Well, what we have here is essentially part two of the debut album. There's really not a lot of musical progression between this and that first record, which is quite disappointing really. Still, the first track, 'The Rise and Dear Demise of the Funky Nomadic Tribes' (not exactly a title that rolls off the tongue...) is pretty cool. It's a lengthy, appropriately funky rocker with a sense of progressive songwriting - it even has a drum solo at the end. Different by typical Lizzy standards, but you have to remember that the band were still a three-piece at this point, so it still sounds like early Thin Lizzy. In contrast to the opener, 'Buffalo Gal' won't rock you in any way shape or form with it's extremely mellow, soulful approach. Still kinda nice on the ears though, if forgettable. Then there's 'I Don't Want to Forget How to Jive', which is something of a 50's-style rock n' roll throwback. It is what it is. 'Sarah' - which bears no resemblance to the far more recognisable 'Sarah', that appeared on their 1979 album Black Rose: A Rock Legend - is an extremely soft, piano-driven ballad. Pretty, yes, but certainly a far cry from even any of their latter-period ballads.
Things don't exactly heat up much with 'Brought Down' either, which is a lukewarm, largely folk rock-inspired tune with some added bluesy lead guitar playing on it. 'Baby Face' ups the tempo slightly, and sits closer to hard rock than anything else I suppose. Thing is, even if this tune does qualify as hard rock, there were other bands rocking much harder in 1972. I mean, we already had albums from Black Sabbath, Mk.II-era Deep Purple, Budgie and Uriah Heep at this point. It's not that I don't like 'Baby Face' - it's enjoyable enough - it's simply the fact that it sounds pedestrian even for the early 70's. 'Call the Police' is the other hard(ish) rocker on here, and is marginally stronger than 'Baby Face'. 'Chatting Today' dabbles with folk once again, while the title track continues down a folk/soul-tinged rabbit hole.
Meh... they somehow regressed a little with this one. Even though it's stylistically very similar to the predecessor, the songwriting just ain't as strong this time around. Not a terrible record by any means, just not essential Lizzy. It took me a long time to obtain this CD. I owned every major Thin Lizzy album bar this one, which I didn't pick up 'til 2020 for whatever reason. My Lizzy collection is a weird mix of older issue CD's and remasters, plus a couple of 'em on vinyl. With regards to Shades of a Blue Orphanage, I've got the 1993 Deram CD pressing.
VAGABONDS OF THE WESTERN WORLD 1973 (Deram)
- Standouts: 'Mama Nature Said', 'The Rocker', 'Vagabonds of the Western World', 'Little Girl in Bloom', 'Gonna Creep Up On You'The third and final record from the original lineup. Although they're still not the type of band most people think of them as on here, the album often manages to improve on both of it's predecessors. Hey, it's got 'The Rocker' on it, which is the one song most people really remember from this lineup in general! Well, that and their rendition of 'Whiskey in the Jar', which was only released as a single and never actually made it onto any of their studio albums, except as a bonus track on later reissues. Luckily 'The Rocker' actually lives up to it's name, being the upbeat, brash hard rock tune that it is. Awesome guitar solo too. 'Mama Nature Said' is a fun blues rocker opener, and already better than 80% of what they'd already recorded prior. There's still a touch of wah-wah infused funk rock on 'The Hero and the Madman' complete with it's psychedelic spoken-word segments, and it could quite easily have fit on the debut album. Not really a fan of this one, if I'm honest. I do like 'Slow Blues' a fair bit however, which is a laid back blues number (if the title didn't give that away...) performed with style. The title track is a classy tune too.
There's a very soulful, powerful ballad in 'Little Girl in Bloom'. Phil Lynott never stopped writing ballads, even later on in his career, even if the music in general did get heavier. But in terms of all the Lizzy ballads, this one is still as good as any of the others. It's followed-up by the sleazy heavy rock of 'Gonna Creep Up on You', probably my next favourite song on here behind 'The Rocker' and 'Little Girl in Bloom'. The final track, 'A Song for While I'm Away' is probably the folkiest number on here that also leaves me with a sense of 60's pop balladry. It's got string arrangements on it, and although very tuneful and light-hearted, doesn't really flow all that well with the rest of the album. A good song in it's own right, sure, but it just feels out of place somehow.
