Although rush re-released with the Father's Day market in mind, THIN LIZZY'S self-explanatory 2CD 'Greatest Hits' was originally a huge smash in 2004 and has since introduced Phil Lynott and co's potent back catalogue to a whole new generation.
And, approximately 30 years on from the time when the best of this stuff was sending shivers down collective spines for the first time, it's not hard to hear why the majority of this extensive, 36-track career retrospective still pushes the right buttons. Yes, sure, in many ways Lizzy epitomised the excesses of the ghastly, pre-punk 1970s (not for nothing did Phil often say he should be called "Mr.Whynot" instead of Lynott when questioned about his liking for booze, substances and the ladies) but - like the equally party-hungry Led Zeppelin - Lizzy brought heady charisma and the gift for shockingly good tunes to the scene, thus ensuring their work hits the spot and then some long after the fact.
Besides, there are several crucial reasons why Lizzy's work transcends the worst of the spandex-trousered, platform-heeled and poodle-permed nonsense it still gets falsely aligned with. For one thing, Lynott's pedigree and charisma always stood out (let's face it, rock'n'roll's never exactly been flooded with sex god Black Irish men, has it?) as did his unnerring ability to pull out a memorable tune when he needed it. Secondly, while broadly a balls-out Hard Rock band, Lizzy had an inherent funkiness and pop sensibility equalled only by Free in terms of bands working in a predominantly white, groove-free rock arena. Thirdly, they embraced and were embraced by Punk at a time when most of the pre-76 dinosaurs were being summarily executed by peers and press alike. If you stand back for a second, you discover that Lizzy produced their most vital work during those heady years from 1976-1979.
The classic Lizzy line-up of Lynott, Scott Gorham, Brian Robertson and Brian Downey alchemised precious little that wasn't magnificent and the inital brace of tunes on CD1are still utterly unimpeachable. 'The Boys Are Back In Town', 'Jailbreak', 'Rosalie', 'Dancing In The Moonlight', 'Waiting For An Alibi', 'Do Anything You Want' and my personal Lizzy fave 'Don't Believe A Word'...sheer, unadulterated rock'n'roll bliss and any self-respecting collection is poorer without 'em. Full stop.
Brilliantly, this collection also digs much deeper to make space for less-celebrated blasts of '70s Lizzy majesty. Although the 'Live & Dangerous' version is the definitive one, there's the gorgeous 'Still In Love With You', the louche and soulful likes of 'She Knows' and 'Showdown' and Lynott the eternal romantic is showcased beautifully on 'Wild One', 'Cowboy Song' and the Gary Moore collaboration 'Parisienne Walkways'.
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Creatively stoked, Lynott also enjoyed outside collaborations and 'Greatest Hits' also finds room for both his electro-pop 'Yellow Pearl' with Midge Ure (the early '80s TOTP theme) and a couple of tunes from his two solo albums. More recognisably poppy than Lizzy's output, both 'Dear Miss Lonely Hearts' and the Elvis tribute 'King's Call' cut the mustard nicely, although the superior Dublin tribute 'Old Town' is one of several serious omissions if we're talking 'definitive'. As I'm having a bit of a bitch, where are 'Johnny The Fox', 'Southbound', 'Romeo & The Lonely Girl' and 'Got To Give It Up? Grrr.
And, while it's hardly the album's fault in that it seeks to present a complete career overview, the other beef this writer has with 'Greatest Hits' is that it throws into sharp relief how badly Lizzy lost the plot during their final few years. OK, 'Chinatown' still boots aggressive botty, but with Robertson and Moore gone and with Lynott and Gorham floundering into heroin abuse, Lizzy suffered. The poignant 'The Sun Goes Down' aside, there's precious little to recommend in terms of the selections from the studded wristband and cod-metal widdle of the tracks from the 'Renegade' and 'Thunder & Lightning' albums. He may not have wanted it, but heading for creative freefall, maybe it was right Lynott was forced to put Lizzy down late in 1983.
His premature death early in 1986 remains a tragedy as potentially a cleaned-up Phil would have had a lot to offer, but suffice it to say that with Thin Lizzy, Lynott (with significant help from Messrs.Gorham, Downey and Robertson especially) created a colossal body of work that 'Greatest Hits' draws from generously to present as a bumper package for the long-term fan and ready-to-be-experienced cadet alike.
Or, as Phil himself saucily suggests when introducing 'Emerald': "Are there any of the girls out there who'd like a little more Irish in 'em?" After all this time, I reckon that's still a rhetorical question, don't you?
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