Live And Dangerous

A live Thin Lizzy album is not high on my list of things I want to listen to. The music is pretty middle of the road and this album lacked the energy of most good live albums. Turns out, that's because Thin Lizzy straight up cheated and overdubbed a bunch of the parts after the fact. So it's only kinda live. The result is a the audio equivalent of flat beer. You can taste what it should be and it'll deliver alcohol... But it's just not enjoyable.

"Is there anyone here with a little Irish in them ?" Crowd screams yeh. "Any of the girls want a little more in Irish in them"

I'm not a fan of this one. There is so much guitar/bass/drums music from the 70s, I really had enough of it. I can only remember fondly or listen to G/B/D bands that had something really special (originality or virtuoso musicians). And this isn't the case with this group and album. Yeah the guitar, bass and drums are good but there are many better and moreover there is nothing original about the instrument playing or songwriting that makes me want to keep listening. The 70s had guitar phenoms so good they could that they could make a band that's not original stand out. Jimmy Page was so good he made Led Zep good. (Overplayed to the point I can't listen to them anymore but that's another story). The guitars don't get Thin LIz there. The bass player is also good but what is he doing that Entwistle hadn't done years earlier and a lot better? The drummer's slapping the gong at the end of Southbound puts a cherry on my point that they are followers rather than leaders. I thought even Kiss was ringing the gong before Thin Liz. How embarrassing is that? I'm was a little surprised to learn there are two guitar players but I did hear duelling solos. This would have been fun to see in concert but having two guitars also gives the opportunity for consistently good rhythm and there is really not much rhythm guitar to get excited about. I planned to listen until they played Boys are Back in Town but ended up listening to it all. Unfortunately, I was reminded of the worst part of 70s rock concerts: the tiresome drum solo. The 2+ minutes of TL's drum solo are minutes I will not get back and could've spent listening to more of the 1001 albums I need to listen to. Fothermucker! Apologies to any TL fans out there. Also apologies in advance to fans of "The Song Remains the Same" if that's on the 1001. That bad boy will get max 1 star based solely on the length of the drum solo.

Glorious, seemingly effortless hard rock. Some absolute classic tracks. Fave track - on this play through, "Massacre" really jumped out at me. Tends to get overshadowed by their more well known tunes, but it landed for me this time...

I have checked, and this is the only Thin Lizzy album on this list. So, outside of a comparison I made in the KISS review, this is the only mildly public chance I might have to discuss Thin Lizzy. I should try to make it a good one. Thin Lizzy are my Dad’s favourite band. As such, I have grown up listening to their music in a way I have not listened to any other music. They are an integral part of my musical education, one of the reasons why I picked up the guitar as an instrument. And as such I am approached this listening of Live And Dangerous with more scrutiny than I would most other albums on this list. And that scrutiny is not affecting the listening experience in any bit. This is one of the great, if not the greatest, examples of the live double album that bands in the 70’s put out with worrying regularity. The band is on as tight a form as a loosely funky, bluesy, semi-improvisational Rock group could be. All of the playing is exceptional, all of the solo’s are exceptional, all of it is emblematic of tight group of sympatico musicians performing to their highest standard. There’s a controversy about how much of Live And Dangerous was overdubbed, and the obvious answer to the problem is that ‘all live albums are overdubbed, why does it matter so specifically in this case?’ but, in Lizzy’s case, the problem has been answered. There was a subsequent live album released called Still Dangerous, which was a full concert recording from the concerts that Live And Dangerous was taken from, with no overdubs. And guess what? It’s as good as Live And Dangerous is. It has the same energy levels, the same dynamics, the same virtuosity, that made Live And Dangerous such a good record. And let’s not forget the figure without whom the whole thing would fall apart. If Iggy Pop is the consummate Punk front man, Phil Lynott should be in the conversation as consummate Hard Rock front man, partly because he’s the only Hard Rock guy whose sex appeal I have no problem with. Robert Plant would spend too much time talking about Lord of the Rings, Steven Tyler the less said about the better, I would fuck Ozzy but that’s just because I think it’d be a story. That leaves Lynott, who was both incredibly attractive, effortlessly cool and charismatic, and also as a black Irish man, the eternal outsider, which further added to a sense of style and mystery to his persona. And Lynott wouldn’t have been as sexy if he weren’t also so damned talented. The songwriting is immaculate, full of Irish-American mythology and character pieces, written with the style of the best Gaelic sages, and the heartbreaking irony of the best American songwriters. Live And Dangerous is a great representation of what it feels like to be in the crowd of a good Rock gig, with all of the sweaty exuberance, excitement and euphoria that goes along with it. And the songs, and the solos, and the writing, and the performances, and the arrangements, and the guest stars, and, and, and…

