Sacramento, California-based band Tesla have a new album for 2026 entitled Homage. It is a mostly cover song release with an original entitled “Never Alone” that starts it off. “Never Alone” is a classic Tesla number that would have been a big radio hit, back when “power ballads” ruled the airwaves in the late 1980s. These days, it is a song that displays Tesla’s roots in rock, by showcasing feel-good songwriting combined with classic rock musicianship. Tesla guitarist Frank Hannon and his acoustic intro sets up the blast of electric guitar and bass, and crush of drums that follow, as Tesla singer Jeff Keith and his raspy, road worn rock and roll vocals, bring a love song that brings to mind the style that Tesla has been bringing to their fans for years.
Homage continues where they left off almost 20 years ago, when they released a double album of cover material entitled Reel 2 Real (Vol 1 & 2) in 2007. Thirteen cover tracks are featured, with an assortment of styles from rock to rhythm and blues and soul, and more, catch the band “honoring” their roots, which started in the early 1980s as a cover band called City Kidd. There are some real gems on this album. I really enjoyed their version of Queen’s “Spread Your Wings,” for instance. Bassist Brian Wheat’s gentle piano intro lets Jeff Keith’s likeable tenor take over. This version will never equal the original version that featured the unique vocals of Queens late singer Freddie Mercury, and it shouldn’t. Keith’s vocals take the song in a slightly different direction, without intending to duplicate it.
Classic rock radio favorites, such as the dusty version of Bob Seger’s classic “Night Moves” and the Lynyrd Skynyrd delta blues of “The Ballad Of Curtis Loew” are very straight forward, but very likeable, again, mostly due to Keith’s vocal takes. Instrumentally, Tesla is right, as we musicians like to say, “In the pocket” as far as keeping it close to the originals but not steering too far away. Another favorite, a version of Climax Blues Band’s 1981 heartfelt ballad “I Love You”(2026 version) is indicative of what can be called a “classic deep track” and a song that they have released before on their 2011 Twisted Wires release, although this version seems to have been recorded slightly different. Any of the versions released of this beauty, are among the best love songs ever released in the “classic rock” era in my humble opinion.
Classic soul songs, such as the Temptations’ “I Wish It Would Rain” and the Etta James epic “I’d Rather Go Blind” are well represented, as Tesla shows off their R&B chops. They get funky with James Brown’s “I Got You” (I Feel Good) without trying to outdo the “Godfather of Soul” in any way. Again, the title Homage is just that. Tesla delightfully shows that they are just a rock band addressing their roots in their own special way. Homage concludes with a very fun and sing-along on the chorus version of the Hank Williams classic shuffle “Mind Your Own Business” that sounds like the band had a blast recording it, just like all the numbers on this release. This recording is perfect for a nice road trip. Crank it up and sing along, just like the many songs in Tesla’s catalog of classic rockers. As a tribute to their roots, they have succeeded in every way.
~ Jordan West
