Thin Lizzy - Dedication the Very Best of
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Free Music Notes for Dedication the Very Best of
Free Music Review: "I'm a rocker. I'm a roller, too, baby."
Hit: 4 Stars
This was my first Thin Lizzy CD and it introduced me to a bunch of loud, fun, rock'n'roll tunes. This, as with any other "greatest hits" collection, can be faulted for not including this or that, but as an initiation to the band (which is what this should primarily be looked upon as) this certainly fits the bill. This compilation may not encapsulate every musical styling that the band produced over the years, but it does capture the sense of fun and contains some musically strong selections.The songs on here are a linear look at Thin Lizzy's progression over the years. While their eponymous first album is not represented, we can still see them turning from a hard bluesy/folk combo to a guitar-lead sound with very strong metal influences. The testosterone and macho posturing are there from the beginning though, and they greatly contribute to the overall fun. This is music to listen to in the car with all the windows rolled down. Power-chords, strong bass-lines, and lyrics to shout along to. What more does good rock'n'roll need?
Thin Lizzy underwent many lineup changes over the years. The liner notes show six different sets of musicians created the music here, the only two constants being drummer Brian Downey, and, of course, singer, song-writer, bass-player, guitarist, keyboard-player and black Irishman, the late, great Phil Lynott. It's Lynott's musical presence that held the band together through massive personal changes.
Lynott's lyrics bounced between surprising sensitivity all the way to complete over-the-top masculinity. We go from "Still In Love With You", a nice bluesy song with heartfelt lyrics about lost love, over to "Fighting My Way Back" which is (unsurprisingly) a song about how much fun kicking up can be. Other topics that the lyrics touch on include busting out of jail, the lure of being a cowboy, and a wild woman who's one step ahead of the singer. There's also a cover of a Bob Seger song, and a reworking of a Traditional Irish folk song. For a band that often seems to be remembered for only one song, Thin Lizzy covered a lot of musical ground.
DEDICATION is a great place to start. It's where I started, and since then I've been slowly collecting more of Thin Lizzy's back-catalog. Re-listening to this album before and during the writing of this review reminded me that I really need to dig out some of my other Thin Lizzy CDs for a listen. I can't wait.
Free Music Review: The best you can get without busting your piggy bank...
Hit: 4 Stars
At least this side of the big pond! Despite being highly influential for hard rock, having essentially invented the dual lead guitar attack that became one of the most distinctive traits of 80's hard rock/heavy metal, Thin Lizzy probaly never achieved in the U.S the same monstrous success they enjoyed in the rest of the world.
The obvious exception is the (in)famous "The Boys are back in town", which can still be heard on a regular basis in classic rock radio, sporting events and even tv commercials. Thin Lizzy was Phil Lynott's band, a band that always featured a wealth of talent (especially when talking about guitar players...), and some of the band's best tunes are included here. For those of you who know the band's music, this compilation is a great opportunnity to have some of their best songs in one CD.
For those looking for a first taste, this is definitely the place to start!!! Imagine (if you can...) Jimmy Hendrix being born in Ireland and playing the bass instead of guitar...and maybe you'll start to make a picture of what Phil was all about... Of course, the compilation focuses heavily on the material of the Brian Robertson era, and while i do agree that it is probably the most prolific period in the band's career, it does overlook some great material from later efforts, specially from the John Sykes era.
So, you won't find here anything from their last album, the extremely heavy (for Lizzy's standards...) "Thunder & Lightning". Other great songs missing are "Renegade", "Emerald", "Killer on the Loose"...and guitar (and Gary Moore) enthusiasts will consider blaphemy the exclusion of "Black Rose" (among many other songs). If you compare this to the european 2 CD "Greatest Hits", there are at least 10 great songs missing! But...like i said...maybe those songs are not as appealing to american fans...(?)or maybe it's just a matter a record label politics, who knows, i'm not a record company executive...
Maybe someday we will get a proper Thin Lizzy anthology, but in the meantime,I guess "Dedication" will have to do...
Free Music Review: Concise and pretty complete
Hit: 4 Stars
A hard one to review. If your from the UK or Ireland your seeming obliged to love Lizzy with the utmost awe. Everywhere else on the planet managed to escape such lack of perspective but basically anywhere in the Western world you'll still find their bands megahits on every jukebox. And the reasons are to be found on this well chosen cluster of tunes.
All the expected hits are here. From Whisky In The Jar to Jailbreak to The Boys Are Back In Town to ... well don't you know all their names by now? And the X factor of raw wattage and low slung cool that permeates Don't Believe A Word and Bad Reputation as well as more heartfelt numbers like Rosalie makes this pretty much an obligatory purchase for hard rock fans of any age.
Of course there are some duds here but the collection steers clear of so much of the fok inflected early rubbish this band did in their earliest incarnations And the inclusion of a bunch of live tracks helps pacing and to give a good impression of what the band was all about. Phil Lynott was a giant of the genre and he was ably assisted by a varied bunch of musos who almost always seemed to give their best and brightest performances when they were doin' it with Phil as circus master, his charisma and deep, sonorous tones creating a perfect vehicle for both parties and highway cruising. Even your mates that don't like hard rock or metal will grin when you slap this on - and what more proof do you need?
A great collection of the more pertinent points of this bands sometimes inconsistent recorded works.
Free Music Review: Good collection of a great band
Hit: 4 Stars
Thin Lizzy went through several changes in their style through the years. Unfortunately, the Eric Bell years are only represented by Whiskey in the Jar and The Rocker on this collection. Both are great songs and deserve to be on their greatest hits but there are many more songs from their first three albums that belong also. The two songs that are the most out of place are "Showdown" and "Still in Love With You". They are good songs however they are the slowest of the collection. For those only familiar with Thin Lizzy from "The Boys are Back in Town" and "Jailbreak", there are plenty of selections showcasing the twin guitar sound that made Gorham and Robertson famous. If you enjoy that sound you will love "Fighting My Way Back", "Bad Reputation", "Waiting for an Alibi" and "Don't Believe a Word". I would not want to be the one to decide what songs made it on a Thin Lizzy greatest hits collection because I could never narrow it down to just one CD. The one thing I would add is at least one or two live cuts. Thin Lizzy was a great live act(from what I have heard-I was too young to see them) and many great live tracks can be found on other collections and on their two live albums. For those who are Thin Lizzy fans and have some of their albums, the British version of "Dedication" contains some nice surprises and offers up a different selection.Free Music Review: Wow, was I wrong about this band in the 1970s
Hit: 4 Stars
This has got to be the most under rated bands of the 1970's. I first learned of this band when "The boys are back in town" littered the airways back in the day. I thought that this was a bubble gum, top 40 band. Either I was a real knucklehead or they were marketed all wrong.
Phil Lynott was ahead of his time. He was a passionate singer and gifted songwriter. His songs had depth. Thin Lizzy songs sound better today then when they came out which demonstrates their enduring quality.
ABout 8 years ago, at the same time, I bought a Deep Purple compilation and this Thin Lizzy compilation. Back in the 70's, Deep Purple was considered a much better band but, in retrospect, Thin Lizzy was a much better band. Deep Purple sounds dated while Thin Lizzy sounds contemporary.
Since this is a compilation, there are many great tunes and no filler. Of particular interest is "Whiskey in a Jar" which most people are probably familiar with the Metalica version not knowing that it was originally done by Thin Lizzy.
This was a great band and Lynott was a true talent. This band should have been more heralded. They were great.
Check out their live cd to see how smoking hot they were.
This is a terrific intro to this band.