Wot?!Originally Posted by Vic2012
(Even Phil would disagree.)
Btw, Doogie White is a singer, not a guitarist. He sang (and sang very well) on Rainbow's 1995 album Stranger In Us All.
Wot?!
Btw, Doogie White is a singer, not a guitarist. He sang (and sang very well) on Rainbow's 1995 album Stranger In Us All.
He is one of only two singers (the other is Graham Bonnett) who's sung with Blackmore, Malmsten, and Schneker. I saw him perform with Herr Michael last year, he did a great job not only bringing the MSG story "up to date" but also did an awesome job on the UFO songs that comprised that last half hour of the show.
I never really thought of that, but yes there are a lot of similarities between the two. UFO never had a huge hit like Lizzy did, but they also seemed to be poised for big time success after "Strangers In The Night", but it never really happened.
Have to disagree with this, appalling production aside, I've always thought Thunder and Lightning was Lizzy's strongest album for years at the time of its release. John Sykes gave them a tremendous kick in the arse at a time when the band was sleepwalking into oblivion thanks to the lackluster Renegade and Lynott and Gorham's growing smack infatuation. Darren Wharton deserves a huge amount of the credit for this as well - a real unsung hero in the Lizzy set-up.
Incidentally, I believe that Gary Moore had absolutely no time for Robertson whatsoever, either as a guitarist or, apparently, as a person, and only reluctantly agreed to inviting him to perform at the 2005 tribute to Lynott he staged in Dublin, Robo's performance was distinctly less than stellar.
Haven't seen it mentioned yet, but my fav Thin Lizzy (by far) is Vagabonds of the Western World! That was Eric Bell on guitar and I'm sure you've heard "The Rocker", the guitar solo in that song is insane...
Jailbait, oops I mean Jailbreak has a few good songs , but I agree overall Fighting has ALL good songs on it (no filler).
Anyone know who was playing guitar for Thin Lizzy around 1976 for the US Tour of Jailbreak? I saw them then...
Yeah, that's a great record. I always dug Mama Nature Said, Little Girl In Bloom, and A Song For While I'm Away, as well. The only thing I don't like about that record is Kid Jensen's narration on Hero And The Mad Man.
To the best of my knowledge, it would have been Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson.Anyone know who was playing guitar for Thin Lizzy around 1976 for the US Tour of Jailbreak? I saw them then...
I meant Snowie White....
Guys, my point is that John Sykes modern, shreddy 80s style just doesn't fit with The classic Lizzy sound. My opinion, duh?Renegade isn't a great Lizzy album but I find most of it as classic Thin Lizzy. Snowie and Scott are really tight and clean on the harmonies.
I think 'Cold Sweat' is one of the best Thin Lizzy singles.
Yes, I'd agree on Thunder And Lightning being a creative rebirth but obviously it was a false dawn given that 1983 was the end of the band.
And I've never understood that. On the Behind The Music on the band, Scott Gorham says something like, "Well, we felt that if he hadn't broken through by then, it was time to pack in". Then he talks about the "tour that seemed to go on forever, I guess because we didn't really want to quit".
But then Scott was on THat Metal Show, probably about 10 years ago now, and I think there he said their manager dreamed up the idea of a "farewell tour", as if that was somehow going to "do wonders" for their career or something.
But none of this makes any sense to me. I always had the understanding that THin Lizzy were huge in the UK and Europe. I believe I read once they held the record for the biggest outdoor audience in Australia for their 1978 show in Sydney (the one that eventually got put out on DVD, with Gary on guitar and Mark Nauseef deputizing for Brian Downey on drums). I was all of this really a hang up about not "breaking" Stateside?! Did the management really think a "farewell tour" was what it was gonna take to put them over the top in the US?
I don't get it.
The only song that has that much "shreddiness" (lol) is "T&L" and it's one badass song. You're the first guy I've ever seen talk it down, in fact.I meant Snowie White....
Guys, my point is that John Sykes modern, shreddy 80s style just doesn't fit with The classic Lizzy sound. My opinion, duh?
As I said, I really like the last four (post-Bad Reputation) albums. They're loaded with killer songs.
Jailbreak is wall-to-wall great music, no filler. (And I love the heavily Marvel Comics-inspired artwork.)
Gorham/Robertson.
Heroin will do that to you. Supposedly, nobody knew he was doing heroin (or at least how severe the habit had gotten with him) because he was injecting into his feet. This only became known when he was in the hospital, shortly before he died, his mother took his shoes and socks off, and she saw the needle marks. Or maybe that's just when she found out how much of a junkie he had become.
