Thin Lizzy was a rock music group, formed in Dublin, Ireland in the late 1960s, and led by bassist, songwriter and singer Phil Lynott. They are probably best-known for their 1976 song "The Boys Are Back In Town", a major international hit still played on hard rock and classic rock radio. Their music covered much territory (including hints of country and traditional folk music), but is generally classified as proto-metal or hard rock.
Critic John Dugan writes that "As the band's creative force, Lynott was a more insightful and intelligent writer than many of his ilk, preferring slice-of-life working-class dramas of love and hate influenced by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and virtually all of the Irish literary tradition."[1]
Like most other groups, Thin Lizzy borrowed many of their techniques from other musicians; however, Thin Lizzy is now widely recognized as one of the first hard rock bands to employ double lead guitar harmony - a technique later refined and popularized, especially by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal; groups such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. Examples include "The Boys are Back in Town" and "Cowboy Song" from "Jailbreak."
History
Lynott was the only original member not born in Ireland, and remains one of rather few black men to achieve significant success in hard rock. Their first taste of success was the 1973 hit single, Whiskey in the Jar, a version of a traditional Irish song (a major hit for Metallica in 1998, featured on their album, Garage Inc.).
Fighting (1975) was their first album success, but the next album, Jailbreak, was a smash hit thanks to the single "The Boys Are Back in Town", now their most remembered hit.
During the late 1970s and early 80s, Thin Lizzy played to a rabid fanbase but was unable to break into mainstream markets. Unlike most established rock musicians, Lynott was a vocal supporter of early punk rock; this endeared him to some punk musicians and fans, but many more punks rejected Thin Lizzy as a useless relic.
After the band broke up in the mid-80s, Lynott began a solo career, which he had begun while still with the group with the album Solo in Soho, yielding hits in "Dear Miss Lonelyhearts", "King's Call", and "Yellow Pearl". He also recorded a rock'n'roll medley single in 1983, "We Are The Boys (Who Make All The Noise)" with Roy Wood, Chas Hodges and John Coghlan. He died in January 1986, a victim of drug abuse. The band reunited without him in 1999 for a European tour and live album.
Personnel
Over the years, the membership of the band went through many changes, but the constant members were Lynott on bass and vocals and Brian Downey on drums. The list of guitarists who played with the band includes:
In later years Darren Wharton joined the band on keyboards.
Discography
- Thin Lizzy (1971)
- Shades of a Blue Orphanage (1972)
- Vagabonds of the Western World (1973)
- Night Life (1974)
- Fighting (1975)
- Jailbreak (1976)
- Remembering (1976)
- Johnny the Fox (1976)
- Bad Reputation (1977)
- Live and Dangerous (1978)
- Black Rose: A Rock Legend (1979)
- Continuing Saga of Ageing Orphans (1979)
- Chinatown (1980)
- The Adventures of Thin Lizzy (1981)
- Renegade (1981)
- Thunder and Lightning (1983)
- Life (1983)
- The Collection (1987)
- Dedication: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy (1991)
- Boys Are Back in Town: Live in Australia (1999)
- One Night Only [live] (2000)
- Thin Lizzy Greatest Hits (2004)