Thin Lizzy is a cult Irish band whose musicians have managed to create several successful albums. At the origins of the group are:
- Phil Lynott;
- Brian Downey;
- Eric Bell.
In their compositions, the musicians touched on a variety of topics. They sang about love, told everyday stories and touched on historical topics. Most of the tracks were written by Phil Lynott.
Rockers received their first "portion" of popularity after the presentation of the ballad Whiskey in the Jar. The composition hit the prestigious UK charts. Then the fans of heavy music from different parts of the world began to be interested in the work of Thin Lizzy.
Initially, the musicians wrote very heavy music. They worked in the hard rock genre. Then the sound of Thin Lizzy's tracks softened a bit. The peak of the band's popularity was in the mid-1970s. It was then that the musicians presented the composition, which eventually became their hallmark. We are talking about the track The Boys Are Back in Town.
The history of the creation and composition of the Thin Lizzy group
The history of the Irish rock band dates back to 1969. Then the trio of Brian Downey, guitarist Eric Bell and bassist Phil Lynott decided to create their own band.
Soon another musician joined their team. The band members decided to add Eric Rickson, who played the organ amazingly, to the band. Eric Bell was the leader of the group at the time.
The musicians did not have to think long about how to name their brainchild. The soloists of the group performed under the name Thin Lizzy. The group was named after a metal robot from the comics.
New members occasionally joined the team, but none of them stayed for long. Today, the Thin Lizzy team is associated exclusively with the trio of artists who stood at the origins of the group.
The creative path and music of Thin Lizzy
In the early 1970s, the band's debut track was presented. We are talking about the composition of The Farmer. It was a great entry into the heavy music scene. After the presentation of the song, the producers became interested in the group. The band soon signed with Decca Records.
After signing the contract, the musicians went to London to record their debut album. The group's longplay was called Thin Lizzy. The collection sold very well, but did not make the proper impression on the public.
Soon the presentation of the minion New Day took place. Despite the fact that the musicians counted on excellent sales, this collection cannot be called successful either. Despite this, the producers decided to support the newcomers. They took up the "promotion" of the next novelty - the album Shades of a Blue Orphanage (1972).
After the presentation of the new studio album, the musicians went on tour with Suzi Quatro and Slade. After a series of concerts, they again recorded songs in a recording studio. The result of exhausting work was the release of the album Vagabonds of the Western World.
Almost immediately after the release of the studio album, Eric Bell left the band. The musician left the group because he did not see further prospects. He also had serious health problems. Gary Moore took his place. But he didn't last long either. With the departure of the newcomer, two guitarists were invited to the band at once - Andy G and John Cann. Moore later became part of the Thin Lizzy group again.
The composition of the group was updated along with the repertoire. When the contract with Decca Records ended, the musicians did not renew it. They fell under the "wing" of the new company Phonogram Records. At this recording studio, the guys recorded another longplay, but it also turned out to be a “failure”.
The peak of the group's popularity
In the mid-1970s, another tour took place. The musicians performed as a "warm-up" for Bob Seger and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Soon the presentation of the Fighting album took place, which finally managed to “break through” into the UK charts.
The LP showed heavy music fans the first real evidence of the so-called "double guitar sound". It was this sound in the end that allowed the team to stand out from the competition. It can be heard very well in the compositions of Wild One and Suicide.
After the successful presentation of the record, the musicians went on a joint tour with Status Quo. At the same time, the fans of the band found out that their idols were preparing a new album for them.
Thanks to the record Jailbreak, which was released in 1976, the musicians gained worldwide popularity. The album hit all sorts of prestigious charts. And the composition The Boys are Back in Town became the track of the year.
On the wave of popularity, the team went on tour. The musicians performed with such cult groups as Queen. At the same time, another significant change took place in the composition of the team. The team again turned into a trio. The team left Moore, who managed to return to the group after his departure, as well as Robertson.
In 1978, the band's discography was replenished with the album Live and Dangerous. The remaining members of the group tried to build relationships with each other. In addition, they resorted to the help of former bandmates.
Soon the trio teamed up with other musicians. Celebrities created the project The Greedy Bastards. They wanted to try their hand at punk. The Thin Lizzy group traveled with their concerts to several countries. In the early 1970s, she presented a new LP, which was recorded in France.
Decline in popularity
The group regularly replenished the discography with new albums. Despite the productivity, the popularity of the team began to decline. Phil Lynott no longer saw the point in developing Thin Lizzy. Therefore, he made a difficult decision for himself - he left the project and went into solo work.
Interestingly, former bandmates took part in the recording of Phil Lynott's second studio album. The singer's solo career was even more successful than Thin Lizzy's.
In 1993, the last general performance of the musicians took place. Former band members made several more attempts to resurrect Thin Lizzy in the mid-1990s. Nothing good came of this idea.
The musicians continued to tour, record cover versions and new tracks. But they failed to gain their former popularity. Until 2012, rockers delighted fans with performances. It is interesting that in the Thin Lizzy group there were no restrictions even then. The musicians were freely engaged in the implementation of solo projects and individually hummed the top tracks of Thin Lizzy's repertoire.
Thin Lizzy at present
The latest news from the life of the group can be found on the official pages in social networks. The team practically does not conduct creative activity. The musicians do not record albums, and concert activity in 2020 was suspended due to COVID-19.
