The title and description of this latest Pat Travers outing is a tad misleading, as it's being touted as an "essential rock tracks set featuring fresh recordings of Pat Travers classics and interpretations of hits recorded by his rock contemporaries". What it really is, is a covers album with a few re-recorded versions of Travers' more popular songs. I know that "Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)" is the guitar slingers most beloved song, but did they really need to name this set after that song? Regardless, this is still a pretty smokin' batch o' tunes, as Pat takes his superior guitar talents and smoky vocals and puts them to work on renditions of songs by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Willie Dixon, UFO, ZZ Top, Aerosmith, Jeff Beck, Stevie Wonder, and Cream. The "cream" of the crop are the two snarling ZZ Top songs, "Waitin' For the Bus" and "Jesus Just Left Chicago", as Pat's rampaging blues rock licks are just wailing away with plenty of fire and finesse. "Superstitious" is pretty kickin' as well, but the real surprise is UFO's "Lights Out". While Travers can't really hit Phil Mogg's vocals, the guitar work here is quite good as he does his best Michael Schenker impression, yet injects his own style into the song. Of his original material, "Snortin' Whiskey" is pretty damn heavy on this newly recorded version, and "Crash and Burn" is given a royal psychedelic treatment. Not sure who helps the guitarist out on this release, as there's no mention of the other musicians anywhere, but they do a good job, especially the keyboard player. For Pat Travers fanatics, this will be a must hear, but for the casual fan there's nothing really "essential" about it, despite the fun factor that is always apparent when classic rock guys do cover songs.
Track Listing
1. Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)
2. Evil
3. Snortin' Whiskey
4. Crash and Burn
5. Livin' Alone
6. Gimme Back My Bullets
7. Last Child
8. Disappear
9. Waitin' for the Bus
10. Jesus Just Left Chicago
11. Superstitious
12. Politician
13. Lights Out
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