The Vinyl Brew: Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous

 Shiny Day Brewers,

We don’t often venture into the world of live recordings for our weekly chats but every once in a while, we dip our toe, but only for those who have set to vinyl a true masterpiece. So, this week we are going to talk about a release by the rock gods that are Thin Lizzy and their 1978 release of Live and Dangerous.

Thin Lizzy are a heavy metal group that formed in Dublin in 1969. Led by one of the most iconic frontmen in the history of music, Phil Lynott, he would become a hero to so many and is still celebrated to this day. Up until this point the group had already released eight albums and were all ready to release album number nine. Unfortunately for them their producer Tony Visconti did not have enough time for a full studio session; fortunately for us they decided to put out a live album instead. The band sat down with Visconti and listened to over 30 hours of recordings to choose, in their own opinion, the best selection of their live performances to date for Live and Dangerous.

What we are left with is a selection of songs from several separate tour dates that the band themselves deemed to be the best of the best. Various overdubs were made to the original recordings, which has been a contentious point since its release, but to those who are just here for the music don’t worry too much about that. With several hit singles the band had locked down on its members with founders Phil Lynott and Brian Downey being joined by Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. All tracks are taken from the tours promoting ‘Johnny the Fox’ and ‘Bad Reputation’ and by the time Live and Dangerous had come along, Thin Lizzy had cemented themselves as a supreme live act including headlining Reading Festival.

Live and Dangerous would prove to be a high and low point for the band as it reached number 2 in the UK charts and was hailed as one of the greatest live albums of the seventies, but it would also during the first gig promoting the album, spell an end to Robertson’s time with the band as he and Lynott had a massive falling out and he quit the band. It would also unfortunately start the increase of drug use in the band which would eventually lead to the demise of Lynott.

Live and Dangerous is an easy recommendation and hopefully as you listen along now you agree. If it isn’t in your collection, then it is time to add it. It’s basically a greatest hits collection played with a higher intensity and a passion that isn’t always apparent on studio albums. True legends of Irish music, the band created many albums that should be in everybody’s stack. If you ever visit Dublin City, be sure to head to Harry Street just off Grafton Street and visit the statue that has been erected of the legend that is Phil Lynott. So, as we finish our chat, what should we let play us out? An obvious choice today has to be “The Boys are Back in Town”. As always be sure to head over to Twitter, @Vinyl8Records and let us know your thoughts.

““They were askin' if you were around
How you was, where you could be found
I told 'em you were livin' downtown
Drivin' all the old men crazy”

Till next we Brew,
T

Next Sunday's brew is Muse's Black Holes and Revelations. Why not add this gem to your collection so we can listen together next week!