Vagabonds of the Western World still isn't one of my favourite Thin Lizzy records, but it is by far the best thing the original trio recorded, and one that I do occasionally like hearing from time to time. There's only really one song on here that bores me ('The Hero and the Madman'), plus one that doesn't really fit all that well ('A Song for While I'm Away' - but I still like it), but overall a solid album that sometimes I might even consider to be a classic depending on my mood. Great artwork on this one too. Pure acid rock goodness!
Adam's rating: 7.8/10
NIGHTLIFE 1974 (Vertigo)
- Standouts: 'She Knows', 'Night Life', 'It's Only Money', 'Still in Love with You', 'Showdown', 'Philomena', 'Sha La La'
Now that Eric Bell was out, Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson were hired, completing what is generally regarded as the classic Thin Lizzy lineup. And yet somehow, they're still kinda restrained on this record! Yep, a lot of what Nightlife has to offer is very laid back and soulful, and not directly comparable to the most popular albums like Jailbreak, Johnny the Fox or Black Rose. It is still a further step in the right direction though; any of the Irish folk influences have pretty much gone at this point, and there's still a handful of tracks on here that are really starting to cook, namely 'It's Only Money', which is a hard-edged, bluesy, riff-driven number as well as 'Sha La La' (which is admittedly the least-threatening title ever for a rocker). 'Sha La La' is pouncing with energy, riffs and guitar licks, and a shufflin' rhythm. You could also argue that the excellent 'Philomena' - a powerful, hard rock-tinged ballad which Phil Lynott wrote as a tribute to his mother - fits quite comfortably in this category too.
'She Knows' might not thrill you in the way you'd want it to, but it's a well-crafted, radio-friendly rock tune. And the guitar work is noticeably better-arranged this time around, with tons of great acoustic and electric, melodic lead work thanks to Gorham and Robertson. Having two guitarists made a huge difference in the Lizzy sound. That said, 'Night Life' is a very soulful, slightly funky R&B number. Again, it ain't exactly gonna rock you, but it's a strong track in it's own right. 'Still In a Love with You' remained a live favourite for years. It's another soul-influenced, soft rock ballad that see's Phil duetting with Scottish singer-songwriter Frankie Miller. More interesting however, is the fact it was co-written by Gary Moore and actually features him playing all the awesome lead guitars on it - and if you know Gary, you can hear it. Gary was actually in the band for a brief time between Vagabonds of the Western World and Nightlife, but was gone again before you could blink. He would join the band again a few years later which I'll get to in a later review, as well as work with Lynott post-Lizzy, but that's a another story.
The piano-and-strings-led 'Frankie Carroll' is a short, pretty ballad - a little too short, but still quite nice - while 'Showdown' is once again paying tribute to chilled-out black soul music - and ya know what? It's great. There's something so cool about Phil's voice that he just had the right attitude and style for this kind of thing on top of the hard rock sound he's normally associated with. 'Dear Heart' follows in similar direction to 'Showdown', but somehow manages to be even smoother.
Wow, this one's gone up a lot in my books. And by that I mean it's gone from a 7.2/10 in my original 2018 review to an 8.3/10 in 2022 - so it's gone from being a good album to a great one. No other Lizzy album sounds quite like Nightlife, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, as this record proves. I'm glad Phil didn't continue down the soul route, but it's nice to have a unique album like this within the discography.
Adam's rating: 8.3/10
FIGHTING 1975 (Mercury)
- Standouts: 'Rosalie', 'For Those Who Love to Live', 'Suicide', 'Wild One', 'Fighting My Way Back', 'King's Vengeance', 'Silver Dollar', 'Freedom Song', 'Ballad of the Hard Man'
This album is the first of what I consider to be a long string of classic Thin Lizzy records. I consider Nightlife to be a classic too, but once Fighting was released, it featured a style that they pretty much stuck with from hereon. True, they would tinker in minor ways on some subsequent albums, but to me they largely followed the blueprint that Fighting set until the band's demise.
Anyhow, this album's got 'Rosalie' on it. It was released as a single but didn't chart, yet it still remains a staple in Lizzy compilations. It's actually a cover of a Bob Seger track, which I didn't realise until many years later. You'd hardly know it though, because it sounds like prime Lizzy. 'For Those Who Love to Live' is a cool blues-esque rocker full of those irresistable Gorham/Robertson twin guitar harmonies. 'Suicide' is excellent - again, the twin guitar work on it is fucking great. I've said it before and I'll say it again - in those faster-picked, melodic parts, you can clearly hear just how much Lizzy influenced bands such as Iron Maiden, who had that galloping rhythm style. Plenty of Maiden guitar riffs and leads, combined with Steve Harris' bass playing sound a lot like Lizzy riffs sped up. That's a compliment, by the way. Oh yeah, 'Wild One' is also on here, continuing Phil's endless list of genuinely passionate, fantastic ballads. While there's plenty of ballads from many different bands in general that I like, there's also plenty of terrible ones out there, even from said bands I like. However, Phil Lynott was a poet and his unique vocal style just always did it for me whenever he felt like being mellow.
