Search - Pat Travers :: Live: Go for What You Know

Underated classic

Undertaker | 07/31/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pat Travers was always underated like his close peers Frank Marino and Robin Trower. He was an amazing guitarist. This live album is a dose of him at his heavy metal best. If you like Mahogany Rush, Robin Trower, Ted Nugent, Montrose or just 70's metal in general, you will love this. This is a classic live record. Tommy Aldridge was at his best in Travers band(he was sounding better then any of his work with Black Oak, Whitesnake, or his one album with Ozzy). The energy is amazing. Like many 70's metal classics, this is underated and largely unknown."

Lean, taut, tight, and punchy rock 'n' ROLLLL

ChefBum | Fremont,, CA United States | 06/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I finally got 'Live! Go for What You Know' by Pat Travers after years of only being vaguely familiar with him, most notably for the hit, 'Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)', which happens to be one of the tracks on this album. The first thing that hit me about this band is how tight and focused they sound. They hit you like a big wall of energy. From track one to the end, they just don't stop. I just love the crunchy yet bright tone that both Pat Travers and Pat Thrall get out of their guitars. Whatever effects pedals they were using, I've got to get 'em! Along with interesting embellishments, licks, and rhythmic changeups, the other thing that really struck me later after repeated listening is just how great of a sense of rhythm these guitarists have. Everything sounds so taut and punchy (ESPECIALLY for a live recording), you can just tell these guys were RIGHT ON and groovin' as a band. My favorite tracks are tracks #3 and #8, 'Go All Night' and 'Makes No Difference'. These guys don't just go out and slog through another number-- they attack these songs as if it were the last time they were ever going to play!You can just FEEL the energy and the enthusiasm for the music on this record. It was an 80's classic, but it should be remembered as a great example of Pat Travers and his awesome band at their peak. It still compares very, very favorably to any live recorded performance out there, ever."

An Essential "Live" Rock Recording From Pat Travers

R. Gorham | 10/05/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Go For What You Know" (1979) was a series of live shows in Austin, TX and 3 different music halls in Florida. On this tour (1978-89) the band was in rare form. Meet the band: Pat Travers (guitar & vocals), Pat Thrall (guitar), Mars Cowling (bass), and Tommy Aldridge (drums). Thrall and Cowling were wonderful back-ups to Travers and both under-rated on their guitars. Aldridge came to be a journeyman drummer having stints with Travers, Black Sabbath, Black Oak Arkansas, Whitesnake, Gary Moore, and recent live albums with Ted Nugent and Thin Lizzy. "Go For What You Know" is 8 songs long and clocks in at approximately 42 minutes. The feeling you get from this album - energy accompanied by amazing musicianship. This band, with the best line up of players it ever enjoyed, was NEVER better. Other 70's bands like Deep Purple, UFO, Frampton, Kiss, Rush, Foghat all had their own classic "live" albums... and this one was right up there with them. Travers brought his Canadian blues rock style to the stage in great fashion... playing small intimate clubs was his speciality. The songs: 3 songs from "Makin' Magic" (1977) are here - "Stevie", "Hooked On Music" and the title song; 2 songs from "Putting It Straight" (1977) - "Gettin' Betta" and the title song; 2 songs from "Heat In The Street" (1978) - "Go All Night" and the title song; and the mega hit "Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)" from his early (unheard of) self titled album (1976). Like Peter Frampton's songs from "Frampton Comes Alive" - so many of the songs actually sound better 'live' than they did on the studio album... I think the same holds true with Travers. His versions here of "Boom Boom" and "Stevie" are simply electric and the crowd is totally into it (hard to narrow down the best songs here - they're all great). This is truly a great "live" recording and essential in any rock & roll library... the only thing bad about this album I can say is that it's not long enough! A classic."