Thin Lizzy

When you look at great rock bands over the years, Thin Lizzy is, unfortunately, often left out of those discussions.  Most everyone knows the classic “The Boys Are Back In Town”, many of you know “Jailbreak”, and some of you may have heard “Cowboy Song”, but if that’s all you’ve ever heard from this fine Irish band you are missing out on a ton of great material.  I was fairly late in jumping on the Lizzy bandwagon but as they say, it’s better late than never.

If I had to pinpoint my intro to the band (outside of the aforementioned “hits”) I’ll have to say that their 1991 greatest hits release Dedication was the start of it all and is a great starting point for those of you looking to add some Lizzy to your collection.  A good chunk of the material is culled from their mid-years period (the arguably more famous era) with only a couple of selections from the early trio years and a handful of cuts from their later days.  All in all, it does a great job focusing on their heavier rock cuts and throws in a few of their excellent, more melodic choices as well (nothing from the classic Thunder And Lightning LP tho!).  Shortly after getting a taste of this material, I gradually picked up the remainder of the catalog and since becoming a major fanboy, have purchased additional merchandise (books, DVDs, and the recently remastered discs with the extra material? Incredible!).

So…  what is it about Thin Lizzy?  Well, quite a few things actually.  Let’s start with the songs…  outside of those aforementioned there are plenty more fantastic cuts, everything from “Emerald”, to “Got To Give It Up”, to “Bad Reputation”, to “She Knows”…  the list is endless.  I rarely pay attention to lyrics but main Lizzy man Phil Lynott has penned some great ones and his rhyming scheme is par excellence-  sure there is a lot of macho posturing in some of his material but he often counters that with a good dose of romanticism, self reflection, Irish history, or other vivid subjects.  Just take a look at the first verse of their classic “Dancing In The Moonlight”:

“When I passed you in the doorway

Well you took me with a glance

I should have took that last bus home

But I asked you for a dance”

Sets the tone, doesn’t it?  Boy catches the eye of a girl, boy knows he needs to get home before he gets in trouble, but boy can’t resist her charms.  Not only is it something that many of us can relate to, but it pulls you in immediately and engages you in the song (something which Lynott does exceptionally well).

Besides overall songs and lyrics, you’ve also got one helluva band.  Lizzy is famous for their twin guitar tandems with mainstay Scott Gorham and a host of others (Brian Robertson, Gary Moore, Snowy White, and John Sykes), but their underrated early lineup was a trio with the Hendrix-y Eric Bell.  Those early days were a different beast altogether as the band was attempting to find itself, often mixing in heavier fare a la Jimi Hendrix mixed with more folkier material in the vein of Van Morrison (both heroes of Lynott).  This mix brought out a lot of eclectic material that wasn’t fully honed until the trio’s third LP Vagabonds Of The Western World and really came to fruition once the Gorham/Robertson lineup came to be one album later with Nightlife.  And besides the guitar stars, you’ve GOT to talk about world class drummer Brian Downey, who, along with Phil Lynott on bass, was the rock solid rhythm section from day one of the band until the band bowed out in 1983.  Downey’s almost jazzy feel lends an incredibly deft touch to the material, but he was able to pound it out when necessary.

Last but not least…  just the downright utter cool and charisma of Phil Lynott.  A commanding presence on stage and well over six feet tall, Lynott was the definition of “rock star” and his passing in 1986 is such an incredible loss.  An artist who is able to combine such sensitive material in some regards (just take a listen to his solo songs written for his daughters- “Cathleen” and “Sarah”) and mix that in with heavier rock cuts about Irish history (“Black Rose”, “Emerald”) and even personal odes about self destruction (“Got To Give It Up”) is just someone you can’t put into a single box.  The man covered a lot of ground musically and lyrically, not only as the de facto leader of Thin Lizzy but also in his solo material as well as guest appearances on fellow artist’s albums.

Favorite Albums:  Jailbreak, Black Rose, Fighting

Favorite Songs:  Emerald, The Boys Are Back In Town, Jailbreak, Black Rose, Dancing In The Moonlight, Cold Sweat, Bad Reputation, Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed, Fighting, Cowboy Song