Listened Before? N Holy S**T! What an amazing introduction to Thin Lizzy. This live album is an absolute masterpiece from beginning to end. Banger after banger lined up in a row. The lead guitar is absolutely face-melting in every song, and the band's energy is full-tilt. I am unsure how I have basically completely missed this band until now. Everyone knows "The Boys are Back in Town", and I was familiar with "Jailbreak" but every other song here is wonderful as well. I see no real cons here. This will be my first 5-star album. Added to Library? Y Songs added to Playlist - The Boys are Back in Town

A double live album that's pulled from several different shows and later overdubbed is bound to be rather unenjoyable, and that's before considering that it's mediocre 70s rock. I have no idea how this made anybody's list of essential albums. Completely disposable. Best track: Massacre

I was already predisposed to enjoying the tough guy streetwalker tracks that still get radio play, and the slower more romantic songs are well done even if they're not my preference, but the more intense songs about historical violence that Iron Maiden basically took wholesale blew me away (and sure enough, as I write this I discover that Maiden actually did in fact record a cover of Massacre). They're lucky this album kicks as much ass as it does, or I would've been more upset about the blatant overdubbing. Key Tracks: Emerald, Massacre, Cowboy Song

This is the kind of music that got me into music in the first place. Rock guitar and great hooks. Will be listening to this album a lot.

Let's just get this right out of the way early: Huey Lewis is on this album, playing harmonica on "Baby Drives Me Crazy". So this automatically gets 2 stars just for that surprising little nugget. And I'm not especially a Huey Lewis fan at all. Thin Lizzy gets my consideration as one of the more underrated bands of all-time. Most people only know them for "The Boys Are Back In Town" (a stellar version of which appears here as part of a seamless one-two punch with "Cowboy Song"). Most of Thin Lizzy's output holds up quite well. I don't usually like live albums, but I love this one. I wouldn't be upset to also find the Jailbreak album on this list. Apparently there's a sector of folks who immediately dismiss this album, claiming it's "overdubbed". Don't ALL Live albums have overdubs? The only unpolished live albums are bootlegs. And down at Dino's Bar'n'Grill the drink will flow and blood will spill, and if the boys wanna fight, you better let 'em.

What a live album, what a voice. I can't believe I had gone my whole life without listening to Dancing in the Moonlight. Never making that mistake again

Awesome album. Such a distinctive sound both musically and vocally. Dancing in the moonlight is the best song amongst many great songs. It kind of reminded me of a Van song, who was idolised by Phil Lynott and whose bandmates in Them, later joined Thin Lizzy.

I don’t know if ‘Live And Dangerous’ is the best live album of all time, or whether it’s not a true live album at all because it was re-recorded in the studio and overdubbed with crowd noise to make it sound live. What I do know is that it rocks hard and is lots of fun, with many moments throughout to indulge in the hedonistic dream of being a rock god whilst perfecting one’s air guitar skills. ‘Live And Dangerous’ won’t change the world, but there’s worse ways to spend 75 minutes.

I tend to not love live albums unless there is something really unique in the performance. This one, being a double album, I found to drag on a bit toward the end. I liked the 4 song run between "Dancing in the Moonlight" and "Johnny the Fox," gravitating more toward the slower songs.

Boys are back, Rosalie, Don't believe a word, Cowboy Song, Whiskey, Still in love, Dancing, Jailbreak

Music I listened to growing up. Still like it.

Ok, now i get it with Thin Lizzy. Their studio albums leave a lot to be desired compared to this “live” record. This is heavy duty, man.

Legendary.

One of the best live albums I've listened to.There isn't one bad song on the album. And the transition from one track to another is pretty amazing. As I read there is a big debate about how ‘live’ Live and Dangerous is. My opinion is who fckin cares? Live and Dangerous is a great sounding album, it’s perfectly produced and mixed. I'm gonna exclude the 2 songs I already knew, "The Boys are Back in Town" and "Jailbreak". Most favourite tracks from the album: Southbound Rosalie/ Cow girl's song Dancing in the Moonlight Still in Love with You Cowboy Song

The album rocks hard.

