Thin Lizzy
Renegade

Thin Lizzy are one of the most influential bands in the history of Hard and Heavy music, without them there would be no Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and consequently an entire world; for instance, the primordial use of two lead guitars with subsequent dual harmony is due to them, not to mention Phil Lynott who has influenced every metal bassist, Steve Harris first and foremost.

Many of their albums are remembered as masterpieces indeed Jailbreak, Johnny The Fox, Bad Reputation, testify to their greatness, their most shameless joy of playing; however, as sometimes happens in an artist's career, there are works that don't resonate with the public and critics, for Thin Lizzy this happens with "Chinatown" (1980) and "Renegade" (1981); if with "Chinatown" Phil & co. maintain a direct link with previous works without revolutionizing the sound and structure of the songs as evidenced by the title track, "Killer On The Loose" and "Genocide", with Renegade, Phil Lynott finds himself in a climate of tension generated surely by excessive drug and alcohol abuse from which he will never recover, and not least by the financial crisis they had to face, all this influences the writing of pieces that have darker and heavier sounds compared to the past both in terms of lyrics and sound.

The classic lineup is missing only Brian Robertson replaced by Snowy White, who, if in the studio managed to give a minimum contribution, live will always appear like a fish out of water, not blending with the rest of the band.

With such premises, one would expect a poor album, but since Phil Lynott was a musician with rock oozing from every pore of his skin, in my opinion, he manages to achieve the feat of creating an interesting album once again, still above average.

"Angel Of Death" is called to open the album, a keyboard intro that recalls "Tarot Woman" from the great "Rising" by Rainbow, unfolds into a metal track like few remembered by Thin Lizzy, the atmosphere is tense and the epic flow of the song helps enrich the apocalyptic image that Phil Lynott narrates with a spine-chilling performance.

"Renegade" is a slow track featuring an engaging melodic line that is well matched with lyrics that Phil feels in his marrow "He's just a boy that his lost his way /He's a rebel that has fallen down/ He's a fool been blown away/ To you and me he's a renegade....He's just a boy who has lost his sights/ He's a stranger, prowls the night/ He's a devil, that's right/ To you and me he's a renegade".

"The Pressure Will Blow" is the classic Thin Lizzy song, it could easily be on "Jailbreak" and no one would notice; the proposed refrain is engaging and sung with energy to spare. The same goes for "Leave This Town" resulting definitely livelier than the previous one, being an up-tempo filled with Lizzy Style solos with Scott Gorham in great shape.

"Hollywood" lends itself along with "Angel Of Death" and "Renegade" to becoming a classic of the band, in fact besides being found on many compilations, it will be proposed live almost always during the two subsequent tours before disbandment; indeed the proposed riff is inspired like in the good old days and the proposed melody captivates the listener from the first listen.

"No One Told Him" goes by without shame or glory, not lowering the musical level proposed up to this point. The surprise comes with "Fats" a jazz rock track arranged greatly with a thrilling performance both on bass and vocals, a piano solo then makes the whole thing magnificently retro.

"Mexican Blood" the only track written entirely by Phil Lynott besides "No One Told Him", is not entirely convincing, identifying the weak point of the album; the desert-like atmospheres proposed do not suit their sound resulting thus incomplete. The album closes with "It's Getting Dangerous" another less successful track.

Ultimately, the entire work flows smoothly faltering only in the end with two titles below the qualitative average proposed up to the seventh track.

Time has taken its course making this work indispensable in Thin Lizzy's discography for most of their fans, I personally consider it Phil Lynott's musical testament, whose greatness is comparable to people like Jimi Hendrix and few others, an extraordinary musician and performer, a simple and sensitive person, to you and me a renegade, to you and me a LEGEND.