CD Gallery - Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy were one of the pioneers of the twin guitar attack. This approach would become the standard for heavy metal in the 80's and bands like Iron Maiden and Def Leppard would echo Lizzy's sound for years to come. In the mid 1980's Thin Lizzy called it a day after becoming frustrated with their lack of commercial success. Main song writer, lead vocalist, and bassist Phil Lynott recorded two solo records before becoming the victim of his own longtime abuse of drugs and alcohol. Phil died in January 1986 at the young age of 36 (1949-1986). In 1999 some of the members of Thin Lizzy reunited and began touring the globe once again, dedicating every show to Phil. Scott Gorham also plays in 21 Guns. A double disc tribute to Phil was also released in 2001

1. "Friendly Ranger at Clontarf Castle" (2:57)
2. "Honestly Is No Excuse" (3:34)
3. "Diddy Levine" (3:52)
4. "Ray-Gun" (2:58)
5. "Look What the Wind Blew In" (3:16)
6. "Eire" (2:04)
7. "Return of the Farmer's Son" (4:05)
8. "Clifton Grange Hotel" (2:22)
9. "Saga of the Ageing Orphan" (3:39)
10. "Remembering, Pt. 1" (5:57)
BONUS TRACKS
11. "Dublin" (2:27)
12. "Remembering, Pt. 2 (New Day)" (5:06)
13. "Old Moon Madness" (3:56)
14. "Things Ain't Working out Down at the Farm" (4:32)

Thin Lizzy were originally a power trio in the image of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, which is in stark contrast to the lethal twin guitar attack that they would soon make famous. Phil Lynott was only beginning to develop as a lyricist and a songwriter, and the band was still a bit unfocused trying to decide if they were to play Irish folk-infused music or hard rock. There are tons of quiet ballads like "Honesty is No Excuse," "Eire," and "Saga of the Ageing Orphan" but as usual with Lynott, his ballads are always powerful. The rockers "Look What the Wind Blew In," and "Return of the Farmer's Son," while nothing compared to mid 70's Lizzy are still quite enjoyable. I actually like this album quite a bit, it's a cool late night listen.

Tracks 1-10 formed the original album and were recorded Jan 4-9, 1971 Tracks 11-14 were recorded June 14, 15 & 17, 1971 and are bonus tracks which did not appear on the original version of the album. They are taken from the Decca EP (F-13208) entitled 'NEW DAY,' released August 20,1971

1. "Rise and Dear Demise of the Funk" (7:07)
2. "Buffalo Gal" (5:30)
3. "I Don't Want to Forget How To" (1:46)
4. "Sarah" (3:00)
5. "Brought Down" (4:19)
6. "Baby Face" (3:28)
7. "Chatting Today" (4:19)
8. "Call the Police" (3:37)
9. "Shades of a Blue Orphanage" (7:07)

Shades of a Blue Orphanage is named after the musicians' previous bands (Eric Bell's Shades of Blue and Phil Lynott and Brian Downey's Orphanage). This album is still unfocused but is beginning to show what would soon be. "Sarah" a song Phil wrote about his grandmother and should not to be confused with the song "My Sarah" written for Phil's daughter several albums later. Of all the discs in my Thin Lizzy collection, this is the one I listen to the least. Standout cuts are "Buffalo Gal," "Call the Police" and "Baby Face," which all sound the closest to the classic Thin Lizzy sound.

1. "Mama Nature Said" (4:52)
2. "Hero and the Madman" (6:08)
3. "Slow Blues" (5:14)
4. "The Rocker" (5:12)
5. "Vagabond of the Western World" (4:44)
6. "Little Girl in Bloom" (5:12)
7. "Gonna Creep up on You" (3:27)
8. "Song for While I'm Away" (5:10)
BONUS TRACKS
9. "Whiskey in the Jar" (5:44)
10. "Black Boys on the Corner" (3:21)
11. "Randolph's Tango" (3:49)
12. "Broken Dreams" (4:26)

Thin Lizzy were still caught between being a heavy metal band and an Irish folk-rock band on their third album. While there are some great rockers on this one, there are still a few that are not up to typical Thin Lizzy standards. Of course the awesome "The Rocker" is one of my favorite Thin Lizzy songs of all time. "Vagabond of the Western World" is a cool song as well but it's even better on the "Peel Sessions" recordings. The Decca re-issue also includes four non-LP tracks, including their first hit single "Whiskey in the Jar," and the awesome heavy metal track "Black Boys in the Corner." Tracks 9 and 12 are the two singles issued after "Shades of a Blue Orphanage," with the A sides ('Whisky In The Jar' and 'Randolph's Tango') being the full length versions.