Goat

Ahhhhahh fuck yesss this is great. So my vibe. Every song is an absolute tune FUCK YESSSS Classic Boys are back in town, yessss Fantastic album. First 5/5 I reckon

Odd to get two live albums in a row (the previous was MC5's "Kick Out the Jams"). This one is definitely a lot more tame--and less inflammatory too, somewhat disappointingly--and I was kind of disappointed overall. I think part of the disappointment is that this album essentially bypasses the whole no-compilation/best-of stipulation in the project (especially since they cherry-picked from multiple performances), yet I kept thinking "this is their best stuff?" nonetheless. Part of the problem is simply that live recordings are often pretty poor quality (especially from this era, and despite however much overdubbing they may or may not have done), but I guess I also expected Thin Lizzy to rock more than they do; I kept wishing we could the rawness of the MC5 album as I listened to it. There are times I was reminded of Iron Maiden's dueling guitars (in "Emerald" and "Massacre" and their classic "The boys are back in town" especially), and there are several strong performances--especially the Bob Seger mashup "Rosalie/Cowgirl's song", "Suicide" and the ending "The rocker"--but too much of the too-long double album has so-so renditions of their biggest hits, albeit with some pretty fun guitar solos thrown in. I don't begrudge Think Lizzy's appearance in this collection, but I kept thinking it would have been so much more fun to listen to Ozzy Osbourne's much better live Randy Rhoads tribute album in its place. Ultimately, though, I realized as I listened to this album that I would have enjoyed this album a *lot* more if I'd been a big Thin Lizzy fan, which apparently I'm not.

Absolute classic and a must-listen.

The Boys are Back in Town! great album

I loved this

Still my favourite live album of all time. Saw them at 'Empire Pool' Wembley on this tour.

Yes! Greatest live album of all time!

Every Thin Lizzy album is like a hidden gem.

This is what a live album should sound like. Every band should be made to listen to this and told "If you are going to play live, you are aspiring to reach this level.

Damn good rockin. Favorite tracks are Warriors and Baby Drives Me Crazy

First time hearing anything more than the Boys are Back in Town, it was gray.

yeah, that was kinda fucking awesome. i have kinda mixed feelings about them overall, but that must've been one hell of a live show. also, huey freakin' lewis on harmonica! that's a fun surprise

I’ve apparently been heavily sleeping on Thin Lizzy. Fantastic album, only track I didn’t love was Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed.

Loved every second of this. Such a great stage presence and an amazing sound. I've listened to this album before, but it had been a while.

- so much fun, great vibes - great quality for a live album - left the album radio on all day - so many likes

Rollicking good time. Surprised how much I like this band! I'm glad to discover so much beyond "The Boys Are Back in Town." Also, I always thought they were American. That voice sounds like a cross between Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen, and lyrics have a similar quality to many of their songs.. But it turns out they're Irish, which just interests me more.

Definitely seemed born to be a live album. I felt fully immersed. Loved every song but Massacre imparticular. Lovely break in the middle before it picks back up for the 2nd half. The transition into The Boys Are Back In Town was * French Kiss * A flawless experience.

Mola

Best live album ever?

Reaching middle age and the self acceptance that hopefully comes with it is what changed my take on Thin Lizzy from a guilty pleasure to a proud pleasure. The Boys Are Back, baby!

Consider my rating a 3.5. Nice! I went into this expecting to not be a fan, especially since I'm usually not a fan of live albums, but this was good! This would have been a solid 4 instead of a 3.5, but I found out that a lot of this was overdubbed after the fact and no one knows just how much of this is actual live audio so...that doesn't really sit right with me. Oh well. This album was still very enjoyable and made me want to listen to more Thin Lizzy, so I gotta give it that! P. S. Being a metalhead also helped my appreciation of this, as it's easy to see how Thin Lizzy influenced a lot of bands.

Spread the word around, the boys are BACK.

Started off thinking this would be dull, generic cock rock but I got quite into it and found that lots of it was really good. Most of it is indeed generic cock rock and variations on the 12 bar blues but they could rock out and it has all the energy and grime you want from a live album. It’s probably a 3.5 but I’m feeling generous for some reason with this one.

