Renegade

by

Thin Lizzy

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Thin Lizzy "Renegade" 1981 release is a Cd that I really really like !! An impressive mix of musical expression, depth and soul.

"Yes" it is different from most Thin Lizzy. But, "Who Cares" It's whats inside that counts. The spirit and soul of the music we hear brings emotion, and Renegade is overflowing.

Lead vocalist and bassist Phil Lynott has one of the most identifiable Rock n Roll voices. His voice ranges from tough to sensitive and everything in between. To play the bass guitar and sing at the same time takes real talent and Phil excells at it.

Phil Lynott is also a Great story teller as expressed in his songwriting.

My other favorite on this album is Drummer Brian Downey. He is no slouch. You know your in for a treat whenever he lends his talents to a recording.

Renegade features solid guitar performances, talented drumming and formadable songwriting which are exclusive to Lynott's talents as a story teller. This Renegade Journey makes for a very enjoyable listening experience.

Featured songs are:

"Angel Of Death"- Song about a devastating nuclear holocaust.

Very intense driving stacatto bass patterns combined with steady forceful drumming. The ending also features some explosive drum fills.

"Renegade"- Rythmic guitar chords and drum accents really enhance this song. Solid bass and drums. Creative off beat drum patterns during the middle section of the song.

"The Pressure Will Build"- A straight forward Lizzy Rock n Roller. Trademark dual harmony guitars.

"Leave The Town"- Uptempo fast rocker with a southern rock feel.

Guitars are the main focus of this fast Rock n Roll Shuffle. Dual lead guitars are showcased !!

"Hollywood"- A story about the Hollywood lifestyle with its dog eat dog mentality. When your down on your luck. This song has a catchy chorus that will have you singing along. A guitar solo as well.

"No One Told Him"- A song about relationship issues. Another Lizzy style straight ahead Rocker.And another catchy sing along chorus. Also features some very cool drum triplet patterns throughout.

"Fats"- This is really different for Thin Lizzy. A Funky Jazzy syncopated bass and drum song. Interesting chord structures with an expressive piano solo. Solid blues rock lead vocals from Phil. Standout guitar and piano !!

"Mexican Blood"- Lynott's story telling at its finest. A latin rock feel with the emphasis on rock. Features creative percussive timbales and even some marimba style mariachi playing.

Excellent percussion and drums.

"It's Getting Dangerous"- A Lynott story teller again and its a good one. Lots of drum fills and bass guitar going on. Fine rythym guitar work.

Some interesting trivia surrounding Thin Lizzy:

1. Band spokesperson Scott Gorham nicknamed the band, The most unproffessional proffessional band in the industry. Because they were always late for there gigs.

2. Thin Lizzy didn't start their first tour of the US until 1975. They were backing up Bob Seger and Bachman Turner Overdrive.

3. Drummer Brian Downey and Phil Lynott were school mates and remained close, both proffessionally and personally for many years.

Listen and Ye Shall Hear !!

There Is A Little Renegade In All Of Us !!

With my recently renewed interest in submitting album reviews, I've decided to change my thoughts on how I feel about this record now that I've owned it for a bit longer. With the addition of Snowy White and Darren Wharton into Lizzy's lineup, and Lynott's parallel solo career also being active, Phil and the boys try another stab at commercial acceptance with 1981's Renegade. Their previous effort, Chinatown, failed to break any new ground for the band and although it had solid performances and the sound of the group maintained a present-day rock feel, something just wasn't clicking.

With Renegade, it maintains a strong first half of material here in the title track(which is definitely one of the better early eighties' Lizzy tunes), along with Angel of Death, the record's opener, followed by The Pressure Will Blow and Leave This Town which are mid-paced to upbeat rockers that seem consistently interesting, enough to keep the quality level on an even keel at least. Hollywood is another Lynott/Gorham track that, along with Renegade, could have had some chart success perhaps, but unfortunately, it wasn't to be. Like my review for the next record, 83's Thunder and Lightning, the last half of this offering falls by the wayside and 2 of the cuts presented would have served better to have shown up on one of Lynott's solo efforts rather than appear on a Lizzy release. The blatant pop of No One Told Him really sounds like Dear Miss Lonley Hearts pt. 2 from the Solo in Soho release. Mexican Blood, though a moody and interesting number, just doesn't seem to fit within the mold of a Lizzy tune, much less for inclusion on their latest album. Fats is written by Snowy and Phil and although I personally enjoy hearing this track from time to time, its really out of place here as well within the flow displayed by the first five cuts. Only at the end with It's Getting Dangerous does Renegade gain back any momentum that was somewhat stalled by the last 3 numbers.

During the Snowy phase of Lizzy, I think Phillip honestly wanted to expand the parameters of what Lizzy could do artistically and by bringing in a permanent keyboard player Darren Wharton, coupled with Snowy's style(which was rather laid-back compared to those who preceded him, Gary Moore and Brian Robertson, respectively) the band made attempts to adapt and change within the new decade, but unfortunately, the newer trends of new wave/pop were much too overwhelming for veteran hard rockers like Thin Lizzy to remain active and relevant in the public's eye. Efforts like Renegade in hindsight, attempt to display variatable musical qualities within the time period, but ultimately fail in their intents to remain relevant by a lack of focus and direction. Still a noble effort, but now that its grown on me, Renegade is only deserving of 3 stars.