THIN LIZZY BAD REPUTATION SERIAL

Lynott and his team toughened up the song’s arrangement up for 1975’s Fighting, wherein it afforded the band’s new lead guitarists, Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham, an early opportunity to display their firepower.Ĭlick to load video 12: Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The WeedĪn insight into Thin Lizzy’s diverse personal listening tastes, Johnny The Fox’s atypically funky “Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed” was based on Phil Lynott’s love of Philly soul outfit The O’Jays’ “For The Love Of Money,” which influenced the song’s main riff. 13: SuicideĪs the July 1973 version of the song from the band’s At The BBC collection proves, “Suicide” was thoroughly road-tested during Thin Lizzy’s first phase, during which time it was a showcase for Eric Bell’s wailing, bluesy slide guitar. Thunder And Lightning spawned two minor hits courtesy of “Cold Sweat” and the title track, but its stand-out track is surely “The Sun Goes Down,” a pensive neo-ballad delivered with dignity and a palpable air of resignation. Though generally more metal-inclined than their landmark work, it was still a fine record and, retrospectively, feels like the beginning of a new chapter rather than an epitaph. Thin Lizzy’s final studio album, 1983’s Thunder And Lightning, was recorded with a new line-up, with Lynott, Gorham, and drummer Brian Downey joined by guitarist John Sykes and keyboard player Darren Wharton. Wistful and poetic (“So tonight after sundown, I’m gonna pack my case/Without a word, without a sound, disappear without a trace”), the song was embellished by some of Scott Gorham’s sweetest guitar melodies and it remained a live favorite throughout the late 70s. One of the many highlights of 1977’s Bad Reputation, the reflective “Southbound” found Phil Lynott vividly relaying the story of a traveling troubadour who – like Lizzy in their early days – endures countless one-night stands as he chases fame and fortune. “He always wanted to be able to write with other people – especially the guys in the band.” “Right off the bat, Phil encouraged everybody to write, he didn’t want to be the lone ranger,” Gorham told American Songwriter in 2013. The album’s consummate opening cut, “She Knows,” captures the group at their most poppy and accessible, but it’s also significant for being the first of many songs co-written by Phil Lynott and guitarist Scott Gorham. Though it may have lacked some of the firepower of future classics such as Jailbreak, Thin Lizzy’s fourth album, 1974’s Nightlife, is something of an under-appreciated gem. They retained their songwriting chops, however indeed, Renegade’s best moments, the driving “Hollywood (Down On Your Luck),” the Latin-flavored “Mexican Girl” and the record’s melancholic title track are capable of duking it out with the best of the Dublin stars’ work. Released in 1981, Thin Lizzy’s penultimate album, Renegade, saw the group trying to find their feet among the era’s rapidly changing trends. The romance’n’roguery-fueled lyric appealed to Phil Lynott, and while the song was hardly representative of Thin Lizzy’s overall sound, their potent recording rewarded the band with their first UK Top 10 hit (and first Irish chart-topper) in February 1973. 18: Whiskey In The JarĪ classic folk song concerning a highwayman who is betrayed by his sweetheart after robbing a government official, “Whiskey In The Jar” was first popularized by traditional Irish folk outfit The Dubliners during the 60s.

THIN LIZZY BAD REPUTATION SERIAL

The most controversial song in Thin Lizzy’s canon, edgy rocker “Killer On The Loose” was released as a single in the middle of the lengthy manhunt for the notorious British serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, better known by his tabloid nickname, “The Yorkshire Ripper.” Sutcliffe wasn’t the inspiration for the song, but that didn’t prevent the press from accusing Phil Lynott of exploiting his murderous spree for artistic gain when “Killer On The Loose” peaked at No.10 in the UK Top 40 during the autumn of 1980.

One of the few early songs that remained in the band’s live set after their lead guitar duo of Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham replaced original six-string incumbent Eric Bell in 1974, “The Rocker” drew up the template for the stylish, swaggering anthems that defined Thin Lizzy’s oeuvre during the mid-to-late 70s. Arguably Thin Lizzy’s first truly stellar song, the aptly titled “The Rocker” was the stand-out cut from their third album, 1973’s Vagabonds Of The Western World.

Thin lizzy bad reputation