

Five Man Acoustical Jam – Platinum – They single handedly put acoustic music back into popular music with their release of 5 Man Acoustical Jam before MTV unplugged existed. It’s said, they influenced the whole unplugged scene that came after them.

Psychotic Supper – Double Platinum

Then Grunge hit and Tesla was no longer a darling of Rock Radio.

1994’s Bust A Nut, there next album would only sell 800,000 copies. Like that’s a bad thing… heh

In 1996, they broke up, getting back together in 2000 after some addiction issues were addressed. Nearly ten years later, in 2004, they released a new album, Into the Now. I couldn’t find sales numbers, but I have a feeling it simply didn’t do well.

This brings us to today and the release of their new album called Reel to Reel, a 2 Disc Covers album.

Anyway, it’s not often a band covers the incredible Led Zeppelin and IMHO, pulls it off perfectly. And if you disagree, I’ll put an F’ing Voodoo Curse on you, so don’t!

Here is Tesla covering Thank You by Led Zeppelin.