'Fighting My Way Back' is an extremely underrated and catchy rocker in the Lizzy catalogue. Phil's bass playing on it adds this groovy, feel-good layer to the song that is totally infectious. 'Kings Vengeance' combines some lovely, melodic passages with heavier, hard rock parts to create a very strong tune. The classy 'Silver Dollar' has a very Andy Summers-style, effects-drenched reverb guitar sound. I dig it. 'Ballad of the Hard Man' is one of the heaviest songs on the album, with it's almost funk-like structure in the riffs. It's cool as hell, shame it kind of fades out a little early. Oh well.
I get goosebumps whenever I hear 'Freedom Song'. Every. Single. Time. It might just be my favourite Lizzy song, well, ever. The guitar/bass harmonies are simply beautiful, while Phil's lyrics and the way he sings them make it such a powerful track. Depending on my mood, it genuinely moves me sometimes. I know that's kind of a lame thing to say, but I don't give a shit. 'Freedom Song' is a prime example of how to write a soulful rock song in under three and a half minutes. It's a perfect song for me. The only track that I'm not so fussed about is 'Spirit Slips Away'. It's still a fairly solid ballad, just a bit tame and not up to the same ridiculously high standard of the rest of this album.
This is a brilliant album. Like I said, it's the first one they made that really has the signature sound all over it. It might not be the heaviest thing they ever did, so if you judge it on that level then it won't be at the top of the pile. But I'd say that in terms of consistency and variety, Fighting is probably one of the best Lizzy records in that respect. I've always liked Fighting, but it never used to sit as high for me as it does now (like Nightlife, this one's gone from an 8.1/10 to a 9.2/10 - that is a major step up), so I'm curious to really sit down and revisit albums like Jailbreak and Johnny the Fox, which I always considered to be stronger than this one.
Adam's rating: 9.2/10
JAILBREAK 1976 (Mercury)
- Standouts: 'Jailbreak', 'Running Back', 'Romeo and the Lonely Girl', 'Warriors', 'The Boys Are Back in Town', 'Cowboy Song', 'Emerald'
Ah, now here's the Thin Lizzy album everyone owns, and 'The Boys Are Back in Town' probably has something to do with this. Naturally, Jailbreak was the band's biggest seller worldwide. It was my first Lizzy record, but I was already familiar with almost all their main hits prior because my Dad always liked them. So while Jailbreak sold a shit ton of records, does this reflect on the quality of the music? Is this the best Lizzy album? Looking online at other websites' rankings, it sure does seem to be at the top of a lot of people's lists...
Well, I don't know if I would put Jailbreak as my number one, but in terms of the songs, there's very little to complain about here. I get why this album is as popular as it is. Kicking off with the title track, you can't go wrong really. The song 'Jailbreak' is one of the most arse-kicking slabs of 70's heavy metal ever recorded! Heavier than anything else they'd recorded at the time, that riff is iconic - and so is Phil shouting "BREAKOUT!!" just before the police siren part. Despite this, the album's not always about kicking ass like the title song would suggest. The next three songs are all extremely melodic, well-crafted tunes that could have easily fit on Fighting. 'Angel from the Coast' is a fun pop rocker - nice song, but overshadowed by the irresistibly catchy 'Running Back'. How it was never released as a single, but rather a b-side to 'Jailbreak' is baffling. 'Romeo and the Lonely Girl' is sorta similar to 'Angel from the Coast', but the chorus seems to stick with me more, so I prefer it. And once again, Lynott's lyrics on it are expectedly poetic.
They do focus on rockin' you once again with 'Warriors' though. It's heavy riff-driven tracks like this that make it so obvious as to why Thin Lizzy influenced so many metal bands later down the line. And as for 'The Boys Are Back in Town', well, you know it already. It's a great, catchy, fun rocker; it's just a shame it's so overplayed next to almost any other of the band's singles that I don't really need to hear it very often anymore. It's not the band's fault of course, they're just the kind of group that only ever really have one or two songs that are played on the radio these days, and 'The Boys' just happens to be that song.
