The large fan base the band had built as a result of "Boys" turned into a smaller, yet still enthusiastic bunch of hard rockers. The records came fast and furious, and despite attempts to repeat the formula that worked like a charm with "Boys," Lynott began writing more ambitious songs and wrapping them up in vaguely articulated concept albums.
Never the toast of critics (the majority writing in the '70s hated hard rock and heavy metal), Lizzy toured relentlessly, building an unassailable reputation as a terrific live band, despite the lead guitar spot becoming a revolving door (Eric Bell, Gary Moore, Brian Robertson, Snowy White, and John Sykes all stood next to Scott Gorham). With the support of radio and every frat boy in America, "Boys" became a huge hit, enough of a hit as to ensure record contracts and media attention for the next decade ("Boys" is now used in beer advertising). Lizzy's big break came with their next album, Jailbreak, and the record's first single, "The Boys Are Back in Town." A paean to the joys of working-class guys letting loose, the song resembled similar odes by Bruce Springsteen, with the exception of the Who-like power chords in the chorus. Gorham and Robertson generally played lead lines in harmonic tandem, while Downey (a great drummer who had equal amounts of power and style) drove the engine. Lynott's thick, soulful vocals were the perfect vehicle for his tightly written melodic lines. His sweeping vision and writerly impulses at times gave way to pretentious songs aspiring to clichéd notions of literary significance, but Lynott's limitless charisma made even the most misguided moments worth hearing.įighting After a few early records that hinted at the band's potential, Lizzy released Fighting in 1975, and the band (Lynott, guitarists Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham, and drummer Brian Downey) had molded itself into a pretty tight recording and performing unit. Also, as a black man, Lynott was an anomaly in the nearly all-white world of hard rock, and as such imbued much of his work with a sense of alienation he was the outsider, the romantic guy from the other side of the tracks, a self-styled poet of the lovelorn and downtrodden.
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. Formed in the late '60s by Irish singer/songwriter/bassist Phil Lynott, Lizzy, though not the first band to do so, combined romanticized working-class sentiments with their ferocious, twin-lead guitar attack. Formed in theĭespite a huge hit single in the mid-'70s ("The Boys Are Back in Town") and becoming a popular act with hard rock/heavy metal fans, Thin Lizzy are still, in the pantheon of '70s rock bands, underappreciated. Bright Eyes and Kathleen Frances' SC25 singles are out now.Despite a huge hit single in the mid-'70s ("The Boys Are Back in Town") and becoming a popular act with hard rock/heavy metal fans, Thin Lizzy are still, in the pantheon of '70s rock bands, underappreciated. The new covers are the first SC25 singles of 2022, and are the 18th and 19th outings from the 25-song collection, following last year's contributions from Goose, Hatchie, Bartees Strange, Jim James, Beach Fossils, Porridge Radio, Skullcrusher and more.
I wanted to do something different, slow it down and create a moodiness to feel the sentiment of the song in a different way." It has such an uplifting feel and its belief in humanity seemed particularly fitting for this project. It felt really good to sing."Ī second SC25 single has also been released, which is Kathleen Frances' rendition of Electric Youth and College's 2014 track "A Real Hero".įrances said of her choice of song, "I used to have this song on repeat. I think this is such a beautiful love song. On top of that they gave the world a reason to invent the word guitarmonies. Phil Lynott's vocal delivery and lyrics exemplify nonchalant cool. The band originally recorded the cover of "Running Back" in August 2020 as part of a SiriusXM Session, but today (14 January) the cover has been given an official release as part of Secretly Canadian's ongoing 25th anniversary singles series, which aims to raise $250,000 for New Hope For Families.īright Eyes' Conor Oberst said of the cover, "Thin Lizzy is one of the finest rock n roll bands of all time.
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