Ranking the Studio Albums: Pat Travers

Join host Pete Pardo as he ranks his 10 favorite studio albums from Canadian guitar legend Pat Travers. #pattravers
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[@jerryattwooll4864]

I think his earlier work is my favourite era, like his debut, Makin' Magic, Putting It Straight and Heat In The Street. Those albums represent the peak of his output for me.

[@kellyanrig1220]

Pete, thanks for doing a show on Pat Travers. One of my favorite guitar players since my college days.

[@davidtyler3116]

I saw him after the release of Putting it Stright at the Four Acres in Marcy, NY. He had a three-piece band including Mars and Tommy Aldridge on drums. A 96 cent concert. What a dream. I sat in front of him.

[@hondotoo]

saw him in 1980 crash and burn tour, kicked my ass!

[@johnmichaelwilliams6694]

Another great show, Pete, about an artist whose catalogue deserves more attention. Your encouragement of where to begin in a catalogue is always welcome to someone trying to add to her or his music library. Thanks!

[@paulburrows7908]

I saw Pat Travers live last year, so killer!

[@coalregionrider18960]

Saw him a few months ago the show kicked ass he tore the roof off the place

[@diannecarpenter7718]

Thank you for ranking the studio albums of Pat Travers.🎤🎸🎵🥁

[@johnhunt5542]

Hi Pete, another great show . How about ranking some 38 Special Albums ? Dig the show Man !

[@mjack7445]

Pete Pardo you are great, you listen and enjoy the same bands, periods, style of music & songs like me! PAT TRAVERS is a great guitar player 🤘🤘🤘

[@kaosmonger73]

I was just listening to Pat Travers today. Amazing show. Your top 4 are my top 4 as well. Thank you!

[@progcycle]

Really looking forward to Deep Cut Dive!

[@brookdrake3296]

You got me thinking about what a great live band this was. I saw them November 11th 1978 in Reno Nevada and that night they were opening for RUSH ( A tour of the hemispheres ). Pat Travers, Pat Thrall, Mars Cowling, and the greatest f**king drummer in the world as he was introduced that night Tommy Aldridge. My buddy and I stopped into A Warehouse Records on South Virginia Street the afternoon of the show and the band was in there signing records, so we got to meet them all. Anyway great concert as both bands just knocked it out of the park, and Travers set was just a preview of Go For What You Know Live which would be recorded within the next two months. Great memories!

[@coolfurillo8169]

My top 5: Putting it Straight Makin' Magic Pat Travers Heat in the Street Crash and Burn

[@ottdog1952]

Looking forward to your deep cuts programs. Cool idea. P.S. Love Pat Travers. Best cover of "Born Under a Bad Sign".

[@davidtyler3116]

Putting it Straight is hands down his best IMO.

[@ledzeplover58]

I agree. And Nicko McBrain!

[@chrisdowling8094]

Makin' Magic is a class apart. It's the only one of his albums on which there is not a single weak track.

[@turefromfinland3264]

No, it isn't.

[@hondotoo]

Putting It Straight, Makin Magic, Live Album, Heat In the Street

[@hondotoo]

@Realism I not a bad song on that record!

[@TheMinster1960]

I saw The Pat Travers Band at the Lone Star Cafe in NYC back in 1986. (Malice opened.) Those guys could still bring it live. Jerry Riggs was the second guitarist, but he stepped aside for a couple songs as Pat Thrall was in the audience and jumped up onstage for a mini reunion of sorts.

[@derekclacton]

Putting it Straight #1 for me!

[@johnhenfrey5936]

Thanks for the Vlog Pete. A good solid guitar player, who never really made it to the top.

[@seagullpoet]

I remember I partied with a very cool husband and wife duo - at their condo. They had a bunch of cassettes in a box. Wife grabbed Pat Travers. Put it on. I never heard of him before. It was super perfect for the mood we were in ha !

[@t702942]

I love Pat Travers! That live album on your shirt is right up there with Double Live Gonzo from the Nuge!