Raven covered "The Rocker" on "Glow" and Metallica covered "Whiskey in the Jar" on their "Garage, Inc."

1. "Black Boys On The Corner" (3:22)
2. "Song For While I'm Away" (5:08)
3. "Randolph's Tango" (3:45)
4. "Little Girl In Bloom" (3:46)
5. "Sitamoia" (3:15)
6. "Honesty Is No Excuse" (3:38)
7. "Little Darling" (2:55)
8. "Remembering" (4:00)
9. "Gonna Creep Up On You" (3:25)
10. "Whiskey In The Jar" (5:40)
11. "The Rocker" (5:12)

A collection of early rockers and some rare material from Thin Lizzy's early days before Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. Some of the material features guitarist Gary Moore. Much of this stuff was not available on cd but when Decca re-released the first three albums, they included much of this material as bonus tracks. Still, this is a good listen every once and a while as it includes some of the best material from the first years of Thin Lizzy. This disc is out of print. I picked it up for $5.99 new many years ago.

1. "She Knows" (5:12)
2. "Night Life" (3:57)
3. "It's Only Money" (2:47)
4. "Still In Love With You" (5:38)
5. "Frankie Carroll" (2:02)
6. "Showdown" (4:31)
7. "Banshee" (3:42)
8. "Philomena" (3:42)
9. "Sha-La-La" (3:25)
10. "Dear Heart" (4:31)

The first album where Lizzy began to really let loose and become the guitar-led heavy metal band they are remembered as. "Sha-la-la," while having a rather silly name, is a great song. "Still In Love With You" was a concert favorite for years to come. "Slowdown" and "Night Life" are excellent heavy R&B songs. Overall, not yet pure brilliance, but they were heading in the right direction. I think this disc is now out of print. I can't even find a copy for sale on eBay, so I'm glad I bought this one when I did.

1. "Rosalie" (3:11)
2. "For Those Who Love to Live" (3:08)
3. "Suicide" (5:12)
4. "Wild One" (4:18)
5. "Fighting My Way Back" (3:12)
6. "King's Vengeance" (4:08)
7. "Spirit Slips Away" (4:35)
8. "Silver Dollar" (3:26)
9. "Freedom Song" (3:32)
10. "Ballad of A Hard Man" (3:14)

The first in a long line of brilliant albums by one of the first and best dual guitar heavy metal bands. Thin Lizzy perfected the dual lead and rhythm and inspired such artists as Iron Maiden and Metallica. This album was just the start. Songs like "Fighting" and "Ballad of a Hard Man" are pure metal. Others like "Suicide" and the Bob Segar cover "Rosalie" would be concert favorites for years to come. They really took this song and made it their own. Thin Lizzy are simply brilliant! Did I mention that this was just the start of even better things to come?

"King's Vengeance" was covered by Scott Gorham's post Lizzy band 21 Guns. Iron Maiden covered "Rosalie" live. Although this is not actually a Thin Lizzy song, Maiden's cover was very much inspired by the Thin Lizzy version. The song has only been released as a bootleg.

1."Jailbreak" (4:01)
2."Angel from the Coast" (3:03)
3."Running Back" (3:13)
4."Romeo and the Lonely Girl" (3:55)
5."Warriors" (4:09)
6."The Boys are Back in Town" (4:27)
7."Fight or Fall" (3:45)
8."Cowboy Song" (5:16)
9."Emerald" (4:03)

This was Thin Lizzy's biggest studio record in the US, due to the singles "Boys Are Back in Town" and "Jailbreak." I could care less about hits, but Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak" is a great early heavy metal record. I still get chills when I hear the guitar lead break in "Warrior" or the heavy rhythm of "Emerald." "Cowboy Song" was a concert favorite right up until the time Thin Lizzy broke up. (Anthrax did a cool cover of this song on their "Black Lodge" ep) "Jailbreak," like many of Lizzy's studio albums after this one, is a concept record. Instead of explaining the story, I thought I would just reprint the liner notes instead:

