Live and Dangerous

by

Thin Lizzy

Edit

Live and Dangerous arrived at my home via Air Mail today from Amazon UK, and I couldn't wait to get it into my DVD player. I was anxious about whether it was a Regionalized DVD (only Region 0 and Region 1 play in US DVD players), especially since the product description on the Amazon UK site suggested that it was Region 2...but it's not Region 2; it's Region 0 (worldwide).

This performance of the 1977 Live and Dangerous tour was captured at London's Rainbow Theatre. And this show should be held up not only as an example of the way a rock group should perform live, but also as an example for DVD music producers on how to deliver an excellent product.

The Live and Dangerous concert is all show. No indulgence by some videographer that thinks a viewer wants to see effects like cut to black and white, psyschedelic swirling pictures or other video effects. This was a very pleasant surprise considering that kind of video-malarkey was quite popular in the 70s.

The full screen picture has been completely restored and looks terrific. Most importantly, the video doesn't jump around every 4 seconds, so you really get to see the performance in a way that feels like you're back in '77 with a front row seat to the concert.

If you've got a surround system, you're in for a pounding Hard Rock experience. The sound has an amazing 5.1 DTS remix. If you've got an old DVD player or old surround system that doesn't decode DTS you're out of luck...there's no Dolby 5.1...Dolby Stereo is the only other choice besides DTS.

The Live and Dangerous line-up of Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham, Brian Robertson and Brian Downey define Thin Lizzy. And all of the guys are on for the Live and Dangerous show at The Rainbow. Lynott's high energy stage persona is incomparable. The guitarwork between Gorham and Robertson is legendary and it's played precisely at The Rainbow show. And Brian Downey's signature drumming is captured in all its glory.

For the classic Live and Dangerous Rainbow show you get the following set list:

1. "Rosalie"

2. "The Boys Are Back in Town"

3. "Emerald"

4. "Dancing in the Moonlight"

5. "Massacre"

6. "Still in Love With You" - The liner notes actually suggest that this song is "Call on Me", but The Boys describe each song track by track during the interview segment, and they confirm that it is, indeed, "Still in Love Wth You".

7. "Don't Believe a Word"

8. "Are You Ready"

9. "Sha La La"

10. "Baby Drives Me Crazy"

11. "Me and the Boys"

You also get Lizzy's 1983 "Farewell" concert (Robertson is out/John Sykes is in) from the UK's Regal Theatre; you get a selection of performances from the Top of the Pops television show from 1973 - 1979; and you get a 45 minute interview segment from the summer of 2007 with Robertson, Gorham and Downey.

All of the music on this DVD has been remastered in DTS; the interviews are stereo. Songs at The Regal overlap only with a few from Live and Dangerous as do some of the Top of the Pops selections. Between the two (aside from what's in the Live and Dangerous set), you get:

"Whiskey in the Jar"

"Jailbreak"

"Waiting for an Alibi"

"This is the One"

"Cold Sweat"

"The Sun Goes Down"

"Holy War"

"Baby Please Don't Go"

"Fighting My Way Back" (CD only)

"Wild One" (CD Only)

"Suicide" (CD Only)

(The liner notes of the booklet also suggest that "Cowboy Song" is included somewhere in the collection of tunes, but darned if I could find it.)

The packaging and accompanying booklet of the DVD are awesome. Plus you get a bonus CD of a 1975 concert recorded at Derby College in the UK. This is a pretty sweet package.

It's the Thin Lizzy DVD release we've all been waiting for. Any Lizzy fan will enjoy this disk immensely. There is no question here. Find a way to add this to your collection.