Tested
Template:About Template:Use mdy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |{{#if: January 1997<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> | Template:Short description}}}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=The Gray Race1996No Substance1998Live albumTestedBad_Religion_Tested.jpgBad ReligionJanuary 1997<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>April 17 – October 14, 1996Punk rock<ref name="amg"/>65:49Template:HlistTemplate:Hlistx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}} Template:Music ratings Tested is the first official<ref name="amg"/> live album by punk rock band Bad Religion.<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was recorded in the USA, Canada, Germany, Estonia, Denmark, Italy and Austria, in 1996, and released in 1997. It is Bad Religion's second live album.Template:Citation needed Instead of using crowd microphones and mobile studios like most live albums, the band tapped the inputs, for a result that portrays Bad Religion's live sound without crowd noise.<ref name="auto"/> It also includes three new songs; "Dream of Unity," "It's Reciprocal," and the title track.
Background
Bad Religion's US label, Atlantic, turned down releasing Tested; however, the band's German label, Sony, agreed to release the album in Europe and the rest of the world through its imprints Dragnet and Epic.<ref name=brpage>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The album was released in January 1997 in Australia, followed by a European release in February.<ref name=mtv>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> In March, it was available as import-only in the US.<ref name="auto"/><ref name=mtv/>
"Dream of Unity" was released as a single in Germany in 1997.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 2008, Tested was reissued in Europe by Epitaph.
Critical reception
Dave Thompson, in Alternative Rock, wrote: "Disconcerting the first listen, energizing thereafter, few live albums have been this brave."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In his review for AllMusic, Jack Rabid called the album "a bit of a letdown." He felt that the album lacks a "you are there" feel and that the overall sound is "merely average." He concluded, "Nonetheless, with a band this top-notch, even such a merely passable, perfectly clear recording demonstrates their awesome punk prowess enough (especially that of singer Graffin, whose phenomenal pipes soar all over this) to make Tested a large pleasure just the same." Rabid said of the three new studio tracks: "Dream of Unity" is uncharacteristically half-baked and slightly dull, but both "Tested" and "It's Reciprocal" burn the laser off the player."<ref name="amg"/>
Track listing
Personnel
Adapted from the album liner notes.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>
- Bad Religion
- Greg Graffin – vocals
- Brian Baker – guitar, backing vocals
- Greg Hetson – guitar
- Jay Bentley – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Bobby Schayer – drums
- Technical
- Bad Religion – production, recording, mixing, concept
- Ronnie Kimball – production, mixing
- George Marino – mastering
- Steve Raskin – art direction, design
- ION Design – art direction, design, photography
- Peter Hayes – cover stamp, flag stamp
- Jerry Mahoney – backdrop
- John Allan – photography
- Thorsten Martin-Edingshaus – photography
- Olaf Heine – photography
- Rob Myers – photography
Notes and trivia
- The songs "Tested", "Dream of Unity" and "It's Reciprocal" are previously unreleased studio tracks.
- The live songs were recorded in Berlin (Germany), Rome (Italy), Roskilde (Denmark), Pittsburgh (PA, USA), Loreley (Germany), Melbourne (FL, USA), Toronto (Ontario, Canada), Dortmund (Germany), Detroit (MI, USA), Berlin (Germany), New York (NY, USA), Ithaca (NY, USA), Raleigh (NC, USA), Munich (Germany), Tallinn (Estonia), Baltimore (MD, USA), Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada), Chicago (IL, USA), San Francisco (CA, USA), Jacksonville (FL, USA) and Montreal (Quebec, Canada)
- The disc has the phrase "No Bad Religion song can make your live complete" printed on it – a slightly modified quote from the song No Direction, in which the lyric is “life” instead of “live”.
Charts
| Chart (1997) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}} N.B. The High Point number indicates the release's peak on the national chart.</ref> |
67 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
25 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
74 |