Thin Lizzy
The Definitive Collection
Mercury/UME
By David Chiu
Meat-and-potatoes rock doesn’t get any better or raucous from ‘70s rock band Thin Lizzy, which in some way bridged glam rock and punk.The group’s assault was led on two fronts: its piercing twin-guitar axis (consisting of a revolving cast that included Scott Gorham, Brian Robertson, Snowy White, and Gary Moore) and, of course, the heart and soul of the legendary singer/bassist Phil Lynott. “The Boys Are Back in Town” will always be the band’s most popular and signature song—emblematic of the group’s rebellious, balls-to-the-wall’s sound—but there’s plenty more of that “me and my gang” rock on this latest compilation such as “The Rocker,” “Chinatown,” “Jailbreak” and “Cowboy Song.” And yet underneath the glam posturing lies was some lyrical soul pop in “Dancing in the Moonlight” and “Still in Love With You” (revealing Lynott’s tender side). Thin Lizzy’s final bow came with the driving and best song “Dedication,” a fitting coda for Lynott, who died in 1986. In era overran with so many arena-styled hard rock bands, Thin Lizzy was the better of the bunch because it had a lot of heart, grit and soul thanks to its singer. Jailbreak (1976) has been rated as the band’s most popular and best album, but if you want an overview, look towards this compilation (To see the late Lynott, a revered Irish icon, in his prime, check out the companion DVD).
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