[@nicholasnorris4393]

I got his Rock Solid: the essinental collection 2 CD compilation, which covers his early career, mid 70s to 84, when he was on polydor records. Great compilation on repitrore records out of Germany.

[@gatorguyblue]

saw Pat during the Black Pearl tour at a small club here in Fresno, Calif. cool seeing the band up close

[@randysalles2292]

Seen PT many times, Winterland with his debut album then couple times with Pat Thrall, also saw Pat Thrall with Automatic Man then later saw Hughes/Thrall band...but Pat Travers...rt there in my top ten guitarist!!

[@pastateconstablesoffice]

really enjoyed Pat Thrall's work on the "Crash and Burn" album - great to see you mention Automatic Man - I still enjoy listening to "My Pearl" regularly ...

[@dennissweeney6774]

Saw PAT THRALL play with JACK BRUCE a hand full of time they played the BOTTOM LINE and CLAPTON he came in late and played two songs that was a good show all around. Only saw Pat TRV. Once in the early 90s out in N.J small club great show .rock on my friend.

[@matthewfeduzi4751]

Great job Pete.

[@jesuschambers]

I'm a massive fan of Patrick Henry Travers and I was fortunate to see him live with his top notch band in a double bill with Journey in the late 70's. I have to say that I enjoyed their set much more than Journey's so it just goes to show how great Pat Travers is. My favourite album has to be Makin' Magic and favourite track, a toss up between the tittle track and Stevie with Life In London right behind.

[@SteveAuger2021]

Pete, thank you so much for mentioning the swing album. Really like the stuff on there. Also, check out Pat’s covers of Black Betty and green eyed lady. Very good stuff

[@keithoday9896]

THANK YOU PETE!! Here's my top ten 1.Putting it Straight 2.Black Pearl 3.Makin Magic 4.Heat in the Street 5.Crash and Burn 6. Radioactive 7.Pat Travers 8.Hot Shot 9.Retro Rocket 10.School of Hard Knocks Might be the best Opening Act band ever- seen him 4 times open but were as good as headliners. Thanks again Pete.!!😎

[@jimmccormick9267]

Love PT. The father of funk/fusion/metal. A head of his time. I have all the Polydor albums. On the 80's Polydor albums, each one has 2-4 terrific songs on them, (would make a killer single album) are not totally essential less you are a hardcore Travers fan, or “Hammerhead,” as Pat calls them. Bassist Peter “Mars” Cowlings who co-wrote the great 70’s albums was featured less & less, until he disappeared in 1982, & I truly believe this contributed to less creative writing. But all the Pat Travers studio albums (though I'm glad I have them all) you need is this - (just my opinion) - "Putting It Straight," my favorite album of all time, still as fresh to my ears today as when I bought in in 1977. "Running From The Future" was probably the first heavy metal/fusion song. Jazzy & super heavy. Many ground breaking songs here. "Makin' Magic," still probably my second favorite album of all time. The jewel here is the hard rocking funky fusion of "Need Love," a perpetual motion of high energy rock/funk/fusion. Next would be "Heat In The Street." Though some killer stuff on here, the title song & "Go All Night," it did not reach the artistic heights of "Putting It Straight." "Go For What You Know" my favorite live album is as essential as any of them, but I find myself grabbing for “Putting It Straight” the most. I seen the “Go For What You Know” concert on September 7th 1979. They nailed it note for note. Rush headlined, & I love Rush, but PT & company won the night easily. I have 6 or 7 post Polydor albums & am not really excited about most of them, but “Retro Rocket” rocks hard & the good collection of cover songs on “Blues Tracks,” rocks pretty heavy for blues covers, but Pat always played them heavy. Other than that, I just don’t find myself reaching for the post 80’s material.

[@highcurrent1125]

Love Pat Travers!!! First saw him a loooong time ago at the Cow Palace in SF. RUSH opened for Travers! Always love Pat's tone and feel. Best Travers gig I ever saw was shortly after Thrall left the band. Didn't know what to expect with Thrall gone, but it seemed Travers really stepped it up, he was on FIRE!

