Teach me about Thin Lizzy

[JayKeeley]

What do I need to know? Where do I need to start? And when bands of today refer to TL as an influence, do they refer to a specific period or album?

Are we talking about starting with "Johnny the Fox", or the legendary "Live and Dangerous"? Or am I way off the beaten track?

:Spin:

 

[Krilons Resa]

Black Rose

Live and Dangerous is a superb Live album.

 

[Papa Josh]

You need to know that John Sykes is one of the BADDEST motherfucking guitarists on the planet!!!

BLUE MURDER's 1st album = one of my favorite records ever. By far the best shit Bob Rock ever touched.

 

[matt99_crew]

Good question, Jay Keeley, and I'll be coming back for the answers. I've wondered the same thing and always known I need to get around to checking out TL.

 

[Ayeka]

From my experience:

The Boys Are Back In Town: Likeable enough but a tad overplayed and the meedly bit really gets on my nerves
The Rocker: Very cool song!
Jailbreak: Can't really remember it
Massacre: That song that Iron Maiden covered that I think I've only listen to once and didn't really stick out

Good luck JK!

 

[JayKeeley]

*waits for lizard*

 

[NAD]

*waits for lizard*

I was going to say this earlier.

I think the only Thin Lizzy I've heard is the Boys are Back in Town.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

JayKeelay: I second "Black Rose" to be ideal for a start, really epic.
Also "Johny The Fox" and "Chinatown" and "Vagabonds Of The Western World" .. all of them!
About influenced bands, i think Scalzi would also recommend "Black Rose" which captures that Irish flavor pretty much.
Lizard should spank ur ass, for not checking them already

 

[Krilons Resa]

While you're at it JayKeeley, check out Budgie as well.

 

[ScottG]

Great band. My favorites are Fighting, Bad Reputation and Black Rose. Fighting is the earliest of the "twin guitar" albums, so that's a good place to start. The combination of melody with the heart & soul is what really makes Thin Lizzy a satisfying, unique listen.

 

[JayKeeley]

Guess I'll start with Black Rose.

Re: Budgie - I've always been curious to hear the original version of "Breadfan".

 

[ProgMetalFan]

Thin Lizzy is one of the greatest bands from the 70's. ScottG summed it up well... melody with soul. I love Lynott's "stream of consciousness" singing style. Their early stuff is really weird... almost hilarious to hear sometimes. They were trying all sorts of crazy stuff before they finally found their trademark sound on "Fighting". I recommend everything from "Fighting" through "Black Rose"... that's their classic period, in my opinion. They were one of the originators of twin lead harmonies along with Wishbone Ash.

 

[lizard]

Thin Lizzy is one of the greatest bands from the 70's. ScottG summed it up well... melody with soul. I love Lynott's "stream of consciousness" singing style. Their early stuff is really weird... almost hilarious to hear sometimes. They were trying all sorts of crazy stuff before they finally found their trademark sound on "Fighting". I recommend everything from "Fighting" through "Black Rose"... that's their classic period, in my opinion. They were one of the originators of twin lead harmonies along with Wishbone Ash.

spot on!

Fighting was truly the beginning, really...but that's a notch below everything between Jailbreak and Black Rose, when heroin began to take its toll.

Sykes only appeared studio-wise on Thunder & Lightning, which was their last studio album...he breathed some life back into the corpse, and Life Live, which was a decent but profit taking double live album. If you're a Sykes fan, you can buy T&L directly from reissuers Wounded Bird Records for like $12.

Jailbreak is the most consistent, but as someone mentioned, a couple of the tracks have been licensed to death. But sheesh...Cowboy Song is awesome, and perfectly indicative of the European fascination with the American West.

Johnny the Fox is decent enough, but maybe a bit rushed to capitalize on the success of Jailbreak. Remember, this was still in the days where a band produced an album every year or so, kinda hard to fathom nowadays where we wait three years for a group's new delivery...

Black Rose (Roisin Dubh) is pretty damn good, with the title track being epic; it has an annoying brief segment of frantic guitars towards the end which sounds forced but the roll call of Irish literary greats and mythic heroes is stirring for anyone with a bit of green in their blood.

