Pat Travers never sounded more focused and inspired than he does on
Live! Go for What You Know, which was recorded during the Canadian hard rocker/blues-rocker's U.S. tour of early 1979.
Travers can really burn on stage, and this album reflects that. Backed by guitarist
Pat Thrall (who had been a member of the obscure space rock band Automatic Man in 1976 and 1977), bassist Mars Gowling, and drummer
Tommy Aldridge, the singer is in top form on explosive, definitive versions of funky originals like "Heat in the Street," "Gettin' Betta," and "Makes No Difference." But the best-known thing on the album is
Travers' gutsy performance of Stan Lewis' blues classic "Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)," which should not be confused with the
John Lee Hooker favorite "Boom Boom." For
Travers, "Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)" has been a major crowd pleaser, and the version heard on this release was a staple of album rock radio in 1979 and the early '80s. If you're exploring
Travers' music for the first time,
Live! Go for What You Know is among the CDs to start with. ~ Alex Henderson