[@jimrodriguez9673]

PT opened for Rush.

[@donnascottlaning9527]

I loved both Blues Tracks albums as well as " Don't Feed The Alligators". Another great Canadian boy done well! So much great guitar rock from the 70's!

[@ricksmith7881]

Met him once, I like all his stuff especially Blues Tracks

[@magnuswettermark8293]

Black Pearl is one of my favorites. Awesome album

[@bruceh4226]

Saw Pat as an opener (along with UFO) for Cheap Trick at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center either 78 or 79... was unfamiliar with him at the time, but I became an immediate fan as a result. My top 5: 1) Putting It Straight 2) Makin' Magic 3) Heat in the Street 4) Pat Travers (debut) 5) Crash and Burn (And if I never hear Boom Boom again I could live with that) Side note: Pat was the last concert I saw this year at the end of February before everything got shut down due to CV19.

[@daveoutdoors4949]

Hammerhead is one of the all time great instrumentals.

[@johnhunt5542]

I love Pat Travers. Great Stuff.

[@johnw706]

Crash & Burn . The title track is still my favorite Black Pearl . His version of Beethoven's 5th rocks !

[@seagullpoet]

I remember some popular music magazine I was once reading.... And there was a full page ad for Crash and Burn. I stared at the photo and thought “ Jesus “ !

[@hondotoo]

luv Black Pearl!

[@1970borntorun]

Pat Travers !!! Thank you you Pete ! :-) Peace ♫

[@henktenktank3511]

Great Pete👍🏻🎸

[@eduardocalvo9631]

Recently got into the vinyl craze. I will definitely not replace my CD collection, which I've been building for more than 30 years. And while I will occasionally invest in new vinyl, it's become a small pleasure visiting second hand vinyl stores in Mexico City and the U.S. and literally diggin for gems. I very recently got Makin' Magic and didn't recall how it ranked in this show. Took a chance and bought it and just saw it ranked No.2. Pleasant surprise. Heard it and can see why it ranked so high.

[@blazerk9614]

I remember vividly the Makin Magic tour and standing in front of Mars. He was putting on a.clinic with Pat. I have need love burned into my memory to this day.

[@samkeepintherockalive]

Bazooka with Carmen Appice is really good! A hard rocking masterpiece!

[@ranjandutta5029]

Desparately waiting for a show dedicated to the enormous and diverse Tommy Bolin discography. Not necessarily, a ranking of his albums, but a list of must have/listen albums spanning Zephyr, Energy, fusion stuff, solo studio albums, James Gang stuff, Deep Purple (both studio and live) albums live albums posthumous releases, live stuff, and compilations. He appeared in so many recordings, it's difficult to decide which ones to purchase. It would be great to hear which are your favourites, and what you would recommend from his enormous recorde work. I am sure you would agree he is one of the great unsung guitar heroes who could play any style of music and left us all too soon.

[@tommyboyindy1157]

Boom boom - out go the lights.

[@cmiller6501]

1.Crash & Burn. 2.Black Pearl. 3.Go For What You Know. One of the all time great live albums.

[@jackiehowell1971]

Pat Travers is a multifaceted,talented guitar legend in his own time. Top tracks,not albums, I have my own favs 1.Boom,out go the lights.pat gave this number a serious sound that has actually floated his career even with people that don't spends days at the bing lounge.2. I'd rather see you dead.cute movie worthy.what a block buster.3.snortin whiskey chillier than blackSabbath,4. Go for what you know,need I say more,5'heat in the street .6. ice queen,7.born under a bad sign.8.gettin better.9.stevie.crash and burn.TOP covers hot rod Lincoln. Opus one take the a train ,red house, Statesboro blues to play jazz with such skill after such a long career in rock is truly amazing.there is only ONE PAT TRAVERS

[@drstupid4366]

Did Nicko McBrain play drums for Pat Travers Band ?