If money was no object, the import-only box set would be the way to go, actually. I have burned copies from my brother who is the definitive Lizzy expert.

and...he sent me the most awesome thing ever...the Irish Phil Lynott postage stamp first day covers!!

 

[JayKeeley]

I love Lynott's "stream of consciousness" singing style.

I LOVE that description - did you come up with that? Man, I wish I had used that description when describing "Doomed Parade". Suddenly I see where Scalzi references Lynott in his delivery / intonations.

@lizard - thanks man. This should be fun...

 

[lizard]

"stream of consciousness" - that is good. It frosts my ass when reviewers claim that their god, Bruce Springsteen, influenced Lynott...Lynott was recording for several years before Springsteen's debut.

JayK: here's a list of the primary albums (not including BBC, etc) with notations of the guitar players on each. Lynott and drummer Brian Downey were the constants and Lynott the true heart of the band, but the sound of the band was frequently affected by the style of the guitarists. Also, Downey was a terrific, terrific drummer.

I wouldn't buy the first three CDs as a starter, only if you like all the rest. Ther're the sound of a young band finding its legs.

Thin Lizzy (Eric Bell)
Shades of a Blue Orphanage (Bell)
Vagabonds of the Western World (Bell)
Night Life (Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, with guest Gary Moore)
Fighting (Gorham and Robertson)
Jailbreak (Gorham and Robertson)
Johnny the Fox (Gorham and Robertson)
Bad Reputation (Gorham and Robertson)
Live & Dangerous (Gorham and Robertson, who leaves for his one album stint in Motorhead)
Black Rose (Gorham and Gary Moore)
Chinatown (Gorham and Snowy White)
Renegade (Gorham and White)
Thunder and Lightning (Gorham and John Sykes)
Life Live (Gorham and Sykes, with cameos from Snowy White, Gary Moore, Brian Robertson, and Eric Bell)

 

[lizard]

this might be the best purchase for the beginner:

it covers their whole career. by identifying what tracks you like, it gives you an idea of where to head next.

 

[JayKeeley]

"stream of consciousness" - that is good. It frosts my ass when reviewers claim that their god, Bruce Springsteen, influenced Lynott...Lynott was recording for several years before Springsteen's debut.

Wow, that's right, Springsteen does do that thing too.

JayK: here's a list of the primary albums (not including BBC, etc) with notations of the guitar players on each. Lynott and drummer Brian Downey were the constants and Lynott the true heart of the band, but the sound of the band was frequently affected by the style of the guitarists. Also, Downey was a terrific, terrific drummer.

I wouldn't buy the first three CDs as a starter, only if you like all the rest. Ther're the sound of a young band finding its legs.

Thin Lizzy (Eric Bell)
Shades of a Blue Orphanage (Bell)
Vagabonds of the Western World (Bell)
Night Life (Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, with guest Gary Moore)
Fighting (Gorham and Robertson)
Jailbreak (Gorham and Robertson)
Johnny the Fox (Gorham and Robertson)
Bad Reputation (Gorham and Robertson)
Live & Dangerous (Gorham and Robertson, who leaves for his one album stint in Motorhead)
Black Rose (Gorham and Gary Moore)
Chinatown (Gorham and Snowy White)
Renegade (Gorham and White)
Thunder and Lightning (Gorham and John Sykes)
Life Live (Gorham and Sykes, with cameos from Snowy White, Gary Moore, Brian Robertson, and Eric Bell)

That is awesome - thanks. I think I'll just start with Black Rose, plus I'm a big Gary Moore fan. EDIT: Back when he played metal.

Hey, which album has Parissiene Walkways? Damn, the guitar tone on that is beautiful.

Re: best of albums, yeah they serve a purpose I guess, but otherwise...

 

[lizard]

I think Parisienne Walkways was off a Gary Moore album....Lynott and Moore had a love hate relationship, they collaborated often but couldn't sustain the relationship. Moore was devastated when Lynott died.

yes....

on 2nd thought go with the Black Rose, yes indeedy.

 

[JayKeeley]

Oh ok, but it was Phil Lynott singing though, right?

 

[lizard]

yes, as well as (I believe) them both singing on the track "Military Man." Moore has another highly romantically Irish track with "Over the Hills and Far Away." Moore is of course from Belfast, and nobody, NOBODY, is more in love with the concept of outlaws-as-heroes than the people of Erin.