PAT TRAVERS - OPUS ONE (2009-2019) - 4CD CLAMSHELL BOX

Toronto native Pat Travers made a name for himself playing lead guitar in various bands on the Canadian bar circuit before relocating to the UK and signing to Polydor Records, recording his debut in London in 1976. While building a solid fan base for his bluesy hard rock on both sides of the Atlantic, Pat was aided and abetted by such musical luminaries as famed drummers Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake, Black Oak Arkansas) and Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), as well as guitarist Pat Thrall. Recording his last record for Polydor in 1984, Pat signed to a number of independent labels, eventually settling on the Los Angeles based Cleopatra for ‘Black Betty’ (CD1). The album featured a host of rock classics from the 1970s covered by Pat in his own inimitable style, including versions of songs by everyone Aerosmith and AC/DC, to ZZ Top, with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Ram Jam in between. Travers also revisited his own back catalogue with ‘Snortin' Whiskey (Drinkin' Cocaine)’ and ‘Boom, Boom (Out Go The Lights)’. ‘Black Betty’ was followed by ‘Blues On Fire’ (CD2), an electrifying collection of traditional blues standards that go back to the 1920s, including ‘Black Dog Blues’, ‘Nobody's Fault But Mine’ and ‘Back Water Blues’, all given Pat’s own personal stamp with his blistering guitar work. ‘Blues On Fire’ was followed by ‘Retro Rocket’ (CD3). A fiery return to some of the bluesy hard rock he was best known for in the 1970s, with smoldering cuts like ‘I Always Run’ and the bluesy, hard rock swagger of ‘Searching For a Clue’, ‘Retro Rocket’ is an exciting ride, and an album that lets Pat Travers remind us of his exemplary guitar skills. This collection is completed by ‘Swing!’ (CD4), a major departure for a contemporary hard rock artist, if ‘Retro Rocket’ wasn’t retro enough, ‘Swing!’ is a tribute to the big band and jazz era of the 1940s and 1950s, with a number of big band standards, including ‘Sing Sing Sing’ and ‘In The Mood’, originally from artists such as Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington. Despite this major departure, this album still features Pat Travers’ signature, sizzling guitar, housed within some fun arrangements of big band classics.