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Canadian star Pat Travers has recorded more than 30 albums, came close to joining Thin Lizzy (he was mooted as a replacement for Brian Robertson after the Lizzy man injured in hand during an infamous moment of violence in a London club, but Gary Moore got the job), and has influenced more than one generation of musicians, from Dimebag Darrell – who loved his Go For What You Know live album – to the shred king himself, Paul Gilbert.
So he should be more well known, right? For the uninitiated, Here's six tracks to get you started.
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Rock 'N' Roll Susie (Makin’ Magic, 1977)
A perfect Saturday-night listen before you head out to a gig, this amorous Travers gem was inspired by his then-girlfriend. Aplayful guitar-feedback intro sets the tone before lift-off.
Stevie (Makin’ Magic, 1977)
Written for/about his hell-raising kid brother, this echoing, atmospheric ballad voiced elder-sibling concern without being judgemental: ‘But I guess I was the same once… I’d stay out drinkin’ all night and I’d get all the girls…’
Heat In The Street (Heat In The Street, 1978)
Super-tight, high-octane riffing on the title track of the album that had Pat Thrall join on second guitar. Is that Thin Lizzy’s influence we hear on the twin-guitars around 2.12 minutes?
Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) (Pat Travers Band Live! Go For What You Know, 1979)
Travers covered Stan Lewis’s magnificent boogie on his self-titled 1976 debut album, but this barnstorming live version – showcasing the dazzling interplay between his lead guitar and that of Pat Thrall – is definitive.
Snortin' Whiskey (Crash And Burn, 1980)
The living-it-large hit single that broke the Pat Travers band on FM radio. Alas the classic line-up would crash and burn after performing at the Reading Rock Festival that August.
Who'll Take The Fall (Black Pearl, 1982)
One of several fine songs on a criminally unsung solo album that saw Travers expand his sound. Great production, great singing – even some cosmology: ‘We began with a bang in a long lost time, that’s what I believe.’