One of the Great 70's Live Albums
4 Out Of 5 Stars

During the great live album glut of the 70's, it seemed every band had a double live set in their back pocket. Thanks to Peter Frampton and Kiss proving that not only could you break a not quite successful band to commercial success, but you could sell these records in tonnage, everyone from Lynyrd Skynyrd to The Tubes were putting their act on disc for all the world to listen to. For the really good ones, it could help define the band. "Live and Dangerous" did just that for Thin Lizzy.

Having broken in the states thanks to "Jailbreak," there was a lot of talk that Lizzy's studio work just didn't measure up to the band's, and especially the late, charismatic frontman Phil Lynott's stage presence. Recorded in London (1976) and Toronto (1977) for the tours supporting "Johnny The Fox" and "Bad Reputation" respectively (and like many other 70's live acts, heavily touched up in the studio), the band was at their creative peak. That means you get stunning versions of "Jailbreak" and "Don't Believe a Word," you also get songs like Bob Seger's "Rosalie" and some should have been hits like "Dancing In The Moonlight" and the lighter "Still In Love With You," where Lynott's presence shines through.

This was also the prime Lizzy lineup: Lynott, Brian Downey, Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham. Thin Lizzy knocks these songs out with the kind of energy fanatics knew was missing from the regular albums. The twin guitars are set for stun, and Lynott's underrated bass playing pins it all together. Interband troubles would start after this release in 1978, so this marks the close of a chapter in the band's history, covering many of the major songs from the band's catalog. If all you know of Thin Lizzy is "The Boys Are Back In Town," then "Live and Dangerous" is a great introduction to a great rock band whose career was ultimately cut short too soon.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Thin Lizzy "Jailbreak (Deluxe Version)"

The Day The Boys Came to Town
5 Out Of 5 Stars

Sporting enigmatic frontman Phil Lynott and the twin guitar attack of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, Thin Lizzy were fired up and in fighting form when they delivered 1976's "Jailbreak." This was a do or die album for them, as they'd been intimated that they needed a hit or it was game over. From the opening punch of the title song (complete with sirens and alarm bells), you could tell; Thin Lizzy had made an album that was going to be their big payday.

Even bigger was the rock anthem to bad boy behavior, "The Boys are Back in Town." Memorable on the first listen, the hook stuck with you and gave Thin Lizzy its first and only American hit. Loaded with macho imagery and rock energy, it's become enough of a classic to be picked for TV commercials. Still, the 'boys' were rampant all across "Jailbreak," with the kind of romantic imagery about coming of age and pushing back against authority, like the title track "Fight or Fall," or "Warriors."

Lynott also had a special place in his heart for American mythology, which is exposed on the romantic "Romeo and The Lonely Girl" and "Cowboy Song." Lynott's vocals are even soulful on these songs, underlining the fact that Thin Lizzy, even though pegged as hard rockers, had a lot of colorful characters in the storybook. The 'rocking' title is still deserved, with the twin harmonies of Gorham and Robertson snaking through the best songs here, and drummer Brian Downey punching through "Warriors" with a brief but effective solo.

"Jailbreak" was the break Thin Lizzy needed, not only breaking the band in the USA, but across the world. The remaster makes things a bit punchier, but the bonus disc "remixes" should be viewed with suspicion; Joe Elliott (of Def Leppard and an avowed Lizzy fan) and former guitarist Gorham added overdubs and extra vocals to the new mixes. The BBC sessions are ace material, showing what the band was capable of in an intimate space. There's one unreleased studio track ("Blues Boy") and a fine early version of "Cowboy Song" then titled "Derby Blues." Overall, a better "deluxe version" than you often find marketed as such, and a classic bit of 70's rock.