5 Stars
The fabulous “Live and Dangerous” album captures the hard rockin’, hard livin’ Thin Lizzy at the pinnacle of their powers.
After early success with a one-off single, Whisky in the Jar in 1972, things had reached a nadir during a tour of Germany in early 1974. After certain guitarists hired to replace original guitarist Eric Bell had not worked out, the main songwriter, bass player and showman extraordinaire, Phil Lynott, along with his Irish colleague Brian Downey, considered throwing in the towel. However, the arrival of the ultra-cool American Scott Gorham and Scottish wild man Brian Robertson soon sorted things out, and Thin Lizzy started their meteoric rise to the very top of the rock tree.
After five increasingly successful albums, they set out on a world tour (supported by the up-and-coming Graham Parker and The Rumour), culminating in three sold-out shows at the Hammersmith Odeon, London.
What shows they were too! On ‘Live and Dangerous,’ you get the entire set as it was performed on those Hammersmith Odeon gigs, but because of recording problems, the songs were taken from shows in London in 1976 and Philadelphia and Toronto in 1977. After the release, there was much back-biting about the fact that a lot of the bum notes were smoothed over by a production studio and that some of the solos were overdubbed. But let’s face it; if it improves the overall enjoyment of the music, who cares? The way these guys moved on stage, it is hardly surprising if the odd note was missed.
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The set starts with the perfect opener in ‘Jailbreak’, with wailing sirens and the audience impatiently chanting the band’s name. Then the band comes thumping in with a hard rock beat and Phil Lynott informing the masses, “tonight we’re going to have a jailbreak, tonight there’s going to be trouble, some of us won’t survive.” The twin lead guitars then let loose.
This band needed stage ramps as no stage was big enough to keep them contained. Before the next song, Phil Lynott asks the audience, in his thick Irish brogue, “Is there anybody here with any Irish in them? Are there any girls who like a little more Irish in them?”
The band rips through five more songs, including ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ with the fabulous John Earle on sax. They then slow it down for the heartbreaking love song, ‘Still in Love with You’ with Phil Lynott singing his own words about the one-sided breakup of a relationship. This song gives the guitarists space to really show their stuff in two emotional solos.
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But from that point on, it is hell-raising rock ‘n’ roll all the way. Phil Lynott wrote some classic songs and they are all here. From the pop top ten single, ‘The Boys Are Back in Town,’ to the heavy metal of ‘Suicide.’ The music climaxes with the band throwing themselves into the motorbike anthem, ‘The Rocker,’ by which time the audience has been brought up to an absolute frenzy.
The next time you have to make a long car journey buy this album and put it on your player. You’ll arrive at your destination in half the time and then stay sitting in the car to listen to just one more song.
By 1983 Thin Lizzy were gone and two years later, Phil Lynott was taken from us permanently. However, listen to their legacy; it will never be bettered.
Thin Lizzy’s Live and Dangerous stood for what rock music is supposed to be all about – a good night out.
Musicians
Phil Lynott – Bass Guitar and Vocals
Brian Downey – Drums
Scott Gorham – Lead Guitar
Brian Robertson – Lead Guitar
Huey Lewis – Harmonica on Baby Drives Me Crazy
John Earle – Saxophone on Dancing in the Moonlight
Tracks Listing
1. Jailbreak
2. Emerald
3. Southbound
4. Rosalie / Cowgirl’s Song
5. Dancing in the Moonlight (It’s Caught Me In Its Spotlight)
6. Massacre
7. Still in Love with You
8. Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed
9. Cowboy Song
11. Don’t Believe A Word
12. Warrior
13. Are You Ready
14. Suicide
15. Sha – La – La
16. Baby Drives Me Crazy
17. The Rocker
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