But I think I know the concert you're talking about. I believe it was originally shown on the Sight & Sound show. For awhile, VH-1 or VH-1 Classic were showing old BBC music programs over here, and that was one of the shows they aired. I don't remember much about it, except that they had some emcee come out at the start and announce that the band would "soon be kicking off their farewell tour" before introducing the band. I don't even remember which songs were broadcast, except that, obviously, Boys Are Back In Town was in there someplace.
Anyway, I was always had the impression that Thin Lizzy were in the same boat as Status Quo, i.e. huge in the UK, but virtually unknown Stateside, except for anoraks and Anglophile rock music fans.
BTW, I own a couple Thin Lizzy shirts, one with the Chinatown cover and the other with the Black Rose cover. Seems like every time I wear them out, I get comments from people. I wore the Chinatown shirt to a Pat Metheny show, and even there, someone took notice of it.
It doesn't suck, it's just not the classic Lizzy sound. Renegade and Chinatown were from 1980/81 and still sound classic Lizzy, maybe a slight modern update with the keyboards but the guitars are pure Lizzy.The only song that has that much "shreddiness" (lol) is "T&L" and it's one badass song. You're the first guy I've ever seen talk it down, in fact.
I have that footage on the Live & Dangerous DVD. The cameras are mostly on Sykes. He was the new hotrod guitarist. I get the sense Phil wasn't to keen on Lizzy being Heavy Metal. I could be wrong.Yes it was Sight And Sound In Concert. Thunder And Lightning was a few weeks from release and when it did come out, had a much better reception than Renegade.
Lynott said the band was back to "full strength" with Sykes. At least that's the quote I recall seeing years ago.
For me personally, Scott Gorham was the workhorse on guitar. He's been my favorite Lizzy guitarist. Not saying he's technically the best guitarist in Thin Lizzy but he's my fave. Love his tone and control. Great vibrato.
I still remember the first time I heard the song "Thunder And Lightning" on the radio. I remember thinking it was one of the heaviest things I had ever heard and it really blew me away. I really like the album, even though it was moving the band in a different direction. I agree Wharton does a lot of really subtle, but cool stuff on the album. In some ways I think "T & L" was just a few years ahead of it's time. The sound they were going for would become much more popular in the mid-80's (as Sykes would demonstrate with Whitesnake).
I am a fan of "Vagabonds" and think it is a really solid Lizzy album.
Except for that in-your-face synth solo on "T&L"! It's like "Guitarists: Take that!"
No argument there. Gorham's the lynchpin.
Right, they reformed for Live Aid, supposedly as a one off, but then they kept going. Everyone in the US was losing their minds over The Who and Zep reunions, but in the UK, I imagine the big news was the Quo reunion.
I also remember Quo being featured as part of the Knebworth Festival in 1990, even being squeezed into the US MTV broadcast (along with Cliff Richard and Shadows, somehow!).
Not really true in the 70s. In 1976, they had a hit album on their hands with Jailbreak, which was all over FM radio. The record company put a lot of support behind them, both on behalf of Jailbreak and the follow up, Johnny The Fox. Their momentum faded after that, and things went tits up, but for a year or so in the mid-70s, they were quite visible.
I think it's also important to note that by 1983 Gorham himself was desperate to quit the band, as he knew his heroin habit was spinning out of control and he'd never be able to get clean as long as he remained a member of Thin Lizzy. He looks totally out of it on that 1983 footage, excellent though the band is, and Lynott doesn't look too healthy, either. Incidentally, Sykes actually wanted to continue working with Lynott after Lizzy eventually parted, but David Coverdale came knocking after Mickey Moody quit Whitesnake. Apparently, Sykes refused several times to join the band but Coverdale kept upping how much he was prepared to pay Sykes to join, until it reached the point where Sykes would have been mad to refuse it. He did seek Lynott's blessing before jumping ship, though, which when he learned of the circumstances Lynott readily gave. Sad, though, as I think Sykes always intended to work with Lynott again at some point, but it was tragically not to be.
See, I remember reading a brief reference that Gorham had a heroin problem, but the two times I've seen him talk about the band breaking up, he doesn't mention that. I suppose it's his business if he doesn't want to talk about his (hopefully) former habits. But if that was a factor in the band's breakup, it would make sense to at least acknowledge he had problems that he couldnt' deal with properly if he stayed in the band. I mean, he doesn't have to say "Oh yeah, I was a full blown junkie, I wouldn't be sitting here if I had stayed in that band". He could just say "Yeah, I had some health issues that I couldn't deal with if I stayed in the band", ya know, like the talk of Bill Ward's early 80's "health problems" (which I believe I read were of the alcoholic variety).
As for Sykes, it's interesting that Coverdale was willing to pay him so much money to join Whitesnake, but then just a couple years later, he fires the guy (along with the rest of the band that made the 1987 album).
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks