THIN LIZZY - Thunder and Lightning

So....do you think Thin Lizzy trying to be a metal band on "Thunder and Lightning"? Listening to it again today I realize it's obviously more on the heavy side than their earlier albums, although Chinatown has its heavier moments. TAL is one of my least favorite Lizzy albums because of the heavier nature. I'd like to hear the opinions on Thin Lizzy's final studio album by the Lizzy fans of the board.

I'm sure there was some intention to the direction on that album and I also believe that Lynott wasn't really happy with it and that led to him disbanding the group once the tour was complete.

However it shakes out, "The Sun Goes Down" is one of my favorite Lizzy songs.

I like this album better than Chinatown, which I consider to be the weakest release in their catalog.

S.D. wrote:

I like this album better than Chinatown, which I consider to be the weakest release in their catalog.

We're gonna arm wrestle that out when I meet you someday. Chinatown is my favorite.

No need to arm wrestle, though I've never met another person that likes Chinatown that much.

Ah, I was gonna take a break from the boards for a while until I saw this post, great post as my wife was asking me the history of TL b/c after hearing me jam them so much they became her fave band. After 'Black Rose' Lizzy kinda tapered off IMO, Renegade and Chinatown are both good albums but they lost something I can't put my finger on. Lyrically, some songs seem desperate as if at any point they could lose momentum and sometimes they seem to wander aimlessly at times. Both albums do have songs that hearken back to Lizzy's mightiness, namely in Angel Of Death and Chinatown. I don't sense Gorham as much on either album...

To be continued...(Gotta go shopping).

I don't think Chinatown is their best, by far. I just really dig it. Whereas I just can't get into Thunder and Lightning. Other than the aforementioned Sun Goes Down, the band is a shadow of themselves.

Even though it's considered blasphemy by many Lizzy fans, I don't think they ever completely got over the loss of Robertson. Black Rose is of course a very famous record, but that's also the album where I hear a drop in their songwriting starting to take hold. Black Rose is good, but if you compare it to Bad Reputation (which was primarily Gorham) I don't think the material is as strong. Gary Moore's presence helps cover up some of the flaws, but some of the magic is definitely gone post-Bad Reputation.

And I think Bad Reputation is their weakest from 'Fighting' to 'Black Rose'. BR is flawless IMO...TAL is the way I'd describe how SD described BR. Sykes is a bad ass guitarist but once again Gorham is surprisingly "absent" just as he was on the previous 2 Lizzy records. There is one real weak song in "Hit Back" and I've never been into the fact that Darren Wharton was in the band, having a keyboardist on Renegade shows the fact that White couldn't do lead fills that songs like 'Angel Of Death' needed. Where TAL is concerned, Sykes was good enough to do those fills but they chose keyboards instead. I love the heaviness of TAL but somethings are missing. 'Sun Goes Down' is a killer song and was the song that got me into Lizzy (Life/Live version).

I love 'Thunder and Lighting' but IMO it does not hold up as well as the earlier albums, the album is their only album that at least to me it does not sound timeless.

I am curious how Sykes who only made one studio album with Thin Lizzy became the guy who carried the flame for their legacy in the 90's but whatever, good album but it to me screams early 80's metal.

I think had they done another album in the same vein it would have been killer though.

Had to spin this again to get a real clear perspective on it. It's a good album, but it's not very Thin Lizzy. The band just turns out mediocre songs with a metal edge for the most part (actually, musically alot of this sounds like a lost NWOBHM record). There's still a couple really good (even classic) tracks scattered about, but at the same time, about half of the record doesn't work for me. If it wasn't Thin Lizzy, it would be held in higher regard IMO. Also, if I never heard Phil say "goddamn it's so exciting" again, I wouldn't exactly cry into my beer.

Hmm, only real praise for The Sun Goes Down huh? Great track, but I like The Holy War and Cold Sweat just as much. The title track would work alot better for me if the lyrics were different.

Cold Sweat is a great song, I just don't really consider it a "Thin Lizzy song".

I like every song on TAL except "Hit Back".

It's the first Lizzy I bought!

Chewie? Is that you? Man, I missed ya on the boards hermano!

Yea, it's me!!!!!!

My wife took me on a surprise trip to LA to see The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.. It was hilarious!!!!! That guy cracks me up!!!!!! We were there for four days and no internet access, so I couldn't contact Shawn while I was down there. I did find a place called Record Surplus and scored for cheap:
Robin Trower - Take What You Need
Pat Travers - Hot Shot
Jo Jo Zep And The Falcons - Screaming Jets

Nice! Who were the guests that night?

Akeldama wrote:

Nice! Who were the guests that night?

Tom Selleck and some skinny girl from NCIS: LA. I'm trying to get a copy of that show.

Damn, wish I had known you were in town. Glad you had a good time.