FORTUNATE SONS You Not Enjoy It? Below

z z u b By Daniel Alleva latest gigs in Arizona, and the reviewer Recently, I had the opportunity to wrote that—even though that song speak with Tesla bassist Brian Wheat was a hit for you 20 years ago, and about their latest record, TwistedWires even though you guys must have AndThe Acoustic Sessions . The album played that song live a million times is a potpourri of Tesla nuggets recorded by now—it still feels fresh, the audience acoustically in the studio, and the release anticipates it, and that it appears as if of the album coincides with the 20th you guys still really enjoy playing that anniversary of their highly successful song in particular. album, Five Man Acoustical Jam . Brian Yeah, you know, even though we didn’t and I spoke about the process of putting TESLA write it, it’s one of ours now. It was our the new CD together, as well as his biggest hit, people look forward to it, and thoughts on Tesla being together for when you see them enjoying it, how can over 25 years now. The conversation is FORTUNATE SONS you not enjoy it? below. Now that you guys have been together So, the newTesla album is called over 25 years now, how do you reflect Twisted Wires And The Acoustic upon your career now? I mean, I don’t Sessions . Can you tell me a little bit know what your expectations were about how the album came together? when the band started, but now, all Well, what happened was, half the They wereIdonne int20e05,rovevr likeia ewalbumware thie tmohre obscBure srtufif fraom n weWdo nathurallye, youaknowt.We don’t really these years later, how does it feel for record has Tommy Skeoch on it, and ten-day period. At that time we were those records, like “A Lot To Lose,” and calculate it. I couldn’t really give you any you and the band? those were the last sessions we did with doing some acoustic shows and others songs, as well. formula, but maybe it’s just how we It’s pretty mind-blowing when I look at Tommy before he left the band. We someone had pointed out to us that we Were there some son gs from the mentally approach things when we play it now. It’s like, “Man, we’ve been together always wanted to put them on a box set, had never done studio recordings catalog that you knew right away you acoustic. 25 years!” I mean, I never thought that but the box set ended up getting kinda acoustically—that most of our acoustic wanted to do acoustically? I feel like I really have to thank you would happen when we started.You know, put on hold for now. So those recordings stuff was only on Five Man Acoustical I think things kinda present themselves. guys for putting me on to some music when we were kids, we just wanted to were sitting in the vault, and the 20th Jam . Usually w e just kinda jam around, and that really shaped me as a person get our reco rd into the record shops, and anniversary of Five Man Acoustical Jam So when you were working on that the ones that sound good end up being growing up. I think Five Man Acoustical now—25 years later—people still keep was coming up. At the same time, we stuff, I guess you didn’t want to the ones we do. Jam was a really good blueprint for coming to shows. So, we’re just really had a song called “Better Off Without overlap what was already released When you guys unplug, it still has that young people at that time willing to fortunate. You,” which was a demo from our first on Five Man Acoustical Jam ? swing and swagger that is very much broaden their tastes beyond what was record, and we were working on this Yeah, that’s why there’s no “Paradise“ a part of theTesla sound, and since popular—which was definitely that new song called “Second Street” as well. on the album, no “Love Song.” you guys were pretty influential in whole Poison/Mötley Crüe thing. So, we basically made the record around Yeah, I noticed that most of the album terms of rock bands stripping down Well, I appreciate that. It’s a nice the tracks we had in the vault with Skeoch, was comprised of really deep album and playing acoustic, I wonder—and compliment. I tell people all the time that the two new songs that we had, as well cuts from the catalog. perhaps you can tell me—what it is that’s all we really knew how to do.They as some new recordings of some of our Well, one thing you have to remember that makes the music come alive and tried to turn us into these sexy guys, you older songs done in an acoustic fashion. is that when we did Five Man Acoustical so special when played in that setting. know, that look that was happening at That’s were we got Twisted Wires from— Jam , we only had two records out— Yeah, you know, I don’t now what it the time, and that just wasn’t us. And also, it’s sort of a mesh of three different things. Psychotic Supper hadn’t been released, is. Obviously, when we play electric, that’s the big thing that happened in the process So how far back do those sessions Bust A Nut hadn’t been released yet— how we play, and when we play acoustic, is that we turned everybody on to “Signs.” withTommy go? that’s why lots of the tracks on this new it just sounds that way. That’s just what I just read a review from one of your YOU CAN CATCHTESLAWHENTHEY STOP AT IRVING PLAZA IN NYC ON FRIDAY, FEB. 17. BUILT BY STEREOWILL ALSO BE PERFORMING ANDTHE SHOW STARTS AT 7 P.M. FOR MORE INFORMATION, GOTOTESLATHEBAND.COM. 18 ARTS WEEKLY FEBRUARY 15, 2012 www.theaquarian.com.

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