The Boys WERE back in town this weekend

This is of a type peculiar to the seventies, the studio-enhanced live album, and I wonder whether this will confuse the angry sorts who rant whenever a live album rocks up on this list. They'll be furious anyway, I suppose, which is a shame, as this is a formidable set of sets, with volcanic guitar and even drum solos that genuinely melt my old visage, a rare occurrence nowadays. This has slumbered on my drive for over a decade, mostly or totally unlistened, so I am thankful; I can imagine putting this on over a long drive. There's no small measure of Van Morrison in these songs, which surprises me, and not all of it is Lynott's voice and call-outs. A hard-edged soulfulness, particularly in the ballads, is present in both. Not on this record is Spirit Slips Away, which is the only Thin Lizzy song I’ve heard that’s sublime. Listen to that!

Ferocious playing! Only wish the vocalist let the instruments sing more.

Feels a really poignant album as it was recorded a few years before they split and Phil Lynott's death. Doesn't capture the 'live' feeling as much as some live albums do, but its a fantastic performance with some absolute tunes on it. Can't believe they were still only in their mid to late 20s when they recorded this

Ganz in Ordnung.

Another live album already? I just got one a few days ago! Anyways, This one wasn't quite as good, but was still one of the better live albums I've gotten. First of all, I'll start with the problems. For one, it's pretty long. It was long enough for me to feel great when the album ended, but as I've said about many albums, it certainly isn't the worst 76 minute long album I've ever listened to. This being a live album definitely makes the length more understandable. Secondly, the album is a bit repetitive. It's not the most repetitive album I've listened to, but it's noticeable. Now it's praise time! This album's pretty fun. It's just some good simple hard rock akin to something like Def Leppard and even Van Halen at times. I'd say I like this more than the former but not quite as much as the latter. The vocals are pretty decent. The writing is too. The sound is the highlight of this album. There's definitely some talent that you can hear through the basslines and guitar riffs/solos. There's not much else to say. It's a good fun hard rock live album. High 3/5.

never heard of this guy and i wish it stayed that way. boring and way too long. 5/10

The boys are back in town 3.7/5

the boys were in fact back

sounds good for a live album, a bit too long and too many blues jams

I have this record - love it ! Saw them on the next tour (Black Rose) with Gary Moore there's a Super Deluxe album, with 7 other gigs from 76/77/78 !

Absolutely pumping. Never felt too fussed about thin lizzy’s studio albums but this is really making me reevaluate

Beautiful. Stunning. Amazing. These Boys are Absolutely back in town!!!!!

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT BABYYYYY. Ain't no way this is live because of the crisp audio and guitars but still, incredible stuff. Honestly. Never heard of this band before and I was delighted.

The boys are back in town! Fun live album. Some sweet guitar solos and an energetic performance by Phil Lynott. I didn't know most of the songs but they all felt familiar and there wasn't a single song that I wanted to skip.

A classic of the live genre

banger after banger

Ein echtes Meisterwerk der Live-Alben! „Live and Dangerous“ fängt die mir auf dem Höhepunkt ihrer Energie und Spielfreude ein. Die kraftvolle Produktion, die knallharte Gitarrenarbeit sowie eine charismatische Stimme machen jede Sekunde zu einem Genuss. Ich kannte das Album bis Dato nicht. Klassiker wie „The Boys Are Back in Town“, „Jailbreak“ und „Emerald“ entfalten live eine ganz eigene Dynamik und beweisen, dass die Band eine unaufhaltsame Kraft auf der Bühne war. Gerne Wiederhören.

FANTASTIC LIVE ALBUM!!!!!! Full of riffs and melodies!!! Band's energy is full-tilt! Definite 5 stars

Not so Live apparently but oh so very Dangerous. One of the most classicest bands of the 70s pulving out killer song after killer song plus a dash of call-and-response, bawdy stage banter and extended drum solo for the full live experience. Mixed by Tony Visconti, many of the songs here sound even more incendiary and definitive than their studio counterparts - Rosalie and Still In Love With You in particular. All in all, this peak 70s rock and with Boys Are Back In Town, Southbound and Don’t Believe A Word in one place it’s just loaded.

Wow, they were really spectacular live.

not my thing

Ik kende Thin Lizzy eigenlijk niet zo goed, maar zelfs dan is dit live album een feestje

Goated

HOT.

This was just fantastic! Going in I really only knew their couple of big hits, but wasn't familiar otherwise. They could really play!. Being an Iron Maiden fan when I was younger I could definitely feel the influence on that later band in Thin Lizzy's style. I never knew. Over a hundred albums in, and I think this may be my 1st fully new-to-me 5 star rating.

