Not Dangerous. Sorry.

Hello again,

First off, as requested by a few of you, I have posted a link to download the FULL master recording of Black Sabbath's Milwaukee Riot 1980. The files are in .flac, so I ask if you convert the files to mp3, that you NOT repost them in that format. You are, however, welcome to repost the original .flacs, and if you choose to burn them to disc, convert the .flac files into .wav files to get the best quality CD you can. I know a lot of you know this already, but some don't. You can also play .flac files using Foobar2000, which is just an amazing .flac player. If it was a pile of shit, I wouldn't even bring it up, but it's totally worth downloading if you want to be able to play .flac files.

Link: www.megaupload.com/?d=5CRCIVOD

The crux of this post though is to discuss the newly released Thin Lizzy: "Still Dangerous" CD. As many of you already know, Scott Gorham was pretty much in charge of this project, and pretty much screwed it up. I love Scott Gorham has a guitar player, but I'm beginning to think he took too many drugs back in the 70s and early 80s. His interviews often go against already established facts (for example he said he joined Lizzy in 1973, which he didn't), and he's also suggested that the new Gorham/Sykes Lizzy outfit (if you can even call it Lizzy) may record NEW material. I hope not.

Anyway, for the record, I'm glad Lizzy's remaining members and management have decided to release some of the stuff they have located in the vaults of the record companies. My problem is with how they are going about doing it. 'Still Dangerous' is a 10 track abomination. Here's why:

1) It's not a single complete show.

My impression initally was that 'Still Dangerous' would be an official release of one of the two Philadelphia '77 gigs that took place on October 20 and 21, 1977 at the Tower Theatre. The first of the two is featured on Wolfgang's Vault, in it's entirety. I actually used audacity to record the sound off of it and edited out all the little clicks and trimmed the intro down just enough to get it to fit on one 80 min disc. That 80 min show is probably the best representation of Thin Lizzy that there is. It's better than Live and Dangerous by a mile. If not this, then I hoped it would be the mostly unreleased 21st of October show. However, the consumer won't be getting either one. They are getting essentially a compilation of the two shows, and only 10 tracks (12 on the import release). It's not the full show, and it's not from one show. That's strike one.

2) They changed the running order of the original set!

This is an even worse crime than #1. One of the things Phil Lynott did best, as mentioned by Brian Robertson, John Sykes, and even Gorham himself in interviews, was that Phil Lynott knew how to put a set list together. There's a good 150 bootlegs out there that further prove this point. Why in the hell did Gorham decide to change the order of the songs? What is he trying to achieve here? He's already destroyed the show by omitting songs, and now he wants to completely ruin it by changing the order? Pull your head out of your ass Scott!

3) They actually had the audacity to EDIT tracks!

Looking for that awesome Sax solo by John Earle in "Dancing In the Moonlight"? Don't expect to hear it. It's not fucking there. How about that ridiculously awesome drum solo by Brian Downey in Bad Reputation (one of the "bonus tracks")? Not there either. Want to hear the song 'Johnny'? You won't...it's not even included in the 12 tracks. How about Emerald? Only if you purchase the bonus tracks. Do you see my point? It's a fucking cash grab. I've always encouraged and hoped that more of this material would be released for the fans, but what's the point when you do so in a way that doesn't even justify how good the material actually is. Personally, rather than buy this disc, everyone should go rip a copy of the Philly show at Wolfgang's Vault. It's 1000 times better and that's a much more real representation of Lizzy at their peak than what Mr. Gorham decided to put together on his break from touring.

Here's my advice to Mr. Gorham:

Next time, forget about the mulitiple cash grabs, forget about changing it up--take the show, remaster the sound, make an awesome booklet, and just release it. Let the music dictate the sale. If you did it this way, I guarantee it would be bigger than "Live and Dangerous". There are shows out there that are BETTER than "Live and Dangerous"...and those were 100% real. Not overdubbed in a studio. It can be done. However, you might only have one more chance to get it right, and some people aren't even that generous. Get the new generations of Lizzy fans started the right way. Not with "Still Dangerous", but that's anything but "right".