THINK LIKE A KEY MUSIC

Not a rediscovery — a reminder of just how far Patto were willing to push things in 1971.

Fresh off a debut that had Robert Fripp and Chris Spedding in awe, Patto returned to Island Studios as a band that knew its strength was its uniqueness. In a sea of self-serious prog and heavy rock, they got jazzy, then experimental, then funny — and made it all sound effortless. Ollie Halsall's guitar remained a law unto itself: elastic, explosive, and endlessly musical. As drummer John Halsey put it: "Ollie may not have been the world's best guitarist, but he was certainly among the top two." Mike Patto sang like he had something to prove and nowhere to hide. The management fell apart, the press shrugged, and the album slipped away — but Halsey always knew. "I think as far as Patto goes, Hold Your Fire was ours, really."

He was right. Now hear why.