'Cowboy Song' is Phil Lynott in his storytelling mode. It starts off slow and mellow, before transforming into one of the band's finest melodic rockers. The best song - and by best, I mean my favourite - is 'Emerald'. Holy shit, this is a heavy song! Ya know that riff that kind of goes up and down the fret board, back and forth? You know the one I mean! Yeah, it's fucking amazing. 'Emerald' is easily one of the band's greatest ever songs. By contrast, the weakest song on here is 'Fight or Fall'. I mean, it's still decent enough of course, it's just the kind of soulful, more mellow kind of track that Phil's already done better before on Nightlife.
In terms of rating Jailbreak, I'm still not convinced I like it more than Fighting. I'd say 'Emerald' and 'Jailbreak' are better than anything from the predecessor (except for 'Freedom Song' that is), and the production is slightly better too, with crunchier-sounding guitars - but as a whole this album's not quite as consistent as the former to me! That said, Jailbreak is still unmistakeably top-tier Lizzy.
Adam's rating: 9.1/10
JOHNNY THE FOX 1976 (Mercury)
- Standouts: Everything.
This one's a true fan favourite, and for good reason. Apart from 'Don't Believe a Word', most of the songs here don't often appear on all those greatest hits compilations, and that honestly makes no sense to me. Right from the get-go, the band's kicking ass on heavy blues rocker opening track 'Johnny'. That riff is insanely catchy stuff, and I've gotta give credit to Brian Downey for all those cool and intense drum fills. 'Rocky' too, see's 'em rockin' hard once again. This track has more of a fun quality to it by comparison however. Then there's 'Borderline' which is both one of the most underrated and best Lizzy ballads in my opinion. The lyrics are your typical 'drinking alone in a bar after my girl left me' kind of thing, but as always, Phil just has a way and delivery with words that most other guys don't. And that's why I almost always love all his ballads.
Like I said before, 'Don't Believe a Word' is the song everyone knows from this record. It's another extremely catchy hard rocker with a strong pop sensibility - in the best possible way of course. It's a short track; over before you know it at under two minutes and twenty seconds, but everything about it is near perfection, from the riffs, the solo, the vocal arrangements... this is how to craft a hard rock single my friends! 'Fools Gold', with Phil's very Irish spoken-word introduction is outstanding. It has the hard-edged riffs you've come to expect, plus some absolutely wonderful guitar melodies and smooth chorus to create another of my all-time favourite Lizzy numbers. To keep the ball rolling, we're then treated to the cool-as-fuck, classy funk rocker 'Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed'.
'Old Flame' is pretty much a pop song, but a gorgeous one at that. 'Massacre' on the other hand, is faster and heavier - and if that guitar and bass-combo riff (you know which one I'm talking about!) doesn't get your blood pumpin' then I don't know what will! To be fair though, this song still has a ton of melody in it too, which is also great. There's one more ballad on here with 'Sweet Marie'. Well, maybe 'ballad' isn't the right word - really it's an incredibly smooth, floaty, dreamy kind of song that helps pace out the record nicely. The final track, 'Boogie Woogie Dance' isn't nearly as silly as the title suggests. It's really a heavy song with an almost proto-speed metal riff, while Phil's bass playing features tons of groove. An extremely cool way to end this record.
You know, I think Johnny the Fox might just be the greatest Thin Lizzy album of all time, although I'll have to hear Black Rose again and get back to you on that. As I said in the beginning of this review, it boggles the mind how songs like 'Johnny', 'Borderline', 'Fools Gold' and 'Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed' never seem to make it onto all the compilations out there. Hell, this whole fuckin' album rules. The band were on a roll throughout the mid-to-late 70's.
Adam's rating: 9.3/10
BAD REPUTATION 1977 (Mercury)
- Standouts: 'Soldier of Fortune', 'Bad Reputation', 'Opium Trail', 'Southbound', 'Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me in Its Spotlight)', 'Downtown Sundown', 'Dear Lord'
This was the last album to feature Brian Robertson, despite the fact the artwork only features Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham and Brian Downey. Post-Jailbreak, the success had gone to Robertson's head, and after several incidents (including a bar fight where he severely injured his hand) he was fired. As a result, he only appears on three of the tracks here. Despite this, Bad Reputation continues the band's legacy of releasing truly great albums throughout the 70's. Opener 'Soldier of Fortune' speaks for itself. It's not quite an epic-length song, yet it still feels epic. It's an extremely soulful rock ballad with great lyrics and fine use of military-style drumming when necessary. The title track is a faster number that packs a punch; yet it's also got all the trademark guitar harmonies you could ever want. The groovy rocker 'Opium Trail' is awesome too while 'Southbound' is such a cool, smooth melodic rock piece in every single sense. Seriously, no other band does guitar harmonies better than Thin Lizzy in my opinion - 'Southbound' is yet another example as to why I think this. You can try and argue that Iron Maiden do it better all you want, but you ain't gonna convince me otherwise!