Listen to Thin Lizzy since I was young and most of the hits are here. As a classic rock enthusiast this just hit all the marks and really reminded me of how good of a band Thin Lizzy was. Not a fan of live albums because the vocals do tend to change. But there were a lot songs i hadn't heard before which I loved and as a guitarist, hearing some variations on the live solos are nice. I think found another album I love from start to finish(there aren't many). As a Live album it's unbelievable clean compared to other live albums I heard.

The cover says it all - a rocking album by a band in its prime.

En klassiker! Älskar Phil Lynott! Femma

Legendary!

Good old fashioned rock n roll

It’s no Chinatown or Renegade or Black Rose or Jailbreak or even Thunder & Lightning, but it is Thin Lizzy so of course it was great.

How have I not heard this album yet?

Ha love this one. I'm very familiar with it, overdubs and all! I think that it's a great album no matter whether there are overdubs after the fact, which there are and it's never affected my listening. The epic drumming from Brian Downey is a particular highlight

Awesome live album. The performance and production both shine. What’s not to love about Thin Lizzy?

Such a great album loved it!

Fuck me Phil Lynott was a mad jam musician, album slaps

I came around to Thin Lizzy in my 30's (of course, right?) after a lifetime of hearing a "The Boys are Back in Town". Now, I have a considerable soft spot for them. "Live and Dangerous" captures Thin Lizzy at the peak of their career, compiling the best performances of their best songs between '76-'77, effectively bookending their "classic" period, as guitarist, Brian Robertson would leave shortly after release, and substance abuse would begin to ravage the band from this point forward. This album is home to some of Thin Lizzy's best recorded versions of some of their songs. The slowed live version of "Still In Love With You" is downright heart-wrenching, with an incredible solo. Likewise, this is the most affecting version of "Southbound" recorded. Otherwise, every Thin Lizzy song you would want to hear is here, and played with gusto.

This is good 70's rock & roll. Heavy guitar that does not become monotonous because if the melodic, catchy riffs. The Boys Are Back in Town is a legit anthem.

Super solid live album. Chugging bass lines, epic guitar solos, and a charismatic lead singer. Also, the transition between Cowboy Song and The Boys are Back in Town is so smooth. It was great to hear how the crowds interact during shows in Philly and London.

Damn... Liked this way more than anticipated. Wall to wall hard rock bangers. Great stuff.

The Platonic ideal of a live Rock n Roll album

This was a great one! I have never really listened to Thin Lizzy specifically, so I wasn't expecting to recognize so many of their songs. This is great nostalgia music and just solid performance overall.

Overblown rock wank that refused to end. Loved it.

OOO yeah this is good. I was worried with it being a live album but trusted I was in good hands with Thin Lizzy. I know I'd like a little more Irish in me. 5

The Remastered version really kicks

another live rock album on this list, this one another example of true classic hard rock. it's a little longer than the other albums, but i can't complain, especially when it sounds this nice. i love rock albums and i especially love live rock albums. it takes a certain amount of skill to perform that good live on stage, and these guys absolutely nailed to the wall. these riffs are killer!!

Fav song: Still In Love With You One of the GOAT bands ever to exist. Amazing live and in studio!!!

Live albums of this music always are so much better

hello um hacker

I don't care that this is pretty much a studio confection - it's the most immediate and electrifying live hard rock album. Ever. If I had just a thimble of Phil Lynott's charisma - man, how different life could be...

Phenomenal live rock album. I’m a huge Thin Lizzy fan so I was already familiar with the album. But this would be the perfect album to get into Thin Lizzy cause it’s a super clean live album with a crazy good tracklist.

Fantastic

Short and sweet

I love a 70s double live album. Much better than a Greatest Hits because the songs get a unified sound and as a kid who grew up far from any large venues they were like a promise of something incredible. This was the second album I bought for myself with a Christmas record token. It also introduced me to the joy of second hand records. I couldn't believe I was buying a double album (a new concept in itself to me) for the same price I'd just paid for Ace of Spades. It was a loud New Year. The tennis racquet found its true calling.

FIVE. What is it about the Irish?? I just can’t quit ‘em. ✅✅ Emerald ✅✅ Southbound ✅✅ Dancing in the Moonlight—hello, sax! ✅✅ Still in Love With You—guitar, from solo to heartrending harmony I had ordered the CD for my mother by Suicide. May just quit my day job and proselytize the gospel of Phil Lynott full time…