Thin Lizzy

Having formed at the tail end of the 1960s, Ireland’s Thin Lizzy released a couple of solid if unremarkable LPs in the early 1970s before having a surprise hit with an song quite different from their tearing blues-rock style, the folk-based “Whiskey In The Jar”. The album it was eventually included on, Vagabonds Of The Western World, showcased the songwriting depth of singer/bass player Phil Lynott whose poetic lyrics and literary influences have seen him described as an Irish Bruce Springsteen.

Thin Lizzy really powered up for 1975’s Fighting and achieved their peak success in the second half of the 70s. Jailbreak, Johnny The Fox and many people’s favourite live album of all time, Live And Dangerous, kept record sales high and concert tickets highly desirable.

By the mid-1980s, however, the band had lost steam and Phil Lynott, the creative heart of the enterprise, split for a solo career. Sadly, his struggles with substance abuse claimed his life in 1986 at the tragically young age of thirty-five. His legacy, however, is timeless. Driving, high-octane rock music carrying lyrics of uncommon insight and interest. Thin Lizzy lives on.