As far as Lizzy's pop songs go, 'Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me in Its Spotlight)' is surely the best one? Such a fun, bouncy and infectious tune with correct usage of saxophone. Pretty too, real pretty. Yeah I know... it's a departure from the rest of this album, but it goes to show just how talented Phil really was a songwriter. 'Killer Without a Cause' is excellent too, blending heavy rock with nice acoustic segments and plenty of melody. Not quite as threatening as the title suggests, but still tip-top Lizzy. I get Nightlife vibes from the soulful 'Downtown Sundown'. 'Dear Lord' is underrated; the lead guitar-focused, atmospheric introduction is killer while the rest of the song is a fine, tuneful pop rock track that sticks with you. The weakest number on here is probably 'That Woman's Gonna Break Your Heart'. Yeah, this one's filler more-or-less, but even when Phil's songwriting wasn't fully on-point during this period, he was still creating passable material as this track proves.
And there ya have it, another classic. I've never really considered these mid-career albums to be all that ambitious - I don't know if I can call any Lizzy album a 'masterpiece' per say, yet in terms of consistency and writing memorable songs, they're some of the finest hard rock albums of all time. I will say that Bad Reputation is my least favourite of the five classic Lizzy records (Fighting, Jailbreak, Johnny the Fox, Bad Reputation and Black Rose: A Rock Legend), but that's hardly a bad thing.
Adam's rating: 9/10
LIVE AND DANGEROUS 1978 (Mercury)
I hate to break it to you, but Live and Dangerous isn't as 'live' as you'd think. 'Dangerous' maybe, but producer Tony Visconti states that 75% of this record was done in the studio, the rest from shows in London, Philly and Toronto between 1976-77. Overdubs were necessary to sound more professional (apparently), and audience noise was added from a keyboard tape-loop. And you know what? Who gives a shit?! Judas Priest's Unleashed in the East was recorded in a similar fashion, and I think most hardcore Priest would agree with me when I say it's one of their best. The same goes for (not so) Live and Dangerous. It's like a Fighting/Jailbreak/Johnny the Fox/Bad Reputation greatest hits, only the songs were re-recorded and supercharged! I suppose if I really was a purist, I'd be slating this album because it doesn't capture the essence of a gig, but the fact is it's massively enjoyable regardless. Got this one on vinyl too.
Adam's rating: 9.3/10
BLACK ROSE: A ROCK LEGEND 1979 (Mercury)
- Standouts: All of it.
Gary Moore steps in as a full-time member to replace Brian Robertson, although he apparently left mid-tour due to the rest of the guys' growing drug habits. Shame, because in terms of the music on Black Rose, Gary's iconic guitar style doesn't take away from the classic Thin Lizzy sound whatsoever. In fact, he co-wrote many of these songs with Phil Lynott. In short, we've got another winner here.
The album opener, 'Do Anything You Want To', is yet another brilliantly-crafted and performed hard rock single with hooks to die for, kinda similar to 'Don't Believe a Word'. And 'Toughest Street in Town' is similarly great; this one is a true deep cut, yet could have easily have been released as a single. Insanely catchy, melodic hard rock. The band get all funky on 'S & M' - not entirely unusual for Lizzy as certain past tracks have proved, but this one is definitely funkier than usual. However, it still has that heavy rock edge to it, and still sounds like Thin Lizzy if you ask me. Yeah, I dig it. Not as much as dig 'Waiting for an Alibi' though. Hot damn! YET ANOTHER FUCKING PERFECT POP-TINGED HARD ROCKER!! That chorus always has me singing along, especially the way the backing vocals accompany Phil Lynott's vocals! And once again, those guitar harmonies just shine.