[@ricklogan3328]

Yes early stuff

[@davidvaness5081]

Listen to nicko on makin magic hes so good need love into hooked on music

[@davidbell1275]

Thank you for mentioning the much underrated Hot Shot. Pat and Jerry Riggs were phenomenal together.

[@colinrgage]

Everyone had making magic as I remember!!

[@gwts1171]

Great guitarist! My knowledge of his music is pretty sporadic, though. Crash & Burn has always been way up there for me. I like Radio Active, too, though it's way different. I have a few others from throughout his long career, but not enough for a good ranking list. His work on some of Glenn Hughes' solo stuff is top-notch, too. Thanks, Pete!

[@inmyhouse11]

Whats playing in the background? Very chillout music to lounge by the pool with a mojito

[@johnappleton8133]

Putting It Straight and Making Magic are beastly albums.

[@luiscontreras4718]

Will check out Pat Travers albums! Really happy about Primal Fear tomorrow (new song came out today) 👍👍👍

[@ianmacdonald7987]

Spooky that a mate of mine was playing me some Pat Travers on Saturday, and then this lands. Seems like a higher being is trying to tell me something!!🤘🏻

[@jeremydicker6613]

Loved this ranking as im a huge PT fan...my top 2 are Makin Magic and Hot Shot...fav track ? Gotta be Stevie.!!!!

[@eddiebranden1]

Album that was my intro to Pat Travers was Blues Tracks on Blues Bureau(aka Shrapnel).

[@stevenausten9935]

Great review Pete, and like your ranking, heat in the street is my favourite too. But when I think of PT it’s that opening riff of Snorting Whiskey, and the great solo. I really enjoy Black Pearl when Sandy Gennaro took over the drum stool, PT never received the credit he is due, just great rock/blues guitar work, the classic line up of PT, Tommy Aldridge, Mars Cowling and Pat Thrall was really a classic supergroup who could really play 👍

[@jeffincabo]

" Life in London" the best !

[@cameramanzoomit]

Travers was my first concert in '81 (Radio Active tour) and I've seen him too many times to count ever since. Black Pearl is probably my favorite. Heat In The Street is up there. Just depends on the day. But from the first album through School Of Hard Knocks are all stellar albums. Go For What You Know being one of the all time greatest albums, live or studio. More recent albums like Fidelis, Can Do and Retro Rocket are all great as well. He tours non-stop. One of the best ever. Pat Travers and Todd Rundgren are two similarly very hard-working rock and roll legends, both very much still on their game live as well as viable artists periodically releasing new material.

[@tobywatson1643]

1. Heat In The Street 2. Makin’ Magic 3. Putting It Straight 4. Hot Shot 5. Pat Travers 6. Crash & Burn 7. Radio Active 8. Black Pearl 9. Lookin’ Up 10. School Of Hard Knocks

[@Rolf2112]

Great rocker. Life in London is killer

[@davidvaness5081]

In 77 my friend put on makin magic and i was stunned oh oh lookout here it comes

[@williamgeorgefraser]

Never a big name in France so the only albums I own are "Heat in the Street", "Live! Go For What You Know" and "Black Pearl" (amazing Beethoven's 5th). I love him and wish I knew more of his stuff. PS. Just put on "Heat In The Street" which I haven't listened to in ages. I'd forgotten what a killer "Killer's Instinct" is. (sorry for the pun). I must listen to this album more often. "I Tried To Believe" has always been my favourite. On "Black Pearl" the bass intro to "I La la la Love You" is... there are no words to describe it. It's totally F*cking amazing.

[@dzyggadzynn8519]

How about a deep cut dive for Bachman,Turner Overdrive,Pete?

[@purplepeavey7874]

Did you ever do a show about your guitars ?

[@stoneyj.5538]

Putting it Straight Makin ‘ Magic Just a Touch Heat in the Street

[@sjwill1956]

Makin Magic was my intro .. also featured Nicko McBrain on drums

[@martymartin2894]

Yes I'm surprised pete didn't mention that.

[@theomoor8513]

Love Lookin' Up too.

