Still Dangerous: Live at Tower Theatre Philadelphia 1977 [CD]

"Soldier of Fortune" opens the proceedings, and while not firing out of the gates, it showcases Brian Robertson
and Scott Gorhams trademark harmonies perfectly. Next,
"JaiIbreaik" promptly kicks things into high gear. "The Boys Are Back In Town" was just about ready to break in the US back in 1977 and is appropriately aired in all its glory here. The guitars swirl over Phil Lynott's throbbing bass lines while the crowd lifts up the chorus. I still find it amazing how Lynott could craft such exquisite lyrics that had that street credibility. "Dancing In The Moonlight" slows things down a bit with its swinging rhythm and saxophone breaks. "Massacre" sounds as menacing as it ever did with its chugging riff underpinning Lynotts towering vocals. "Don't Believe A Word", with its stabbing riff, seemingly darts around the Tower Theatre, but it's the last two songs that are the best: "Baby Drives Me Crazy" and "Me And The Boys" are prime
slices of what made Thin Lizzy so damn good! The former sounds, in places. like Pat Travers' live rendition of John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom Out Go The Lights" from "Go For What You Know", and the latter picks up where "The Boys Are Back In Town" left off.

"Still Dangerous" is the real deal that further solidifies Thin Lizzy as one of the greatest live bands ever. -- Powerplay, March '09, 10 Powerpoints

Backed by a pre-release hype that dares to present it as a more definitive document of the classic Lynott/Robertson/
Gorham/Downey era of Thin Lizzy than even the band"s Live
And Dangerous" - still regarded as one of the greatest live rock albums by anyone, ever - "Still Dangerous" arrives with a sizeable reputation to live up to, not least in its claim to be a more authentic live recording than its historic predecessor -which as everyone now knows was heavily 'touched up' in the studio by producer Tony Visconti. Which actually is not helpful at all, as the comparison is plainly disingenuous. Anyone who believes this album hasn't also been, uh, polished in the studio since the 30-year-old tapes were allegedly 'found' in someone's garage lock-up - not with overdubs this time, maybe, but with the new digital technology that allows even greater scope for 'improvement' - is either appallingly naive or a record company PR.

It's also difficult to see how this collection could really be better, as it's a single CD and misses out several cornerstone moments from the show, most gallingly the spine-tingling "Still In Love With You."

All that said, this is one of the best live Lizzy albums you're ever likely to hear. Of the 10 tracks, only three - "Soldier Of Fortune", "Opium Trail" and "Me & The Boys" - aren't also on "Live And Dangerous", but the sound is infinitely more impressive, as befitting the production era it has been unearthed in, and the performances - faithfully restored from a 1977 show at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia, during Lizzy's US tour that year to promote the "Bad Reputation" album - capture the band at its absolute height.

Still Dangerous is hardly an essential purchase, especially considering the huge crossover between this and existing Lizzy live recordings, but not one you would ever be disappointed with. -- Classic Rock, April '09, 8/10

There's an old adage in rock circles: You can never have too much Thin Lizzy.

And so it is here with Still Dangerous, touted as the raw 1977 version of the hugely overdubbed and hugely brilliant "Live And Dangerous."

Featuring the classic Lizzy guitar pairing of Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham, "Still Dangerous" reminds us Lizzy were a dynamite live act, even with the mistakes. Diehard fans, though, may rue the omission of L&D favourites "Suicide" and "Still In Love With You" for "Soldier Of Fortune" and "Opium Trail." -- The Sun, 27th Feb '09, 3.5