Things just keep getting better with 'Sarah', which is one of the most charming songs ever written. It's an extremely catchy and personal pop song about Phil's then newly-born daughter, Sarah. Such a great tune! The heavier 'Got to Give It Up' is another fine number, and lyrically almost feels like a foreshadowing to Phil Lynott's drug and alcohol problems that led to his eventual death in 1986. 'Get Out of Here' brightens things up a little, being the ridiculously fun rocker it is. The vocal arrangements on this one are just perfect. I guess I'd call 'With Love' my least favourite song on the record, but that's hardly a complaint. It's still a strong, dramatic rock ballad that's no weaker than any of the other stuff of this ilk that Phil had previously written. But holy cow, the title track 'Roisin Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend' is an absolutely epic, masterful number with an almost prog-like structure. It has all these stunning, Celtic folk-inspired musical portions played on electric guitars, and they sound amazing. Simply the most ambitious song Phil and Gary ever wrote together, and probably the best Thin Lizzy song ever from a technical point of view.
I realise I'm throwing around 9/10s left right and centre at this point, but seriously, the Thin Lizzy albums starting with Fighting and ending with Black Rose, is one of the greatest album-runs out of any rock groups' history. Five absolutely superb albums in a row, with this one being my favourite of the bunch. In fact, this is one of the greatest hard rock records of all time in my opinion. Aside from 'With Love' (which is still great anyway), every song on here is phenomenal. Yeah, as you can probably tell, I disagree with anyone who insists Jailbreak is their masterpiece!
Adam's rating: 9.5/10
CHINATOWN 1980 (Vertigo)
- Standouts: 'We Will Be Strong', 'Chinatown', 'Sweetheart', 'Sugar Blues', 'Killer on the Loose', 'Genocide'
Chinatown seems to garner more criticism than the previous five records, but I can hardly call it a poor effort. It's just not as good as the previous five, which were all absurdly good. It was Phil Lynott's growing heroin addiction that was starting to affect his ability to write songs. Scott Gorham was off his head around this time too, and doesn't even remember recording much of this album. People also like to point out that new guitarist and frequent Pink Floyd collaborator Snowy White wasn't the best fit for Thin Lizzy. I dunno about that. He sounds fine to me, even if he's no Brian Robertson or Gary Moore. Plus, he was born in Barnstaple - just like me! So there.
Like I said, I dig Chinatown. Quite a lot actually, even if the songwriting isn't always up to the same standards as the last five. 'We Will Be Strong' is a solid, dramatic opener with a ballad-esque quality. Not one of the best Lizzy openers by any means, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it either. The title track on the other hand, is a definite classic - what a fine blues rocker it is! Such a cool riff! And 'Sweetheart' is one of the most underrated Lizzy cuts that comes to mind for me. I love it. Extremely catchy, singalong chorus, fantastic guitar harmonies. Yep, this is prime Lizzy alright. 'Sugar Blues' is very cool too. Fast, shufflin' rock n' roll riffs make this one of the most fun songs on the record. And the guitar solos on it are sweet.
I'm also gonna stick the badge of honour on 'Genocide' and 'Killer on the Loose'. These two are definite classics as well. 'Killer on the Loose' - which is all about Jack the Ripper - is a fast and upbeat, punchy tune. The riffs, and in fact the whole song in general give off strong punk vibes, at least to me. And I mean that in a good way. 'Genocide' is just a well-written, well-crafted slice of heavy metal with crunchy riffs, great vocal arrangements and nice guitar melodies. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was happening in 1980, and even though Thin Lizzy aren't really a metal band as such (although 1983's Thunder and Lightning is definitely metal...), they do have some specific songs that to me qualify as heavy metal. This is one of them, and it's easy to see why Lizzy influenced so many metal bands, from Maiden to Mastodon.
Obviously there's a handful of lesser moments on here, hence this album's reputation. But even so, none of these tracks are remotely 'bad'. 'Having a Good Time' isn't exactly the best feel-good Lizzy rocker of all time, but it's still pretty fun, if kinda repetitive. I suppose they've done better songs than 'Didn't I', but even so, this is still a decently smooth ballad with some very nice guitar leads. Album closer 'Hey You' isn't the most exciting way to go out, and is my least favourite song on this album. But again, I can't say I dislike it. The riffs are a little bland and uninspired, and the song kind of just plods along with no real enthusiasm, but it still sounds like Thin Lizzy dammit! I guess I can always find some enjoyment out of Phil Lynott's voice and songwriting style, even when he's just half-arsing his way through a song.
So yeah, most people probably don't rate Chinatown as highly as me. I agree that it's weaker than the last bunch, but I still think it's a great record at the end of the day, with a handful of songs that are as good as ever.
