Up next is a band that I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed yet. The band is Thin Lizzy and like a lot of people my first time hearing these guys was the song The Boys Are Back In Town. So let’s take a look…..
Thin Lizzy- so this one was not really what I was expecting. I was hoping for something not quite as mellow. I mean don’t get me wrong the musicianship is fantastic but it’s just a very mellow record. And some songs sound like they were in the unfinished stage. I don’t know some sound better recorded than others. Overall, I’d say it’s a relaxing record. That said, I’ll give it 8/10
Standouts: Honesty Is No Excuse, Ray-Gun, The Farmer
Shades Of A Blue Orphanage- you could say that these guys are still trying to find their sound. A lot of this album sounds a little disjointed almost like it’s confused. It’s kinda jazzy but it’s also a rock record at the same time. I don’t know I can’t explain it. Now it’s not as mellow as the previous album and at the end of the day, this album is just ok. I’ll give it another 8/10.
Standouts: The Rise and Dear Demise of the Funky Nomadic Tribes, Babyface, Brought Down
Vagabonds Of The Western World- ok now we’re getting somewhere. This one I feel like is going in that rock direction. Now it does have traces of the last couple albums but it they are definitely finding their sound. It’s definitely more focused and a step in the right direction. I’ll give it 9/10
Standouts: Mama Nature Said, Gonna Creep Up On You, The Rocker
Night Life- I feel like this one is appealing to those who are fans of soul music. It’s another mellow sound going record but it’s almost got a jazzy feel to it. It’s a neat sounding album. Maybe Phil Lynott was trying to appeal to people of color because he is black but I definitely recommend this album. I’ll give it 9/10
Standouts: Night Life, It’s Only Money, Banshee
Fighting- this one has a bunch of stuff going on. It’s got rock, soul, rhythm and blues, and even some folk elements. It definitely put them back on that straight forward rock sound and it sets them up perfectly for the next album. I’ll give this one 9/10
Standouts: Rosalie, Suicide, Silver Dollar
Jailbreak- this is it. This is the album of theirs that I’ve been dying to get to. This album has been so influential to so many bands. If you haven’t heard this entire album stop reading and go and listen to it and then finish reading the rest of this review. I mean I don’t know what else to say about this masterpiece. This is a perfect album. It’s no question that this is getting a 10/10
Standouts: Cowboy Song, Romeo And The Lonely Girl, Running Back
Johnny The Fox- I mean really how do you follow up and album like Jailbreak? Now usually albums like this can either be really really good or fall flat and fortunately this one is the former. I really enjoyed this album a lot and it makes sense because they still had that same energy from the previous album. It is too bad that this one isn’t as memorable as Jailbreak but still give it a listen. I’ll give this another 10/10
Standouts: Johnny, Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed, Massacre
Bad Reputation- I feel like they are on this rock path and each album is better or just as good as the last. The same continues here. Aside from a couple of average moments, this is another great rock album. The dueling guitar parts really standout here and really establish their rock sound. I’ll give this one 9.5/10
Standouts: Soldier Of Fortune, Southbound, Killer Without A Cause
Black Rose: A Rock Legend- ever since Jailbreak, these guys have remained consistent. This is another one of those albums that I would say is another great listen. I feel like I’ve seen this album in so many record stores and I can see why. It’s another great rock record that is right up there with Jailbreak and Johnny The Fox. It’s just too bad it’s not as popular. I’ll give this another 10/10
Standouts: S & M, Get Out Of Here, Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend
Chinatown- this one is good but not great. I mean I enjoyed the album but not nearly as much as the last few. It might be because Gary Moore isn’t in the band anymore or maybe they just ran out of steam. Who knows. It’s still a good record but just not as good as the last few. I’ll give it 9/10
Standouts: We Will Be Strong, Killer On The Loose, Hey You
Renegade- I did read somewhere that this one is considered their worst but I actually enjoyed this album. Sure it’s not as good as Jailbreak or Black Rose but the songs are pretty good. To me this isn’t really a huge departure from the previous effort. I’ll give this 9/10
Standouts: Hollywood (Down On Your Luck), Renegade, Leave This Town
Thunder And Lightning- not sure what happened on this one but I would say out of all the records thus far, I enjoyed this one the least. I just couldn’t really get into the songs. The recording on it is just ok and the songs were somewhat boring. This is also the last Thin Lizzy album with Phil Lynott which is too bad. Anyway, I’ll give this 6/10
Standouts: Bad Habits, Thunder And Lightning, The Holy War
This was one of the more fun deep dives I’ve done and it’s easy to see why they were so influential. If you haven’t listened to these guys or it’s been awhile then definitely check these albums out because it truly is some fantastic music. It’s also really too bad that Phil Lynott couldn’t kick his drug habits because I know for a fact that he would still be making great music. Now I know there was a band called Black Star Riders and Thin Lizzy is still active so I would definitely check them out (although I haven’t heard either). RIP Phil Lynott
Final Grade: A
Album Rankings:
- Jailbreak
- Black Rose: A Rock Legend
- Johnny The Fox
- Bad Reputation
- Renegade
- Chinatown
- Fighting
- Night Life
- Vagabonds Of The Western World
- Shades Of A Blue Orphanage
- Thin Lizzy
- Thunder And Lightning
Sinister Reviews 