It goes without saying that "Jailbreak" is one of my all time favorite cds. Of course the liner notes are printed without permission from anyone. (-:

1. "Johnny" (4:26)
2. "Rocky" (3:42)
3. "Borderline" (4:35)
4. "Don't Believe A Word" (2:18)
5. "Fools Gold" (3:51)
6. "Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed" (3:43)
7. "Old Flame" (3:10)
8. "Massacre" (3:01)
9. "Sweet Marie" (3:58)
10. "Boogie Woogie Dance" (3:07)

And yet another brilliant Thin Lizzy record. This one is also a concept record, although the songs stand alone one their own. I never really paid much attention to the storylines, but this story is about an unlikely hero, "Johnny," who saves a young damsel in distress. "Massacre" is an intense dual guitar attack. "Don't Believe A Word" is a hard rocker that sounds even better on "Live & Dangerous." "Boogie Woogie Dance" is a heavy song with a groove. "Old Flame" and "Sweet Marie" are tender ballads. The thing about Lizzy ballads is that they always fit into the record, as opposed to being an annoying song stuck on the record just to get radio airplay or to fill a space. Like many of their 1970s releases, "Johnny the Fox" is a good listen from beginning to end. Phil Collins is listed in the thank you list as having played some percussion, although what and were is unknown.

1. "Soldier of Fortune" (5:18)
2. "Bad Reputation" (3:09)
3. "Opium Trail" (3:58)
4. "Southbound" (4:27)
4. "Dancing in the Moonlight" (3:26)
6. "Killer Without a Cause" (3:33)
7. "Downtown Sundown" (4:08)
8. "That Woman's Gonna Break Your Heart" (3:25)
9. "Dear Lord" (4:26)

Always wondered why the front cover featured only three of the four Lizzy dudes. Found out later that Brian Robertson was forced to back away from the band due to breaking his hand in a bar fight. Robertson, however, is still listed as a member and is still pictured on the back cover. Guitarist Scott Gorham handled all guitar duties and did so in a fine manner as "Bad Reputation" is another brilliant, 100% filler-free Thin Lizzy album. Every song possessing it's own emotion and splendor. Of course, much of this is helped by Phil Lynott's soulful vocals and poetic lyrics. Favorites are the title track, "Dancing in the Moonlight," "Opium Trail," the underrated "Dear Lord"...oh heck, the whole disc is good. Found my copy at Circuit City for a mere $8.99 new. Have seen the disc going for as much as $17.99.

1. "Jailbreak" (4:31)
2. "Emerald" (4:18)
3. "Southbound" (3:44)
4. "Rosalie/Cowboy Song" (4:00)
5. "Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me In Its Spotlight)" (3:50)
6. "Massacre" (2:46)
7. "Still In Love With You" (7:40)
8. "Johnny the Fox Meets" (3:32)
9. "Cowboy Song" (4:40)
10. "The Boys Are Back In Town" (4:30)
11. "Don't Believe A Word" (2:05)
12. "Warrior" (3:52)
13. "Are You Ready" (2:40)
14. "Suicide" (5:00)
15. "Sha-La-La" (4:18)
16. "Baby Drives Me Crazy" (6:36)
17. "The Rocker" (3:58)

This is one of the greatest live albums of all time! Thin Lizzy's songs have always been excellent, but in this live atmosphere, they have more power and punch. One of my all time favorite albums of all bands! This is the first Thin Lizzy album I replaced with cd.

1. "Do Anything You Want To" (3:53)
2. "Toughest Street in Town" (4:02)
3. "S&M" (4:05)
4. "Waiting for an Alibi" (3:31)
5. "My Sarah" (3:32)
6. "Got To Give It Up" (4:24)
7. "Get Out of Here" (3:38)
8. "With Love" (4:38)
9. "Rosin Dubh (Black Rose) A Rock Legend" (7:04)

Thin Lizzy returns with another strong album. Sadly Thin Lizzy's albums had begun selling less and less from their biggest seller "Jailbreak" and the band was beginning to become discouraged. New guitarist Gary Moore, however, brought new life to the band. (Actually Gary Moore had been with Thin Lizzy before in an earlier stage of the band.) Everything is in place from the metallic "Toughest Street in Town," to the ballad "Sarah," to the commercial rocker "Waiting for an Alibi." It seemed that Lizzy were set for a major comeback but alas, it did not happen and from what I understand, Phil Lynott became frustrated. Why this album wasn't a huge success is a mystery, because this album is just so darn good. Finally found a copy of this on cd through Metal Blade's web site for a mere $12.