Adam's rating: 8.1/10
RENEGADE 1981 (Mercury)
- Standouts: 'Angel of Death', 'Renegade', 'The Pressure Will Blow', 'Leave This Town', 'Hollywood (Down On Your Luck)', 'No One Told Him'
Renegade, aside from maybe the debut and Shades of a Blue Orphanage, is one of the only Lizzy albums I see get genuine negative reviews from time to time. Seems like some fans don't like this one. Hell, it's the first of two Lizzy records to feature keyboardist Darren Wharton as a full-time band member in the album credits (the other album being Thunder and Lightning). Yeah, I still have a hard time picturing Thin Lizzy as a five-man band, even if Wharton did actually contribute some keyboard work to Chinatown - but he was listed as a guest musician in that instance. If I have any major complaints regarding Renegade, it's that the keyboards are too prominent on a handful of the tracks and take away from the classic Lizzy sound. Take opener 'Angel of Death' - it's kind of an epic, almost proggy piece with tons of keyboards splattered all over... and yet it's still a great song in it's own right! Like I said, all those keyboard tones make me uncomfortable when trying to compare it to almost any of the previous five or six records - but as a standalone song, 'Angel of Death' is fucking great! The songwriting is inspired and there's tons going on with it musically. Maybe it should've been released as a Phil Lynott solo track or something.
As for the title track however, this is just a brilliant song full-stop, and up there with all the best Lizzy tunes. Talk about epic! It's Phil doing his storytelling schtick that he does so well over a towering ballad, and I love it. Absolutely tip-top. Sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it. 'The Pressure Will Blow' isn't as ambitious as either of the previous numbers, but it's simplicity is what makes it decent. It's a catchy Lizzy rocker alright, albeit with more sheen than usual thanks to the more advanced production. Pretty much all previous albums had a bassy, low-end and more organic sound - Renegade feels more processed and polished by comparison. Personally I prefer the typical sound of the older production techniques, but I really don't mind the production on this album either. It is what it is.
'Leave This Town' is a cool, bouncy rocker reminding me a little of 'Sugar Blues' from Chinatown. Great soloing on this one. They had a minor hit with the crunchy hooky rock of 'Hollywood (Down On Your Luck)'. While this isn't exactly in the same league as a single like 'Waiting for an Alibi', it's still classic Lizzy if you ask me. A compilation wouldn't be complete without it. 'No One Told Him' is an obvious attempt at pop rock, but guess what? This is Phil Lynott and he knows how to write good hooks - hence another solid number! 'Fats' is very good too. Kinda jazzy in nature, but I like it. Again, maybe it would have worked better as a Lynott solo number, but whatever. I feel like I shouldn't like 'Mexican Blood' - it is kind of a stupid song with all the weird Mexican-inspired percussion and Spanish guitars, yet I still get some enjoyment out of it! It's definitely the worst song on this album, but I don't outright hate it. 'It's Getting Dangerous' isn't perfect either. I don't particularly like the keyboard additions to this one, but it's still a largely solid poppy rock song at the end of the day.
Like Chinatown, it seems like I rate Renegade higher than the average Lizzy fan. Even with the new production style and the new-found keyboard emphasis, I think this is still a great record! Not quite as great as Chinatown, but still pretty awesome overall. I still listen to it more than I do any of the first three power-trio albums - yeah, even Vagabonds. And even if the keyboard usage has been cranked up another notch, for the most part, they don't take away from the majority of the music on here.
Underrated, that's what Renegade is. Underrated. Sue me!
Adam's rating: 8/10
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING 1983 (Vertigo)
- Standouts: 'Thunder and Lightning', 'This Is the One', 'The Sun Goes Down', 'Cold Sweat', 'Some Day She Is Going to Hit Back', 'Baby Please Don't Go', 'Bad Habits', 'Heart Attack'
There's fans out there that consider swansong studio LP Thunder and Lightning to be too heavy and metallic to be true Lizzy. But then there's also fans out there that consider Thunder and Lightning to be the best Lizzy album because of how heavy and metallic it is! And me? I dig it. Always have done. It's a unique album in the catalogue. But their absolute finest hour? Nah, I wouldn't go that far. But what I will say is that as a final record before breakup, it's difficult to think of many other albums as good as this one. Seriously, how many bands made a genuinely classic record just before they split? Well, probably quite a few now that I think about it, but whatever!