[@lening9]

1) Makin’ Magic 2) Crash and Burn 3) Heat in the Street 4) Pat Travers 5) Putting It Straight 6) Black Pearl 7) Hot Shot 8) Radio Active 9) Can Do 10) Retro Rocket 11) School of Hard Knocks 12) Blues Tracks 13) Just a Touch 14) PT=MC2 15) Swing! 16) Blues Tracks 2 17) Halfway to Somewhere 18) Lookin’ Up 19) Fidelis 20) Blues on Fire 21) P.T. Power Trio 22) P.T. Power Trio 2 23) Don’t Feed the Alligators 24) Blues Magnet

[@calummcgregor3662]

good shout out for School of Hard Knocks which is just a great album (Misty Morning in New Orleans is fabulous) ... saw Pat touring that album at a small venue (Ceasar's) in Aberdeen, UK ... original CD suffered bronzing (due to the flakey PDO plant at Swindon) but was able to get it replaced for free. There is a new reissue with 3 additional coves tracks just recently out. Please do check out this album. Personal favourite is Putting it Straight (originally bought on a cassette) ... awesome guitar / vocals / songs ... Crash & Burn, Live album, etc all great EXCEPT I can't listen to Is This Love because it sounds like the speed is wrong on the recording .... great tune but not a good version .... I have all official releases (Studio and Live albums) ... and his quality control is pretty high ... all his albums after the classic era (which ran to mid '80's) have great tunes and guitar work .... his latest teasers on Facebook seem to indicate that his next output could also be interesting ... always worth a listen ....

[@brenorfs2]

The other day I ranked Retro Rocket as my favorite album of 2015, what a great surprise that album was!

[@jimrodriguez9673]

And there was only a couple songs on Retro Rocket that PT wrote. The others were just bass and drum backing tracks sent to PT to add vocals and guitar.

[@LickinLonnie]

Pete its hard to hear you on this video-was your mic turned on or up?

[@gregberry1812]

Love me some PT. Who else released 3 albums in a row as solid as Putting it straight, Makin Magic and Heat in the street? Many came close. Maybe Aerosmith. Depends how drunk i am. Love the Sea Pete.

[@bruceh4226]

Forgot to add this... is a ranking for Foghat on the horizon?

[@izitsomojo]

Yeah! I asked this months ago and can't believe Pete's got this far along without draggin this one out. Lonesome Dave was the best! My favorite band of all. Nothing beats a Foghat CD in my player. Wait and see?

[@toneman8478]

Putting it straight is his best album

[@jeffthrow6892]

Yeah - Live - Go For What You Know was my first Travers album too, just excellent. All the albums before it & Crash & Burn after are great......

[@musicmonger]

Pat is working with David Pastorius (Jaco's nephew) and Tommy Craig right now on pre production of a new Rocker coming out in the not too distant future..

[@cloudedthoughts909]

My personal studio favorites: Putting It Straight Heat in the Street & Radio Active - Side 1 kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6iygJSuj5ekbc0 [ Check out Pat's brother tearin' it up, with P.T. and the band ]

[@Trifixion22]

Hey Pete, you may have mentioned it in the video, but what's that music you have playing in the background?

[@sotdude7]

It’s pat metheny...surprised you can even hear it. I barely had the volume up.

[@Trifixion22]

@@sotdude7 I guess that's why I liked it. Need to give my ears a rest from heavy music. Thanks for letting me know! Sounds beautiful.

[@phildeblois8170]

stevie is an amazing song. glen hughes pipes at end of song.

[@musicmonger]

Surprised Pete didn't mention that.. also, Pat Travers did some work with Trapeze members to work on Glenn's solo debut "Play Me Out" prior to Glenn guesting on "Makin' Magic"

[@martymartin2894]

He never mentioned that nicko from iron maiden played drums on making magic aswell.

[@matthewclark9652]

The song "Killer" (from 1984 "Hot Shot") was his last big hit on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Charts.

[@jp1194]

Hey Pete how come you haven’t done The Moody Blues yet??