1. "We Will Be Strong" (5:11)
2. "Chinatown" (4:41)
3. "Sweetheart" (3:30)
4. "Sugar Blues" (4:19)
5. "Killer on the Loose" (3:55)
6. "Having A Good Time" (4:36)
7. "Genocide" (5:06)
8. "Didn't I" (4:27)
9. "Hey You" (5:09)

In my opinion, this is the most stagnant Lizzy album. I'm not sure why, but the songs just didn't have the power or hooks that kept me coming back for more like almost all their past releases. Some highlights are the funky "Sugar Blues" with those awesome Brian Downey drum fills and the heavy metal rockers "Killer on the Loose," "Genocide" and "China Town." Cool oriental cover art. This disc is now out of print once again.

1. "Angel of Death" (6:18)
2. "Renegade" (6:10)
3. "The Pressure Will Blow" (3:48)
4. "Leave this Town" (3:50)
5. "Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)" (4:10)
6. "No One Told Him" (3:37)
7. "Fats" (4:03)
8. "Mexican Blood" (3:42)
9. "It's Getting Dangerous" (5:35)

Despite the fact that every review of this disc I have ever read slams it as the worst thing Thin Lizzy has ever done, I like it. Perhaps there are some keyboard-pop attempts here, as was popular in 1982, but songs like "The Pressure Will Blow," "Hollywood," and the epic "Angel of Death" still sound like the metallic machine that Thin Lizzy was. New guy (former Pink Floyd tour guitarist) Snowy White never really fit the bill, either in look or in sound, but as long as Scott Gorham and Brian Downey were doing their part and Phil Lynott was still writing the material, it sounded like Thin Lizzy. Of course, at this point in their career, the band was plagued with heavy drug use, so the majority of the songs are not quite as focused as past efforts. Also, the overly clean production hampers how heavy this disc could have been. Still, no where near the tragedy that most people say it is. Perhaps "Renegade" is one of the worst Thin Lizzy studio albums, but with a line of masterworks under their belt, their worst is still better than many others best. My cd copy is the Metal Blade re-issue. A good friend gave it to me because he didn't like it. One man's garbage is another man's treasure.

1. "Thunder and Lightning" (4:54)
2. "This Is the One" (4:03)
3. "Sun Goes Down" (6:18)
4. "Holy War" (5:11)
5. "Cold Sweat" (3:06)
6. "Someday She Is Going to Hit Back" (4:05)
7. "Baby Please Don't Go" (5:08)
8. "Bad Habits" (4:04)
9. "Heart Attack" (3:39)

What can I say, if your going to go out, go out with a bang and at the top of your game. "Thunder and Lighting" was Thin Lizzy's final studio release. A "Farewell Tour" was scheduled to coincide with the release of the album. "Thunder and Lightning," was a fitting farewell as it is an AWESOME album and probably my favorite of their 80's releases. Guitarist John Sykes (who is still with the resurrected "tribute" band in 1999) replaced Snowy White and/or Gary Moore, and the new talent must have kicked Phil Lynott and Co. into high gear. "This Is the One" and "Cold Sweat," are pure Lynott magic. There are a few weak spots, like the synthesizer solo in the middle of the title track that weakens this other wise heavy studio version. Live versions like on "Life" and "BBC Radio One" prove that the song was suppose to be an all-out rocker. Overall, however, this is a great album and a frequent player on my cd player.

Gothic Slam recorded a charged up cover of "Thunder & Lightning." Sinner recorded a cool cover version "Sun Goes Down."

What is cool about this disc is that it features every guitar player from Thin Lizzy's incredible lineups, all the way back to original guitarist Eric Bell. "Black Rose," features guitarist Gary Moore who pulls off an unbelievable extended solo. Also on hand was Snowy White, Scott Gorham, John Sykes (ex-Tygers of Pan Tan, Whitesnake), and the incredible Brian "Robbo" Robertson. The only downfall of this disc is that there was extensive studio "fixes" done, so the album is not a raw as "Live and Dangerous" or even the "BBC Radio One" disc. The quantity and the quality of material is great, despite reviews claiming that the newer material was not up to the standards of the older material. I personally think "Thunder & Lightning" is one of Phil Lynott's best songs. Lizzy Live! I can't get enough of it. This disc is now out of print, including the Metal Blade reissue. From what I read, Metal Blade licensed the disc from Warner Bros. but were only allowed to print so-many copies.