So anyway, Snowy White decided to leave after Renegade, and in comes John Sykes accompanying Scott Gorham. John is a brilliant guitarist. Prior to joining Thin Lizzy, he played on a couple of classic Tygers of Pan Tang NWOBHM records, Spellbound and Crazy Nights. After Lizzy, he'd play on the hit Whitesnake albums Slide It In and 1987, and then eventually form the band Blue Murder. In short, this guy was more than capable to do Thin Lizzy justice when he joined the band in 1982. And as for the songs on Thunder and Lightning, well, like I said, they're often heavier and more intense than usual. You can hear that the second you hit play on your CD player or drop the needle on your LP. That opening title track borders on speed metal! Phil Lynott never kicked as much ass as he does on this one! And those guitar solos! Jeez... that is some absolutely shredding stuff! However, I just want to make it clear now that just because this is quite possibly the fastest, most intense the band ever sounded, it doesn't automatically make 'Thunder and Lightning' any better than some of their previous metallic songs like 'Emerald', 'Jailbreak' or 'Genocide' etc.. It's still totally awesome though, naturally, and possibly a top ten Lizzy track for me. And so is 'This Is the One'. This track is a little more in-line with the typical Lizzy trademark sound - great hooks, fun chorus, crunchy riffs and guitar leads - the works. However, the more streamlined production gives it a slightly different sort of vibe to their 70's works. Kinda like Renegade, only a bit sharper 'round the edges.
The ballad 'The Sun Goes Down' is instantly memorable, dripping with atmosphere, and features what I consider to be one of Phil's best vocal performances of all time. 'Cold Sweat' on the other hand, is just one of the most kick-butt songs of all time. It's not as fast as the title track, but is arguably the heavier of the two. This track is jam-packed full of attitude, fantastic riffage and some blistering lead guitar work. Not only that, it still retains the catchy songwriting chops of Phil Lynott! Hence, it's one of the best Lizzy songs ever. It's definitely stronger than 'Someday She Is Going to Hit Back', but even so, this number is still cool as hell. It has more of a fun, upbeat feel by comparison, and the added Darren Wharton keyboard solo manages to add a whole other dimension, competing with the equally crazy shredding Sykes guitar solo.
'Baby Please Don't Go' could have quite easily qualified as filler because structurally and riffs-wise, it's pretty basic stuff. But Skyes' and Gorham's guitar harmonies and leads are just too exciting here that it never gets dull. 'Bad Habits' is the most traditionally Thin Lizzy-sounding song on this album, if that makes any sense. If you took away the 80's production, it'd feel right at home on Fighting or Jailbreak. So for that reason, it's another standout in my books. The last track, 'Heart Attack', is composed of more upbeat melodic metal goodness.
I do think that the addition of keyboards has generally been utilised better here than on Renegade, but it doesn't always mesh well with the Lizzy sound. And while the Chris Tsangarides production is good in it's own right, I actually think that this and Renegade have aged worse sonically than albums like Black Rose or Johnny the Fox. There's just little in the way of any big bass tones here, which makes zero sense considering how prominent Phil's bass playing was on all those older records. The guitar tones are cool, that much is true, but the production doesn't do a song like 'The Holy War' any favours, which is probably the poppiest song on here. It hasn't aged all that well, and it's mainly because of the production. That said, I think it's a decent tune at core.
I really wanted to give this one a 9/10. 'Thunder and Lightning', 'Cold Sweat' and 'The Sun Goes Down' are as amazing as, well, any of their other amazing songs. And tracks like 'Heart Attack', 'This Is the One' and 'Someday She Is Going to Hit Back' are unmistakeable Lizzy classics too... but can I really score Thunder and Lightning a 9/10?! If I did, it'd be within the same ballpark as any of the five definitive albums from the 70's, and I'm sorry, but I just don't think I can be that generous here! Those 70's albums have a vibe that this one sadly doesn't. Still, as a swansong record, this is an absolutely killer effort. The band split after the tour, and Phil Lynott went solo for a few years until his tragic death in 1986 - RIP. I know Scott Gorham and Brian Downey kept Thin Lizzy 'existing' in various different forms on various occasions, but all the gigs they played were essentially tribute shows in my mind. And I think that was the point - there hasn't been any new studio material since Thunder and Lightning. There's been live albums without Lynott, but I never touched them. I just don't see the point, even if the well-respected Ricky Warwick was handling vocals.
Adam's rating: 8.9/10
