The Thin Lizzy Post Of Near-Mythic Proportions

[apolla]

In January, some time after returning from Dublin, I sat down and began writing the Epic Lizzy Post that I've been threatening to unleash on the world for months and months and more months. Shards of it are in front of me now, in a dog-eared, torn, pitiful excuse of a notebook. It became a monster within moments of pen touching paper. Within only four sides, it had descended into "Fuck you Philip, and your little dog too!" and surely, I could do better?

I'm afraid that I can't. I cannot explain or express what it is about them without taking my pen and sticking it into my head and hoping that what spills out is a rough draft of the way I feel and think on a daily basis.

It's a shame really, because I put more effort into this thing than I did an entire secondary school education. There were notes, post-it notes, notes on me hand, scrawled memos to self, the whole caper.

I can't do it. I raise the white flag of "Dude, you're kidding me" because after all those post-its and pages of rambling, I cannot tell you why. There is nothing I can tell you about the band that their own music could not tell you itself, better. There is nothing I can tell you about Philip Lynott that he himself did not say.

I could tell you about Johnny, the alter-ego that shows up in songs throughout the Lizzy canon. I could tell you about the issues he faced, the demons he battled and the private war he lost. I could even tell you about Scott Gorham's shiny hair, Robbo's kimono and Downey's mirror sunglasses. None of this is stuff I could report better than they could play it.

So I propose a compromise of sorts. In the time-honoured rock tradition of Endless Naffing Lists, I present to you: a bunch of lists. I don't suggest you download the whole lot, or go out and buy the entire Lizzy catalogue on CD, although if you want to, please do. I could tell you about the diverse nature of the Lizzy legend and Philip's astounding way with words, but the music itself does that better.

The ability of Lizzy to cross generic boundaries and borders was rare in 'hard rock/heavy metal' back then, and is even rarer in these thoroughly pigeon-holed days. Perhaps it was the diversity of the band that caused the record companies the headaches and slowed their assaults on the US even more.

So I do not present you with a twenty thousand word treatise. I present you instead with lists, because you might all find something to love. If you're really lucky, like I was, you'll love it all.

The Albums

The Full Thin Lizzy Album List (does not include re-releases or compilations)

Thin Lizzy, 1971
Shades of a Blue Orphanage, 1972
Vagabonds of the Western World, 1973
Night Life, 1974
Fighting, 1975
Jailbreak, 1976
Johnny The Fox, 1976
Bad Reputation, 1977
Live and Dangerous, 1978
Black Rose: A Rock Legend, 1979
Chinatown, 1980
Renegade, 1981
Thunder & Lightning, 1983

Heaviest, Metallest Album: Thunder & Lightning

The 'Dean Martin Cool Lounge Music' Record: Night Life

The Real Odd One: Renegade

The Best Summation Of Who They Are: Live and Dangerous (unless you're not that hot on live albums, in which case Jailbreak)

The Songs

The Songs Everyone Knows So Let's Get Them Out Of The Way
-The Boys Are Back In Town (Jailbreak)
-Jailbreak (Jailbreak)
-The Rocker (Vagabonds of the Western World)
-Whiskey In The Jar (single, Vagabonds of the Western World CD)

The Romantic Warrior Poet Songs
-Still In Love With You (Night Life, Live and Dangerous)
-Showdown (Night Life)
-Wild One (Fighting)
-With Love (Black Rose)
-Southbound (Bad Reputation, Live and Dangerous)
-A Song For While I'm Away (Vagabonds of the Western World)
-Running Back (Jailbreak)
-Little Girl In Bloom (Vagabonds of the Western World)

The Rock Gods Songs
-Don't Believe A Word (Johnny The Fox)
-Roisin Dubh: A Rock Legend (Black Rose)
-Cold Sweat (Thunder and Lightning)
-Opium Trail (Bad Reputation)
-Dear Lord (Bad Reputation)
-Emerald (Jailbreak)
-Fighting My Way Back (Fighting)

The Storyteller Songs
-Fool's Gold (Johnny The Fox)
-Mexican Blood (Renegade)
-Cowboy Song (Jailbreak, Live and Dangerous)
-Johnny (Johnny The Fox)
-Rocky (Johnny The Fox)
-Vagabond of the Western World (Vagabonds of the Western World)
-For Those Who Love To Live (Fighting)
-Randolph's Tango (Vagabonds of the Western World)
-Romeo And The Lonely Girl (Jailbreak)

Bass Lines To Die For Songs
-Waiting For An Alibi (Black Rose)
-Try A Little Harder (Vagabonds Kings Warriors Angels box set)
-Slow Blues (Vagabonds of the Western World)
-Showdown (Night Life)
-Dancing In The Moonlight (Bad Reputation, Live and Dangerous)
-Hey You (Chinatown)
-Renegade (Renegade)

Riffs Of Note Songs
-Angel From The Coast (Jailbreak)
-Sugar Blues (Chinatown)
-Warriors (Jailbreak)
-Suicide (Fighting)
-Cold Sweat (Thunder and Lightning)
-Don't Believe A Word (Johnny The Fox)
-It's Only Money (Night Life)

The Epics
-Roisin Dubh (Black Rose)
-Soldier of Fortune (Bad Reputation)
-Angel of Death (Renegade)
-The Rise and Dear Demise of the Funky Nomads (Shades of a Blue Orphanage)
-The Sun Goes Down (Thunder and Lightning)

Funkiest Song: Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed (Johnny The Fox, Live and Dangerous)
Nastiest Song: Bad Reputation (Bad Reputation)
Most Hopeless Song: It's Getting Dangerous (Renegade)
Most Hopeful Song: Freedom Song (Fighting)
Looniest Song: Old Moon Madness (Thin Lizzy)
Best Advice For How To Approach Dying Song: Spirit Slips Away (Fighting)
The Most Heartstoppingly Eerie-Sad Song: The Sun Goes Down (Thunder and Lightning)
The Most Prophetically Sad Song: Got To Give It Up (Black Rose, Life/Live)

Best Early Song Not Already Mentioned: Call The Police (Shades of a Blue Orphanage)
Best Mid-Period Song Not Already Mentioned: Killer On the Loose (Chinatown)
Best Late Song Not Already Mentioned: Leave This Town (Renegade)

Robert Plant 'I'm Talking About Shagging, You Know' Lyric Award: "Come on baby, take my jelly roll", Sha La La (Night Life, Live and Dangerous) - See also best drum solo.
Robert Plant 'Pixies, Tolkien, Tra La La' Daftest Lyric Award: "Tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak... somewhere in this town." Would that be the jail, by any chance? Jailbreak (Jailbreak, Live and Dangerous)
Most Honest Moment: "This is a statement... Made by one who can not practice what he preaches" Ode To Liberty (The Protest Song), (The Philip Lynott Album)

The Best Solo Lynott Songs:
-Old Town (The Philip Lynott Album)
-Dear Miss Lonely Hearts (Solo In Soho)
-King's Call (Solo In Soho)
-Fatalistic Attitude (The Philip Lynott Album)
-Yellow Pearl (Solo In Soho, remix The Philip Lynott Album)
-Nineteen (single, Vagabonds, Kings, Warriors, Angels)

One Last Song Just Cos I Like It: Having A Good Time (Chinatown)

One Last Thought From Monsieur Lynott: "They say that the night life, they say it ain't no good life. But it's my life." Night Life, (Night Life)