Thin Lizzy-Dedication EP (Phonogram/UK) 1991

This recording of 'Dedication' was probably started by Phillip with his band Grand Slam but through modern recording
techniques it was completed by Brian Downey and Scott Gorham after Philip's death for release first on this EP, then was later
released on the compilation also titled 'Dedication.' I'm not sure of the year of release.

1. "Whiskey in The Jar" (5:45)
2. "The Rocker" (5:11)
3. "She Knows" (5:15)
4. "Still In Love With You" (5:39)
5. "Showdown" (4:30)
6. "Rosalie" (3:14)
7. "Wild One" (4:21)
8. "Fighting My Way Back" (3:15)
9. "Jailbreak" (4:04)
10. "The Boys Are Back in Town" (4:29)
11. "Cowboy Song" (5:18)
12. "Don't Believe a Word" (2:19)
13. "Bad Reputation" (3:08)
14. "Dancing in the Moonlight" (3:26)
15. "Do Anything You Want" (3:54)
16. "Waiting for an Alibi" (4:10)
17. "Chinatown" (4:44)
18. "Dedication" (3:58)

A decent "best of" collection that includes much of the essentials but leaves out all most of the classic 80's material. The only real reason a Thin Lizzy fan would want this single disc collection is for the essential, unreleased title track "Dedication." No information is given about this song except for a year of release 1990 and a publishing date of 1991. Of course, the vocals and bass tracks must have been recorded before January of 1986 when Phil Lynott died. I couldn't see paying $16.99 for a disc that had one song on it that I wanted so I waited for a long time and finally found a used copy for $6.99.

For the 10th anniversary of Phil Lynott's death, this new "best of" collection was issued in most parts of the world except for America. (That figures!) The Euro-version was a single disc that contained 19 tracks but nothing that had not already been released, so it was really nonessential, with the possible exception of the two Gary Moore tracks. ("Out in the Fields" &. "Parisienne Walkways") The Japanese version, however, contains this awesome bonus disc comprised of 10 rare live performances. Two of these live tracks ("Bad Reputation" and "Opium Trail") were originally to appear on "Live and Dangerous," but were dropped due to the time constraints of vinyl. These two songs alone are worth the $9.99 I paid for this used disc. A quick check on eBay proved that the disc is ultra rare, selling for $50+. One strange thing about this disc, however, is that the very song in which the disc is named is not on either disc.

A fellow Lizzy maniac and reader of this page sent me the following information regading the live material on disc two:
" Bad Reputation, Opium Trail, Are You Ready, Dear Miss Lonely Hearts" were originally released on 'Live Killers' (UK 1981) and indeed were originally recorded for "Live and Dangerous.' "Chinatown" and "Got To Give It Up" were originally released as a promotional single in Australia in 1980. "Emerald, Killer On The Loose, The Boys Are Back In Town, Hollywood" were originally released on the vinyl release bonus EP for 'Thunder And Lightning' (UK 1983).

Thin Lizzy live in Germany 1999. Of course, without Phil Lynott, it will never be the same. However, at times I have a hard time believing it's John Sykes on vocals as he really does a great job of imitating Phil Lynott. Of course, no one will ever be able to replace him as he was Thin Lizzy. Still it's nice to hear some new live versions of these classic songs. Phil you are missed, but I am glad that Scott Gorham, John Sykes and Tommy Aldridge decided to pay homage to their deceased bandmate and friend by doing these live shows. I had tickets in my hand to see this incarnation of Thin Lizzy in August of 2000 in Albuquerque, but they canceled their US tour. Argh!!! I'm still bummed.

BUYER BEWARE! There is another version of this disc that has recently been released called "Extended Versions." This disc is virtually the same with the exception that the record company changed the song order, deleted two tracks and cleverly changed the cover to look like a new cd. The packaging is VERY cheap being a single page insert with little in the way of liner notes. Even at the $7-$8 it sells for new, it's not worth it.