Thin Lizzy went through numerous personnel changes in the 1970s and 1980s, but its lead singer and primary songwriter Phil Lynott created some pop-rock masterpieces in his all too brief lifetime.
Thin Lizzy was popular throughout its career in Europe, but the lads from Ireland peaked in the United States with a pair of Hot 100 Billboard magazine chart hits in 1976, "The Boys Are Back In Town" and "Cowboy Song," both from their hit album "Jailbreak."
Phil was solo by the early 1980s and was dead of a drug overdose by 1986, but listening to "Jailbreak" on CD some 26 years after listening to the album on vinyl the first time around brings back some fond memories to me.
The concept:
"Jailbreak" followed the then-popular trend of musicians making albums whose individual tracks were loosely held together by an overall album concept.
For Thin Lizzy in 1976, this concept was stated on the album cover (and in the CD's reproduced liner notes) as being about a world known as Dimension 5 that was ruled by a dictator, "the Overmaster, whose lust for ultimate power had become an obsession. Religion and the media were all under his control and computer files were kept on all known living persons within the city zones."
In this world, the notes say, innocent people were jailed and if they escaped, "robot trackers, military police, dogs and all available vehicles were on the hunt."
For a rock music fan into science-fiction, this was a great concept to me at age 19 (it still sounds pretty cool, I must admit, all these years later).
The album's title, "Jailbreak," tells you what these rock 'n' roll renegades engineered, led by a character called "The Warrior." This merry little band followed their leader, the liner notes tell us, as "the music sailed out into the night then upward toward the skies, travelling on that thin border between reality and imagination."
The band:
Thin Lizzy in 1976 was Phil Lynott (bass, acoustic guitar and vocals), Scott Gorham (lead guitar and other guitars), Brian Downey (drums and percussion) and Brian Robertson (lead guitar and other guitars).
The best songs:
"Jailbreak":
"Jailbreak" is a driving, rocking opening track on the album, full of sirens (shades of The Sweet's "Blockbuster") packed with six-string slashing power chording, throbbing bass and a well-smashed drum kit.
Lynott, whose expressive, rugged voice was often compared to Bruce Springsteen's at the time, was a dynamo as a lead singer and among the best lyric writers I've experienced in rock and roll music.
He sets the stage for the album's concept with this title track, singing:
"...tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak / so don't you be around / don't you be around / tonight there's gonna be trouble / some of us won't survive / see the boys and me mean business / bustin' out dead or alive..."
"Romeo And The Lonely Girl":
A sweet ballad with some fine lead guitar work. Lynott Lynott tells the story of an average guy in love with a "lonely girl" who always seems to fall for someone knew:
"...Oh poor Romeo / Romeo he had it rough / the guy you'd like to burn / but everything that Romeo had / you can bet it was well earned / for all his good looks there were scars that he took / and a lesson to be learned / never judge lovers by good looking covers / the story might be spurned..."
"The Boys Are Back In Town":
Recently covered by Everclear for the soundtrack of the film "Detroit Rock City," this is Thin Lizzy's signature tune to American audiences. It was their biggest U. S. hit, reaching # 12 in the summer of 1976 during a 17-week chart run.
The all-important intro grabs you with gut-wrenching guitars and a catchy-as-hell melody, as Lynott continues his story about the jail escapees as they arrive home:
"Guess who just got back today / those wild-eyed boys who'd been away / haven't changed, had much to say / but man I still think those cats are crazy / they were asking if you were around / how you was, where you could be found / I told them you were living downtown / driving all the old men crazy / the boys are back in town..."
"Fight Or Fall":
The melody gallops along with an anthemic urgency with some great guitar work, as Lynott's main character in the song urges the people to rise up against their oppressors with a message that somehow has deeper meaning in a world filled with terrorists:
"...brothers if you hear / raise your flags and make it clear / there is more to fear / if we wait for another year..."
"Cowboy Song":
The band's second and final U. S. hit peaked at # 77 during an 8-week run. It's an amazing rocker, seemingly two different songs meshed into one solid tune.
Writing with drummer Brian Downey, the song opens with a gentle acoustic guitar and Lynott singing:
"I am just a cowboy, lonesome on the trail / a starry night, a campfire light / the coyote call / and the howling winds wail / so I ride out, to the old sundown..."
Then the electric guitars kick in, the drums start pounding like a fast military march, while Lynott's voice rises as he dreams of "a certain female" and of a new start in life:
"...down below the border, in a town in Mexico / I got my job, busting broncs for the rodeo / roll me over and turn me around / let me keep spinning 'til I hit the ground / roll me over and let me go / riding in the rodeo / roll me over and set me free / the cowboy's life is the life for me..."
"Emerald":
Dueling lead guitars swirl around Lynott's gruff, desperate vocals on the album's closing tune; the guitar and drums interplay almost sounding like the battle the band describes here (all four members wrote the tune).
Again, the lyrics are poetic and intelligent as Lynott sings of the uprising of an oppressed people against their dictator:
"...down from the glen, came the marching men / with their shields and their swords / to fight the fight, they believed to be right / and overthrow the overlords / to the town where there was plenty / they brought plunder, sword and flame..."
Recommendation:
Easily one of the best rock albums of the '70s, the album should appeal to fans of Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones with its intelligent lyrics over driving rock 'n' roll.
The CD:
Nine tracks: "Jailbreak," "Angel From The Coast," "Running Back," "Romeo And The Lonely Girl," "Warriors," "The Boys Are Back In Town," "Fight Or Fall," "Cowboy Song" and "Emerald."
Produced by John Alcock, who also produced Thin Lizzy's "Johnny The Fox" album. Alcock also produced Commander Cody and Bandit.
The CD booklet:
The CD's only weakness isn't a major flaw. The original LPs cartoon cover (by Jim Fitzpatrick) and photos are reproduced, along with the concept story line. Polygram Records might have added some additional, up-to-date liner notes to the CD reissue, but that's a minor complaint --- as far as 4-page CD booklets go, this one's not bad.
On the web:
An official site for the late Phil Lynott: http://www.roisindubh.com/
The official site for Thin Lizzy album cover artist Jim Fitzpatrick: http://www.cultureireland.com/ci/artists/jimfp/jiminfo.html
You might also enjoy:
Capitol/EMI's 20-track 24-bit digitally remastered CD "Greatest" by Raspberries (the original lineup --- Eric Carmen, Wally Bryson, Dave Smalley and Jim Bonfanti --- who sang the million-seller "Go All The Way" reunited in 2004-2005) was released in May of 2005 in the U. S. and Europe. It features all 7 of Raspberries Hot 100 singles, has 20 tracks and runs 78:53 minutes: http://www.epinions.com/content_186044681860
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