We hit the road again with Leppard and REO Speedwagon. We continued the same demo process that we used for “Save That Goodness.” Phil had a big part in that because as an opening act on a three-band production, we only had two dressing rooms. Phil made sure we got a third room to use as a recording studio at most of the shows, a room that Leppard would have had. Our British brothers were pitching in to help us out.
We’d go in there before sound checks, which usually hit at around four in the afternoon. So if we got to the venue at two, that gave us a couple of hours to get some work done. It could be anyone’s idea on any given day: mine, Phil’s, Frank’s, Dave’s. Phil would collaborate with Jeff on some lyrics for guide vocals, and then I’d lay down a drum program using an app called Slate.
When we came off the road, we had everything sketched out, and we recorded proper masters at J Street. It was a two-year process, which was different than anything we’d done before. Previously it was more about getting the whole time as compacted as possible, maybe four or five months from start to finish. This new album would be a lot more organic and relaxed. And because it was recorded while we were playing every night on stage, it brought a live energy as well.
Being together on the bus and at the gigs had an effect too. Where before, a song would be mostly one guy’s composition and structure, the new album featured a lot more collaboration from that road environment, and that includes Phil too. Every single song on the album had Phil as co-writer. Phil brought a lot of knowledge and experience that he’d absorbed from the Leppard albums produced by Mutt Lange. Because he’s an intelligent guy, Phil customized those things for Tesla, not just recreated them. He had a great relationship with Jeff, which may be the most critical piece of the Tesla puzzle. He would tell us that he was always impressed with the ability we had to play our instruments. And not just in a safe, conservative style, but that we were up to try anything. Both the band and Phil really enjoyed that, because we were both stepping outside of our formulas and habits. It was a lot of ideas and workflows that were coming to us from all angles. It both allowed and forced us to be open to new concepts and ways of working. The whole process was so different that Phil and I wrote a song about it called “Comfort Zone.”
The extra time allowed the band members to help with lyric writing, which was great for Jeff because it relieved a major source of pressure on him. That’s a responsibility he has had since day one, and the stress of it takes a toll. And as you’ve read here, it caused problems from time to time, both for the band and for him emotionally.
Jeff will always be the most identifiable element of Tesla’s sound. Many bands have this same identity focus. Think Steven Tyler or Joe Elliott. Even though the band internally might be a democracy, the public perception comes from the voice. You know right away who you’re listening to, even if it’s an acoustic version or a re-arrangement. There’s one track on Shock called “California Summer Song” that sounds like it could have been written by Sublime, but the instant Jeff starts singing, you know it’s Tesla.
I think Shock strikes a good balance between the traditional Tesla sound and the contemporary environment that is important to remain vital in today’s market. Phil understood that balance out of the gate. He’s been in our world since 1987, on our third tour supporting our first album. He’s a peer, of our generation, grew up listening to much of the same music as we did, and so having many of the same influences and musical heroes.
Even though Shock was complete, the release date wasn’t until the fall of 2018. We had a summer tour with Styx and Joan Jett, but we didn’t do any material from the new album. We don’t really like to introduce new material live that people can’t buy or hear on the radio, because what’s the point?