Tesla undertook a unique packaging concept in releasing a two-album covers project called Real to Reel, beginning on June 5, 2007.
The twin releases included music that inspired Tesla to become who they are, beginning with an initial album that featured Deep Purple, the James Gang, the Guess Who, Thin Lizzy, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Robin Trower, the Temptations, UFO, Uriah Heep, Derek and the Dominos, the Rolling Stones, and Traffic. They made a great case that when a band is truly honest about their influences on a covers album, the sum is at least nearly as great as the parts if not necessarily greater – both in the case of the music they present and the band themselves.
Real to Reel 2 was the completion of the set. The tracks were listed right there on the package with the first disc, along with a space for a missing second disc – but with a warning that obtaining said disc, for free, would require getting to one of their concerts. Neat concept: Free music with your ticket. The band sees ticket sales rise and concert-goers get something extra, “free” with every show.
Unfortunately, it was not a very logical way to do things. If Tesla had hit every city in every state, there would have been ample opportunities for fans to grab these discs. Realistically, however, most bands simply can’t do that. So, it was inevitable that Real to Reel 2 would find its way to store shelves.
It was worth the wait: Included were covers of Mott the Hoople, Montrose, BTO, Bad Company, the Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper, Sly and the Family Stone, Peter Frampton, ZZ Top, Aerosmith, Skynyrd, and Sabbath. And they are fantastic covers. The complete Real to Reel set nearly equaled the greatness of Def Leppard’s stunning, surprising Yeah! from 2006, and that’s no small feat: covers albums typically suck.
For example, ZZ Top’s “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers” didn’t sound so drastically different than the waters Tesla typically treads, but some of the fun to be had in listening to this one was hearing Jeff Keith mimic the effect of having two similar-voiced singers handling vocals. And “Shooting Star” could have been a disaster in lesser hands. Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers is blessed with a unique voice that is powerful, yet not showy in a ridiculous way, and few singers seem to be able to handle that subtle combination. But Keith managed to pull it off; his signature rasp was mellowed here.
And that was the case with all the songs. Jeff Keith and Tesla did these classics justice not because they tried to adapt them to their own sound but because the reverence they feel toward them was evident in every one of the updates. What we listeners got was the rare covers package that actually felt like the band was influenced by the music they chose, rather than what usually happens: The band picks songs that they think will score them points for the cool factor of their choices, or they choose songs that are so common that they say nothing.
Taken as a whole, the Real to Reel set said a lot – and it was so enjoyable that it may be all many listeners need from Tesla. (I will, however, disagree and say that their debut album Mechanical Resonance and sadly overlooked Bust a Nut are must-haves as well.) What’s more, the band saved the best for last: Real to Reel 2 was actually stronger than the first disc in the set. That’s not to slight Real to Reel. Fans of the band and fans of classic rock alike owe themselves to invest in both.
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I’m a Tesla fan, but I just couldn’t get into these records when they came out. I’d say Mechanical Resonance and Psychotic Supper are the must-owns for me, but I’ve liked just about everything they’ve done. I thought there was some good stuff here, but most of the covers just didn’t do anything for me. Maybe I need to revisit them five years on.