Tesla - Five Man Acoustical Jam (1990) [FLAC] {Japan UICY-94115}

Recorded "LIVE" at the "TROCADERO THEATRE"
Philadelphia, Penn. July 1990

Part 3 of a 5 CD Japan Mini LP CD/Cardboard Vinyl Replica Set
(From the Double Vinyl LP)

For our lovely Angel QS and helping make this a more beautiful site

Five Man Acoustical Jam is a live album released in 1990 by the band Tesla, using acoustic guitars instead of electric guitars which hard rock/heavy metal bands such as Tesla were known for. The album is considered to have directly inspired MTV's Unplugged series from the early 90's. The biggest hit from the album was the song "Signs", a cover version originally from the band Five Man Electrical Band, who also had a hit with the song (Tesla's version included a few uses of "fuck" not in the original version). Other songs included "Love Song" (a hit from their previous album The Great Radio Controversy) and covers of The Rolling Stones' "Mother's Little Helper", Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Lodi", and The Beatles' "We Can Work It Out". It was recorded live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the Trocadero Theatre.

Released November 13, 1990
Recorded July 2 1990
Genre Hard rock, Heavy Metal
Label Geffen Records
Serial #UICY-94115

Track listing

1. Comin' Atcha Live/Truckin' - 7:23
2. Heaven's Trail (No Way Out) - 4:41
3. The Way It Is - 6:35
4. We Can Work It Out - 2:09 (The Beatles Cover)
5. Signs - 3:15 (Five Man Electrical Band Cover)
6. Gettin' Better - 3:30
7. Before My Eyes - 6:06
8. Paradise - 5:49
9. Lodi - 2:51 (Creedence Clearwater Revival Cover)
10. Mother's Little Helper - 3:47 (The Rolling Stones Cover)
11. Modern Day Cowboy - 6:09
12. Love Song - 9:54
13. Tommy's Down Home - 2:04
14. Down Fo' Boogie - 3:21

Review by Steve Huey ALLMUSIC

Comparisons to MTV Unplugged tend to be thrown around in an attempt to promote any pre-Unplugged acoustic music by linking it with a successful, more contemporary phenomenon, but Tesla's Five Man Acoustical Jam was actually a legitimate predecessor of the trend -- it bears a strong resemblance to early Unplugged sessions in its informality and sense that the band is just having fun. Perhaps more importantly, the fact that a cover of the Five Man Electrical Band's "Signs" became a Top Ten hit demonstrated that acoustic rock & roll -- not just ballads like Guns N' Roses' "Patience" or Extreme's "More Than Words" -- could find acceptance and commercial viability with rock audiences. As for the musical results, Tesla's originals generally translate well to the acoustic format, though some of the jams tend to ramble and lose focus, a fact underscored by the tightly melodic covers of '60s classics like "Lodi" and "Mother's Little Helper." Still, this adds to the informal atmosphere, and the album is a nice change of pace from the rest of Tesla's catalog.

Tesla - Five Man Acoustical Jam (1990) [FLAC] {Japan UICY-94115}