2106 - THIN LIZZY - Fighting (Deluxe Edition), Disc Two (1975)

THIN LIZZY
''FIGHTING (DELUXE EDITION), DISC TWO''
1975
2012
ISLAND
99:34

DISC ONE
1/Rosalie
Bob Seger/2:58
2/For Those Who Love to Live
Brian Downey / Phil Lynott/3:09
3/Suicide
Phil Lynott/5:14
4/Wild One
Phil Lynott/4:19
5/Fighting My Way Back
Phil Lynott/3:13
6/King's Vengeance
Scott Gorham / Phil Lynott/4:08
7/Spirit Slips Away
Phil Lynott/4:42
8/Silver Dollar
Brian Robertson/3:29
9/Freedom Song
Scott Gorham / Phil Lynott/3:33
10/Ballad of a Hard Man
Scott Gorham/3:18

DISC TWO
1/Half Caste
Phil Lynott/3:38
2/Rosalie [US Album Mix]
Bob Seger/2:56
3/Half Caste [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/3:52
4/Rosalie [BBC Session]
Bob Seger/3:15
5/Suicide [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/5:18
6/Ballad of a Hard Man [False Starts and No Vocal]
Scott Graham/4:08
7/Try a Little Harder [Alternate Vocal]/4:07
8/Fighting My Way Back [Rough Mix with Alternate Vocal]/3:23
Phil Lynott/3:23
9/Song for Jesse [No Vocal]/2:13
10/Leaving Town [Acoustic, Bass & Drums - No Vocal]/4:51
11/Blues Boy
Brian Robertson/4:33
12/Leaving Town [Extended Take]/5:52
13/Spirit Slips Away [Extended Version - Take Four]/5:30
14/Wild One [No Vocal]/4:18
15/Bryan's Funky Fazer (Silver Dollar)
Brian Robertson/3:37

Roger Chapman /Vocals
Brian Downey /Drums, Percussion
Scott Gorham /Guitar
Phil Lynott /Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Bass), Producer, Vocals
Ian McLagan /Piano
Brian Robertson /Guitar, Vocals

REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
It's hard not to interpret the "fighting my way back" chorus of the title track on Thin Lizzy's fifth album as the band's way of bouncing back from the uncommonly subdued Night Life. If that record was smooth and relaxed, Fighting is a tense, coiled, vicious rock & roll album, as hard as Vagabonds's toughest moments but more accomplished, the sound of a band truly coming into its own. There are two key forces at work. First, there's the integration of guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, who get to unleash furious playing on every track here. It's hard not to thrill at their harmonizing twin-lead interplay, which is enough to excuse the rather pedestrian nature of their original tunes here (Robertson penned the boogie "Silver Dollar," Gorham the closer "Ballad of a Hard Man"). That's especially true because of the other development here: the full flourishing of Phil Lynott as a rock & roll poet. Whether he's writing hard-charging rockers like "Wild One," jazzy Springsteen-isms of "For Those Who Love to Live" or combining both on "Freedom Song," his songs manage to be both mythic and commonplace, and when delivered by the vital, visceral lineup he has here, they're invigorating. Strangely enough, that leap forward as a writer is somewhat overshadowed by a triumph of the band, in how they completely steal Bob Seger's "Rosalie" turning it into their own anthem, but that again is a testament to the strength of this incarnation of Thin Lizzy, who truly begin their classic era with this dynamic LP.

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2105 - THIN LIZZY - Fighting (Deluxe Edition), Disc One (1975)

THIN LIZZY
''FIGHTING (DELUXE EDITION), DISC ONE''
1975
2012
ISLAND
99:34

DISC ONE
1/Rosalie
Bob Seger/2:58
2/For Those Who Love to Live
Brian Downey / Phil Lynott/3:09
3/Suicide
Phil Lynott/5:14
4/Wild One
Phil Lynott/4:19
5/Fighting My Way Back
Phil Lynott/3:13
6/King's Vengeance
Scott Gorham / Phil Lynott/4:08
7/Spirit Slips Away
Phil Lynott/4:42
8/Silver Dollar
Brian Robertson/3:29
9/Freedom Song
Scott Gorham / Phil Lynott/3:33
10/Ballad of a Hard Man
Scott Gorham/3:18

DISC TWO
1/Half Caste
Phil Lynott/3:38
2/Rosalie [US Album Mix]
Bob Seger/2:56
3/Half Caste [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/3:52
4/Rosalie [BBC Session]
Bob Seger/3:15
5/Suicide [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/5:18
6/Ballad of a Hard Man [False Starts and No Vocal]
Scott Graham/4:08
7/Try a Little Harder [Alternate Vocal]/4:07
8/Fighting My Way Back [Rough Mix with Alternate Vocal]/3:23
Phil Lynott/3:23
9/Song for Jesse [No Vocal]/2:13
10/Leaving Town [Acoustic, Bass & Drums - No Vocal]/4:51
11/Blues Boy
Brian Robertson/4:33
12/Leaving Town [Extended Take]/5:52
13/Spirit Slips Away [Extended Version - Take Four]/5:30
14/Wild One [No Vocal]/4:18
15/Bryan's Funky Fazer (Silver Dollar)
Brian Robertson/3:37

