Pat Travers - The Art of Time Travel
by Kevin Wierzbicki
Last time out with his
Swing! album Travers surprised his fan base with an album featuring his interpretations of Big Band era classics. The effort wasn't too far off from his usual oeuvre; he rocked his guitar like crazy on "Sing Sing Sing," romped through the rhythmic favorite "In the Mood" with gusto and used his guitar to simulate the sound of a locomotive as well as drive the chestnut "Take the 'A' Train." For
The Art of Time Travel Travers returns to his familiar hard rock sound. The title cut finds Pat rocking hard, playing stellar guitar parts that hint at a fondness for Robin Trower; the somewhat manic cut also features a strong vocal turn that shows the bluesy aspect of his voice. There's no doubt about what other guitar player influences "Ronnie," a musical and lyrical appreciation for the late Ronnie Montrose, who Travers has long acknowledged as a mentor. "No Worries at All" is an album highlight; Travers' guitar has a sinister edge to it and in fact the lyrics belie the "no worries" situation indicated in the song title. "Push Yourself," augmented by a horn section, is a buoyant pep talk; "Move On" on the other hand is sludgy and evil sounding, kind of like a mash-up of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" with the blues. "Full Spectrum" is an instrumental groove, again with horns that give the cut an R&B flavor. "Breaking Up in Lockdown" is a self-explanatory cut with a sound that leans to Southern rock and "I Feel Good" melds rock with Latin influences for an overall funky vibe. All songs here were written by Travers except the moody instrumental that closes the record, a cut penned by Travers' bass player David Pastorius.
The Art of Time Travel thoroughly demonstrates that Travers is still adept at the art of guitar and fans will love it.
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