[@nickcrowley1863]

Where do you get your t-shirts? Everyone one I buy anymore is undersized and paper thin.

[@davestadel]

PT Roxx. I'd say I have same top 4. I'd put like Black Pearl & Hot Shot before the debut and RadioActive. As for the newer, non-blues stuff, Fidelis could get into the top 10 IMO. Good stuff on that one. I've gotten to meet Pat a few times even got to open up for him in 1990. I think School of Hard Knocks may have been out, but not 100% sure, but it was the era Jerry Riggs era.

[@lundkd10]

Black Pearl is his masterpiece imho...

[@martinkdoorstoperception.1913]

my fav is the live album its killer.

[@turefromfinland3264]

My top 3 is: 1= Makin' magic (just awesome record!!), 2= Pat travers, 3= Heat on the street.

[@magnuswettermark6085]

#1 heat in the street.#2 putting it straight.#3 black pearl. Black pearl is so fuckin underated in my opinion !!

[@waywyrd6342]

Any chance of The Groundhogs? Early 70'ish.

[@seaoftranquilityprog]

I only have 4 of their albums...some of the others are hard to get on CD. I might do something with them at some point.

[@johnappleton8133]

Tommy Aldridge is such an underrated and amazing drummer and he's played in quite a few top tier bands.

[@paulburrows7908]

Nicko Mcbrain too.

[@marcddailey]

Tommy Aldridge was originally a member of Black Oak Arkansas.

[@williambaxter4628]

UNDERRATED!?

[@gerstrootker6248]

Yeah, Pat Travers was the shit back then. Makin magick and Heat in the streat are still among my favourite albums. But I still don't know what happened around '80. I mean that band was ready to conquer the world ....

[@gabrielheftye973]

My fav : Crash and Burn Live! Go for What you Know Makin' Magic Blues Tracks 1 & 2 Bazooka

[@StrongLIfePower]

Judas Priest is a must for Deep Cut dive - Sinner - Turnin Circles - Beyond the Rhelms of Death - Island of Domination - Hero's End - Stained Class

[@StrongLIfePower]

Persecution and Nostradamus too!!!

[@StrongLIfePower]

Have you ranked the Allman Brothers albums yet?

[@sotdude7]

Yes

[@ledzep9501]

Not fair, shoud be at least a Top 15 albums with everything in between, collaborations etc... But overall very very enjoyable.

[@chriswoosley3883]

agreed,10 s not fair

[@ledzep9501]

@@chriswoosley3883 Chris Woosley There's so much material from Travers that makes it instantly unfair but at the same time "impossible" to choose among the gargantuan catalogue if you add everything and anything that he is involved with, so quite understandable for Pete's choice to make this a 10.

[@richardweigle1687]

@@ledzep9501 agreed,but would have added 2 more for a dozen worthy picks imo,im sure two more too better right?

Six Four Two One Rock n Roll! And for me PT=MC2, CAN DO in more

[@neugey]

Pete you got me into Pat Travers last year, but the stuff that hits my sweet spot is his 90's blues output.

[@jimfritz9503]

Is HAMMERHEAD the same one that Jeff Beck did? Thanks

[@jimmycampbell78]

Also, was the “Getting Better” mentioned at 5:50 a Pat Travers cover of the Beatles song from Sgt Pepper? The “getting better all the time” lyric is the same.

[@sotdude7]

No, original PT tune

[@guidosessa5075]

2 power trio albums are smokin

[@doomfable3378]

Putting it Straight would take my top pick

[@captainbeyond7469]

Heat in the Street is a guitar classic my number one. Pat is so underrated right up there in the top thirty greats. And of course that legendary live album one of the best ever.

[@ischmel3884]

Crash and Burn or Putting it Straight ...its a toss up. Fav. single Heat in the Street. Go for What You Know, plenty of hours with the 8-track. When I say BOOM BOOM, you say?

[@davidvickyferguson2399]

I think he's got most of this right, HOWEVER, always thought Black Pearl was a weak album, would replace with Blues Magnet