PAT TRAVERS — Pat Travers (review)

PAT TRAVERS — Pat Travers album cover Album · 1976 · Hard Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Nightfly
Although he would go on the make much better albums in the next few years Canadian guitarist/vocalist Pat Travers self-titled debut was a promising start. It laid the ground for the trademark Pat Travers funky hard rock sound aided by the forceful and funky bass playing of Peter “Mars” Cowling who would play on all the classic Travers albums. Sadly I’ve just learnt he has passed away just over a week ago.

The album kicks off with Stop And Smile which is not the best way to announce your career, being a somewhat ordinary piece of 70’s hard rock. Much better is following track Feelin’ Right which is where Travers introduces his funky chops. Written by J J Cale, Magnolia is a rather dull ballad but Makes No Difference is much better and a driving hard rocker that would remain a live favourite for years. Another song that features here that would become a live favourite is Boom Boom (Out Goes The Lights) which was a cover of the Little Walter blues classic. It’s a worthy inclusion and works better than the Chuck Berry cover of Mabelline and the Charlie Ryan song Hot rod Lincoln that follows it here.

As My Life Flies gets things back on track after three consecutive covers . Short and sweet at only two and a half minutes but a decent mid-paced rocker nevertheless. The album closes with what I think is the best and generally overlooked song on the album. Medley Parts 1 & 2, after a start that makes you think you’re in for some jazz rock soon develops into a driving rocker notable for Mars Cowling’s to the front of the mix driving bass work. In fact the song goes through a number of changes and shifts into slower funky mode. A fair part of its instrumental but keeps the listeners interest with a number of twists and turns.

A few too many covers and a couple of ordinary Travers originals rob this album of greatness but when it’s good it’s very good and laid the ground for the better Makin’ Magic that would follow the next year in 1977.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
666sharon666 wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Reviewer's Challenge Points: 3

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Le bannissement Atmospheric Black Metal
CANTIQUE LÉPREUX
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tarantula Heart Sludge Metal
MELVINS
Buy this album from MMA partners
God Damned You To Hell Traditional Doom Metal
FRIENDS OF HELL
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Absence Melodic Death Metal
THE ABSENCE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Unextinct Technical Death Metal
HIDEOUS DIVINITY
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Fallen Ashes - Wage War (Official Lyric Video)
FALLEN ASHES
Bosh66· 7 days ago
EXISTENTIAL DEAD - Unreality (Single) 2024
EXISTENTIAL DEAD
Bosh66· 7 days ago
EXISTENTIAL DEAD - Cold Hands
EXISTENTIAL DEAD
Bosh66· 7 days ago
IRON MONKEY - Misanthropizer (Official Music Video)
IRON MONKEY
Bosh66· 10 days ago
??? (Losing ART) - "????" (Official Music Video) [HD]
漂浮者樂團
Bosh66· 10 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed