1981's Renegade was Thin Lizzy's eleventh studio album. A very overlooked album, many are quick to write it off as the band running out of steam. I would not agree, let me tell you why.....
The album opens with one of Lizzy's most ambitious tracks, "Angel of Death". Lizzy's answer to "Sympathy for the Devil", it tells the story of Death, that constant taker of souls as he witnesses people die during catastrophes throughout history. Although the production is a bit too keyboard-heavy, I like the song. Great lyrics from the master poet, singer/bassist Phil Lynott, and some pretty good leads from guitarists Scott Gorham and Snowy White. Next is "Renegade". A kind reggae-tinged song, it reminds of the sound that Phil Lynott had started exploring during his less-than-stellar solo career. The song drags on in parts, very slow and again quite heavy on keyboards. Lizzy was definitely moving away from the hard-rock sound they had forged during the 1970s at this point. Not bad, but not a Lizzy classic.
"The Pressure Will Blow" picks the album up a bit. It opens with a classic Lizzy riff containing some killer twin leads. The timeless Brian Downey provides a solid beat, a great drummer as I have said in my previous reviews of Lizzy albums. A lame interlude almost derails the song, and it sounds like the theme to a game-show of the era. Thankfully the interlude ends quickly. Like on Chinatown, the album really starts to reveal the fast-deteriorating condition of Phil Lynott, his voice scratchy and gravelly. One of the better songs on the album, a near-classic. "Leave This Town" is a traditional rocker.In this rollicking toe-tapper, Lynott tells of getting out of dodge for health, financial, and other reasons. I'm sure that this song was at least semi-autobiographical at this point in time. A decent song, but somewhat of a filler tune.
"Hollywood(Down On Your Luck)" is a fairly classic Lizzy rocker. Comparing the hard life people in many cities live to Hollywood, it's an interesting Lynott tale of desperation. The song lacks the rawness and oomph of earlier Lizzy albums, and certainly the fairly bland Snowy White and the band's growing drug problems were part of the reason for this. Still, the song is catchy and endearing, a great rocker. "No One Told Him" is a ballad of sorts, telling the tale of a man dumped by a heartless woman. White's solo just doesn't work, far too weak for such a ballsy band. Otherwise, a pretty good song.
"Fats" is one of my least favorite Lizzy song. The song is very out of character for the band, and Lynott's voice sounds totally shot. The lyrics are totally sub-par for Lynott in my opinion, not one of his finer moments. Skip this one. "Mexican Blood" meets the definition of a deep album cut. Despite being heavy on synths, I like the nylon-string guitars, solid drumming, and a great story from Lynott. My favorite song on the album, a very underrated song by the band. The album closes with "It's Getting Dangerous", a slow burner of a song. The song is not one of my favorites. Not bad, but a little too long, and very heavy on the synths.
"Renegade" is not a great album. But, fans of the band will find some tunes to like here. Easily one of the weakest Lizzy albums, check out the earlier albums or excellent "Thunder and Lighting" if you are just getting into the band.
Rating-7/10
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