The Great Radio Controversy
The Great Radio Controversy is the second studio album by American hard rock band Tesla, released on 1 February 1989 through Geffen. It followed their debut, Mechanical Resonance (1986), and came before Psychotic Supper (1991). The title nods to the old dispute over who really invented radio. The band, named after the Serbian engineer Nikola Tesla, side with him over Guglielmo Marconi, and the story is told on the inner sleeve.
Musically it sits somewhere between hard rock and glam metal, though with a down-to-earth, denim-clad feel rather than anything flashy. "Love Song", "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)", "Hang Tough" and "The Way It Is" all got plenty of airplay on MTV's Headbangers Ball, and the run of singles turned the band into stars. The RIAA certified the album double platinum in 1998.
The Great Radio Controversy: tracklist, credits and charts
13 tracks · 59:51Tracklist
- 1Hang ToughHannon, Keith, Luccketta, Skeoch, Wheat4:22
- 2Lady LuckHannon, Keith, Skeoch, Wheat3:46
- 3Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)Jeff Keith and Tommy Skeoch4:44
- 4Be a ManHannon, Keith, Skeoch4:30
- 5Lazy Days, Crazy NightsJeff Keith and Tommy Skeoch4:27
- 6Did It for the MoneyHannon, Keith, Skeoch4:28
- 7Yesterdaze GoneFrank Hannon and Jeff Keith3:46
- 8Makin' MagicHannon, Keith, Skeoch, Wheat5:07
- 9The Way It IsHannon, Keith, Luccketta, Skeoch5:09
- 10Flight to NowhereHannon, Keith, Skeoch, Wheat4:47
- 11Love SongFrank Hannon and Jeff Keith5:25
- 12ParadiseHannon, Keith, Wheat5:00
- 13Party's OverHannon, Keith, Skeoch4:21
- Produced by
- Michael Barbiero, Steve Thompson
- Recorded at
- Bearsville Studios, Bearsville (Woodstock, New York)
- Recorded
- 1988
- Mixed by
- Michael Barbiero, Steve Thompson
- Mixed at
- Mediasound Studios
- Engineered by
- Michael Barbiero, George Cowan
- Label
- Geffen
- Length
- 59:51
Line-up
- Frank Hannon · electric guitar, gong, slide guitar, background vocals, piano, 12 string guitar, acoustic guitar, organ
- Troy Luccketta · percussion, drums (drum set)
- Brian Wheat · bass guitar
- Jeff Keith · lead vocals
- Tommy Skeoch · electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Singles
- “Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)” · January 1989
- “Hang Tough” · April 1989
- “Love Song” · 11 August 1989
- “The Way It Is” · March 1990
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1989 | 18 |
| UK Albums Chart · 1989 | 34 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) · 1989 | 72 |
| Dutch Albums · 1989 | 91 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) · 1989 | 94 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1989 | 121 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada · 1990 | Gold |
| United States · 1998 | 2× Platinum |
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 1 February
Every year →More from Tesla
Full discography →The best of 1989
All of 1989 →More on Geffen
The label →Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 1 February 1989 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 1 February 1989 | |
| Wikidata | 1989 | |
| US release | 1 February 1989 | earliest US date |
11 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | US | Geffen | other | |
| — | US | Geffen | other | |
| 1989 | US | Geffen | 075992422420 | other |
| 1989 | CA | Geffen | 075992422420 | other |
| 1989 | JP | Geffen | other | |
| 1 February 1989 | US | Geffen | 720642422427 | original |
| 1 February 1989 | US | Geffen | 075992422444 | original |
| 1 February 1989 | US | Geffen | 075992422413 | original |
| 1 February 1989 | US | Geffen | 075992422420 | original |
| 23 February 1989 | JP | Geffen | 4988014724906 | other |
| 2 February 1993 | DE | Geffen | 720642422427 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1426x1411, upscaled to 1500 (x1.06)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1426×1411 | upscaled: minor: best source 1426x1411, upscaled to 1500 (x1.06) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |