Search - Thin Lizzy :: Vagabonds Kings Warriors Angels

Great box set

Mark R. Cavanaugh | Buellton, CA USA | 06/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I remember my first exposure to TL while speeding across the Arizona desert when something came on the radio that shook me to my core. If the song astounded me, I later was floored to discover that a black Irishman was "That Voice" and had co-wrote (with his schoolmate-the great drummer Brian Downey) "The Cowboy Song," perhaps the finest rock tune ever written about the American West.



As with any box set, one wishes some things had been put on and others left off, but this is a great collection. Many fans in North America only know Thin Lizzy from the hit song, "The Boys Are Back In Town" or the "Jailbreak" album and that is a shame. As great as the Jailbreak album was, it only scratched the surface of what this incredible band could produce. Phil Lynott was a masterful songwriter, singer, musician. poet and a fine band leader who guided Thin Lizzy through several guitar lineups with great skill. Every guitar player was allowed to show their stuff and Eric Bell, Brian Roberston, Scott Gorham, Gary Moore, Snowy White, and John Sykes were/are great players who owe a great deal to Phil. The bottom end with Phil on bass and the great and vastly underrated Brian Downey on drums propelled these guitar slingers and the band to amazing performances. Sadly, Philip was also a drug addict whose self destructive behavior hurt many who loved him and eventually eroded the memory of much great work. TL broke up in 1983 andby 1985, Phil wasn't "big enough" to be asked to perform at the famous "Live Aid:" concert. The next year, Phillip was gone.



Now it is time for reflection and to remember the amzaing life and career of Phil Lynott, a truely unique and gifted talent, a very brave man who beat almost all the odds, and leader of one of the greatest rock bands in history. This package will guide the casual fan to a better appreciation of what TL was all about. For us old timers, this box contains great joy and no little sadness. Oh, Philip, what might have been. One can't help but to be touched by Phil's heartfelt treatment of "Wild One" or the "Freedom Song". Get this package along with the "Live and Dangerous" CD where Phil's voice over the final guitar work at the end of "Southbound" (actually recorcded at a sound check!) is as emotive as any I have ever heard in any category or song."

Thin Lizzy was The Yardbirds of the '70s & VERY underrated!

Kenneth E. Macalister Jr. | Langhorne, Pennsylvania | 06/09/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This four cd set of the best of Thin Lizzy is excellent & shows what only die-hard guitar fanatics have known for a long time. This band, heavily neglected through most of it's career, was with the exception of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, & Wishbone Ash THE best guitar oriented rock band of the '70s & early '80s. Like The Yardbirds & John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in the '60s Thin Lizzy introduced some of the best guitarists of the '70s to the music world. It's a shame most '70s rock fans never paid this band much attention. Say Thin Lizzy to most rock fans & the only song they know is the beaten to death single "The Boys Are Back In Town", which was far from their best song. Thin Lizzy began as a power trio in the early '70s & featured the Jeff Beck inspired playing of original lead guitarist Eric Bell, the great Phil Lynott on bass & vocals, & Brian Downey on drums. The band's early material takes some getting used to for it is somewhat experimental. Eric Bell's guitar playing on songs like "Black Boys On The Corner", "The Rocker", "Slow Blues", & their first single "Whiskey In The Jar" is excellent & heavily influenced by the guitar heroes of the '60s. Eric Bell left after the first three albums & was replaced first temporarily by Gary Moore, whose beautiful & soulful solos on "Still In Love With You" instantly bring to mind Peter Green of the original blues based Fleetwood Mac lineup. Moore would weave in & out of the band several times before the band split up in the '80s. Moore was then replaced by the great tandem of Scott Gorham & Brian Robertson. This line-up recorded most of the material Thin Lizzy is known for including the "Jailbreak" album. This line-up stayed together for five years & recorded six of thin Lizzy's best albums ("Night Life", "Fighting", "Jailbreak", "Johnny The Fox", "Bad Reputation", & "Live & Dangerous") The tandem guitar harmonies of Gorham & Robertson bring to mind other great twin guitar pairings such as Peter Green & Danny Kirwan of Fleetwood Mac, Ted Powell & Martin Turner of Wishbone Ash, Eric Clapton & Duane Allman on the "Layla" album, & Duane Allman & Dickey Betts in the Allman Bros. Band. Brian Robertson left after "Live & Dangerous" (one of THE best live albums ever recorded) & Gary Moore returned to replace him. He was involved in the last Thin Lizzy album considered to be classic Thin Lizzy, "Black Rose". Another great album, but unfortunately drugs & alcohol were beginning to wreak havoc on the band. The next two albums with Snowy White replacing Moore, "Chinatown" & "Renegade" are great early '80s hard rock, but not great Thin Lizzy. The last album featuring John Sykes in place of Snowy White "Thunder & Lightning" is excellent & at times sounds like early thrash metal (the title song in particular). By this time though, most rock fans had long forgotten about Thin Lizzy. For all the attention given to lesser hard rock acts in the '70s like KISS (a total joke of a band), Bad Company, Aerosmith, & Heart this band deserved a lot more attention than they ultimately received & this set proves that. There isn't ONE bad song on this set & the musicianship is top notch from first song to last. If you like The Yardbirds, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, & Collective Soul (the closest modern band to Thin Lizzy in sound & style) you'll love this set. The nelglect of Thin Lizzy is also more concrete proof that "classic rock" radio is not only pathetic in it's hits only format, but also disrespectful to the music & artists it's supposed to be celebrating & a cancer to rock music in general. Yes folks, Thin Lizzy DID record more songs than "The Boys Are Back In Town". Buy this set & find out for yourself. You won't be disappointed!"