Thin Lizzy already had a fine collection on the market that went a long way toward presenting them as perhaps the best guitar rock band of the '70s. Dedication: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy is an 18-track call to arms packed with
Phil Lynott's magical songs, lyrics, and voice as well as the twin guitar gods
Scott Gorham and
Brian Robertson (with a little
Gary Moore here and there).
The Definitive Collection aims to replace it and stumbles just a bit. Just as on Dedication, all the big hits ("The Boys Are Back in Town," "Whiskey in the Jar," "Jailbreak"), key album tracks ("Showdown," "Wild One," "The Cowboy Song"), statements of intent ("The Rocker"), and moments of hard rock genius ("Don't Believe a Word," "Dancing in the Moonlight [It's Caught Me in the Spotlight]") are here. What's different on
The Definitive Collection is the omission of two worthy songs ("She Knows" and "Fighting My Way Back") and the replacement of the studio version of "Rosalie" with an exciting live version from 1978's
Live and Dangerous album that splices in a couple measures of "Cowgirl's Song" much to the audience's delight. The omissions and changes make this less definitive than Dedication. A track or two probably could have been added instead. If Dedication is no longer available though, anyone looking for a fine single-disc collection of
Lizzy's finest moments should turn to
The Definitive Collection first. ~ Tim Sendra