The reasons why escape me, but I'm thinking about upgrading my vinyl copy of Pat Travers Crash & Burn to digital. And by "upgrade," I mean converting from one obsolete format to another obsolete format. That's how we roll in Iowa. Hell, we still wear acid wash jeans around here.
Actually, I probably know the reason why I've got Pat Travers on the brain: Arcade Fire. You see, I've been playing Neon Bible a bit (which didn't surpass Biggie and ended up entering at #2 last week), which got me thinking about Canada. From that, I started to think about April Wine, which reminded me of The Trailer Park Boys when they tell Rush's Alex Lifeson to play "I Like To Rock" before he explains that it's an April Wine song and not Rush. From there, I'm reminded that I really should get season three of The Trailer Park boys on dvd, because it features the episode where they kidnap Lifeson.
So now my minds in total classic rock obsession which leads me to think of other Canadian rockers...Like Pat Travers.
Crash & Burn is awesome: it features the classic song "Snortin' Whiskey (Drinkin' Cocaine)" which I overheard two total burnouts talking about while waiting in line for a Cheap Trick concert back around '81.
Burnout #1: Pat Travers put on a good show...
Burnout #2: (singing) Snortin' whiskey! Drinkin' cocaine!
Burnout #1: That's a fuckin' great song, man.
Burnout #2: I know, man!
Burnout #1: Ya'ever try it?
Burnout #2: What? Blow?
Burnout #1: Nah man, snortin' whiskey!
Burnout #2: N'uh uh...
Burnout #1: I did...Poured some fuckin' Jack on the table...Fuckin' hoovered up a line of it!
Burnout #2: Did'ja get off?
Burnout #1: Nah man...That shit fuckin' burned!
(both laugh)
So understand that when a 14 year old hears two longhairs in their early twenties talking like this, one of the first reactions is to go get some Jack Daniels, cocaine, and the Pat Travers album that has "Snortin' Whiskey" on it.
Having no luck with the first two items, I snagged Crash & Burn at the Woolworth's and actually enjoy the album quite a bit.
Travers remains a sorely under appreciated guitarist who's played with some very talented folks.
He played live around SEIA on more than one occasion, usually at the same venue where I saw Cheap Trick, so he was probably bigger around there than in other parts of the country.
When some band members left to join other projects, Travers regrouped (literally) and called it his new band and album, Black Pearl.
Pat Travers' Black Pearl may have given him his biggest notoriety: inclusion in a major motion picture. "I La La La Love You" was featured prominently in the movie "Valley Girl" and was given an on-screen endorsement by Nicolas Cage's character.
The song is pretty good...but you'd never know this if you saw the video for it. I didn't know the thing existed, but unfortunately, it does.
And I found it.
Travers, who looks hilariously similar to Nigel Tufnel in it, tries to get the attention of (strangely) the woman he just woke up next to. He follows her around in a baby blue shirt before frightening her with a guitar solo on a perfectly matched baby blue guitar.
If you're not a fan of Pat Travers, the video will ensure that doesn't change.
If you are a fan of Travers, the video may change that opinion.
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