by Ed Rivadavia
When it came to honest-to-goodness hard-hitting rock and roll, Tesla were always miles ahead of their late-'80s and early-'90s brethren because they never relied on image or hype as much as, say Guns'n'Roses and Mötley Crüe. These guys could really write great songs and really play them, but in the end their fate was no different from the above-mentioned groups in the aftershock of the grunge invasion. Their fourth and final studio album, Bust a Nut is a natural proggression from Psychotic Supper, featuring classic rock riffs, acoustic passages (courtesy of guitar genius Frank Hannon), and memorable choruses. &Shine Away,& &Need Your Loving,& &Mama's Fool,& and especially &Alot to Lose& are excellent tracks and could have done very well for the band in a less hostile musical climate, but this was not to be. Their record label Geffen, was probably too busy promoting Nirvana anyway, and the band called it a day following their next tour.