siLLy puPPy TESLA's debut album came out right at the time when glam metal was king and gave us their own unique take on metalizing 70s hard bluesy rock however due to the fact that they toured with glam bands like David Lee Roth, Def Leppard or Poison they got labelled as glam despite always maintaining that good ole' boy look and feel by performing casual in simple T-shirts and jeans. Likewise they avoided the sleazy lyrics common of the day and instead sang about slightly more intellectual themes but still had the occasional mindless rocker or two. In fact the band took their name from none other than Nikola Tesla, mastermind of many technologies that make the world what it is today.

What I love about this debut album is that it is just really good songs with energetic musicians giving it their all. Frank Hannon is a phenomenal guitarist who gives surprising tasty solos and the signature sound of the band is surely vocalist Jeff Keith with his raspy voice. The songs are all catchy being mostly hard rock with some softer tracks that incorporate acoustic guitar sections or even piano. The most popular single “Little Suzi” is actually a cover of the song “Little Suzi's On The Up” by UK band Ph.D. A strong no nonsense debut by this band from Sacramento, CA.

Stephen Unlike many glam metal bands in the mid 80s that's fueled with hairspray, spandex, and booze, Tesla emerged as a different earthy band playing a non-machinery real deal of rock and roll with blue jeans and plain shirt as their uniforms. The fact is that they're far from pop metal and more of a traditional heavy/blues metal band, but since they toured extensively with many glam bands, the media labeled the band as one of them. Never crossed anyone's mind that a bunch of tomato farmers and cement truck driver like them could possess an indisputably miraculous talents, and "Mechanical Resonance" is a proof of how smart they blend the retro ingredients of classic 70s rock and blues with the 80s hard rock vibe.

"EZ Come EZ Go" relentlessly moving fast between the relaxing verse and heavier chorus, "Getting Better" crawls with an emotional vocal before bursting into a powerful rocker, "Rock Me To The Top" is an astonishing great upbeat tune, and "Modern Day Cowboy" is everyone's favorite. Tesla cracked a one minute acoustical jam on the cover of Ph.D, "Little Suzi" which later inspired them on their timeless classic, "Love Song" and this proves to be their most successful single even though it's not my big fave. Still many great songs to like here such as the sleazy-titled "Cumin' Atcha Live", the lazy bluesy "We're No Good Together", or the classic Bad Company feel song, "Love Me".

Tesla is one of the few bands that's hard to hate since they always concentrated in making great music with splendid lyrics, party less, and never betrayed their roots, and this album is one of their remarkable piece and the landmark record that started the whole journey. If you're new to the band, "Mechanical Resonance" is a perfect starter.