The 1981 Listening Post - Thin Lizzy - Renegade

 Thin Lizzy - Renegade

#579

By John Tommasino

November 15 1981

Thin Lizzy

Renegade 

Genre: Heavy Rock

Allen’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (upgraded to 4.25 in 2023)

John's rating: 5 out of 5

 Full admission, I'm a fan of Thin Lizzy. Lead singer and bassist Phil Lynott was a genuine talent for the rock genre. Far underrated and underappreciated when critics discuss rock of the 1970s and 80s, Lynott stands out with his distinctive vocals and catchy songs about fighting, loving, and skipping town. He had raw talent, energy and a frontman's charisma that carried this band. Renegade feels like an epic album from the moment you hear the opening of "Angel of Death" with Lynott quoting a line from "Apocalypse Now"...- 'My God, there's millions of them"... until the closing number.. Renegade delivers the goods. Standout songs include "Angel of Death" "Hollywood (Down on Your Luck) the bluesy "Fats" and the tragic "Mexican Blood" in which Lynott weaves a sad story about a boy and a girl and a violent murder. This is a great album. It's not Jailbreak but what is? I highly recommend it. Five star rock all the way. Rest in power Phil Lynott.

https://open.spotify.com/album/57mD54LjIFfFspvoELYlMz?si=I2aaBcdXQyG49-YLLr8Caw

The 1980 Listening Post - Thin Lizzy - Chinatown

 Thin Lizzy - Chinatown

#471

by Jim Shanman

October 10 1980

Thin Lizzy

Chinatown

Genre: Rock

Allen’s Rating: 4 out of 5

Jim’s Rating 4.5 out of 5

Other than the "Boys are Back in Town", how many of us really know Thin Lizzy? OK, maybe I'm the only one in the dark here. Shows you what happens when you spend too much time on the radio and not enough time exploring genres or digging deeper in the record racks at Moby Disc or Tower. 

This album totally surprised me on many levels: 

1) I had no idea they were Irish 

2) I had no idea that the leader singer, founder and bassist Phil Lynott was black 

3) This was their TENTH album. 

4) Every track opens with a killer riff. The music is solid and lyrics perfect for the time. But here's the best part. There isn't a bad track on the album. Some like "Sweetheart" are plain vanilla, but not bad. 

While others - "We will be Strong", "Didn't I", "Genocide" and my favorite "Sugar Blues" - are solid tracks and should have been hits. I suspect by this time Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath were owning the genre and Springsteen was king. 

Still, this band can kick it, even when they riff on Springsteen w/ "Having a Good Time" or aim for a political statement w/ "Genocide". If nothing else, now you'll know where Molly Hatchett and 38 Special got their inspiration from. Put on some headphone, plug in and enjoy.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1TipM77UGPdOcZSaQyz4cz?si=mgmtEembTPGxYcE9mrd_5g

The 1980 Listening Post - Phil Lynott - Solo in Soho

Phil Lynott - Solo in Soho

#145

April 18 1980

Phil Lynott

Solo in Soho

Genre: New Wave/Rock

3.5 out of 5

Highlights:

Dear Miss Lonely Hearts

King’s Call

You remember how kind of watered down Rick Springfield’s follow up to Working Class Dog, Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me Yet, was? It’s good but the edges are shaved off, the menace, the crunch.

Take Thin Lizzy and do the same thing to them and you get Lynott’s solo record. I mention this because, dammit, “Dear Miss Lonely Hearts” sounds like a Rick Springfield song, don’t it?

And I’m listening to “King’s Call” and thinking…wow…this sounds like Lynott is trying to be Dire Straits. Only to learn after the fact that Mark Knopfler is playing guitar on it. 

So…duh. 

And, instead of sounding like the solo masterwork by the leader of a great rock band, he anonymizes himself with the gust player inclusions. Midge Ure. Billy Currie. Huey Lewis

I really would have hoped for more from Phil. The album is steeped in the mid-70s and the times are changing around him. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/solo-in-soho/1459089804

The 1983 Listening Post - Thin Lizzy - Thunder and Lightning

Thin Lizzy - Thunder and Lightning

Opens with lacerating mass of guitar solo attacks that would make Ritchie Blackmore hang up his strat. The production suffers from the “too much cocaine so everything sounds too muddy cuz everyone’s perspective is off” dilemma that infected so many 80’s rock bands.
Lynott was in a drug spiral and would die 3 years later. Too bad cuz I think had he sobered up he might’ve found himself in a renaissance and revitalization.
I can not stress enough how much better this album would be if it didn’t sound like it was recorded in a dorm room in Queens.

March 4, 1983
Thin Lizzy
Thunder and Lightning
3 stars

Highlights:
Thunder and Lightning
This is the One
Heart Attack