Roger Chapman /Vocals
Brian Downey /Drums, Percussion
Scott Gorham /Guitar
Phil Lynott /Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Bass), Producer, Vocals
Ian McLagan /Piano
Brian Robertson /Guitar, Vocals

REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
It's hard not to interpret the "fighting my way back" chorus of the title track on Thin Lizzy's fifth album as the band's way of bouncing back from the uncommonly subdued Night Life. If that record was smooth and relaxed, Fighting is a tense, coiled, vicious rock & roll album, as hard as Vagabonds's toughest moments but more accomplished, the sound of a band truly coming into its own. There are two key forces at work. First, there's the integration of guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, who get to unleash furious playing on every track here. It's hard not to thrill at their harmonizing twin-lead interplay, which is enough to excuse the rather pedestrian nature of their original tunes here (Robertson penned the boogie "Silver Dollar," Gorham the closer "Ballad of a Hard Man"). That's especially true because of the other development here: the full flourishing of Phil Lynott as a rock & roll poet. Whether he's writing hard-charging rockers like "Wild One," jazzy Springsteen-isms of "For Those Who Love to Live" or combining both on "Freedom Song," his songs manage to be both mythic and commonplace, and when delivered by the vital, visceral lineup he has here, they're invigorating. Strangely enough, that leap forward as a writer is somewhat overshadowed by a triumph of the band, in how they completely steal Bob Seger's "Rosalie" turning it into their own anthem, but that again is a testament to the strength of this incarnation of Thin Lizzy, who truly begin their classic era with this dynamic LP.

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2104 - THIN LIZZY - Nightlife (Deluxe Edition), Disc Two (1974)

THIN LIZZY
''NIGHTLIFE (DELUXE EDITION), DISC TWO''
1974
2012
ISLAND
83:50

DISC ONE
1/She Knows
Scott Gorham / Phil Lynott/5:14
2/Night Life
Phil Lynott/3:58
3/It's Only Money
Phil Lynott/2:48
4/Still in Love with You
Phil Lynott/5:41
5/Frankie Carroll
Phil Lynott/2:03
6/Showdown
Phil Lynott/4:33
7/Banshee
Phil Lynott/1:28
8/Philomena
Phil Lynott/3:44
9/Sha-La-La
Brian Downey / Phil Lynott/3:28
10/Dear Heart
Phil Lynott/4:38

DISC TWO
1/She Knows [BBC Session]
Scott Gorham / Phil Lynott/5:10
2/Sha-La-La [BBC Session]
Brian Downey / Phil Lynott/3:37
3/It's Only Money [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/2:43
4/Philomena [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/3:42
5/Dear Heart [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/4:28
6/Banshee [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/2:43
7/Showdown [Demo]
Phil Lynott/3:53
8/Still in Love with You [Demo]
Phil Lynott/6:26
9/It's Only Money [Demo]
Phil Lynott/2:55
10/Showdown [Alternate Take]
Phil Lynott/4:36
11/Still in Love with You [Rough Vocal Mix]
Phil Lynott/6:02

Brian Downey/Drums, Percussion
Scott Gorham/Guitar, Vocals
Phil Lynott/Bass, Guitar, Producer, Vocals
Frankie Miller/Vocals
Gary Moore/Guitar
Brian Robertson/Guitar
Jean Russell/Keyboards

REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
It's curious that Night Life -- the first album Thin Lizzy recorded for Mercury, the first album to feature guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, the album that in many ways kicked off their classic era -- is in many ways a complete anomaly within their catalog. It's a subdued, soulful record, smooth in ways that Thin Lizzy never were before and rarely were afterwards. To be sure, the title Night Life is accurate but not in the sense of this providing a soundtrack for a night out on the town -- quite the opposite actually. This is the soundtrack for an intimate night in, either alone or as a pair, since it has moments ideal for either contemplation or seduction. There are still some moments of tough, primal rock & roll -- there's the funky workout of "It's Only Money" and the nasty "Sha-La-La," both excellent showcases for Gorham and Robertson -- but they stick out among the jazzy, soulful whole, even if they never quite disrupt the mood. And it's that mood that's so appealing about Night Life -- it's a warm, soulful sound that resonates in ways Thin Lizzy's earlier records didn't. And it's not just because of the feel of the music, either, it's due to Phil Lynott's increasing growth as a songwriter. Much of this is quite sentimental -- especially the closing "Dear Heart" -- but it's never saccharine or sappy, it's big-hearted and effecting, best-heard on the gently propulsive, utterly addictive opener "She Knows" and the easy-rolling jazzy "Showdown." These may be the high-water marks on this album, but they're not the only highlights, they're just the most immediate, representative signs of the charms of this underrated gem of a record.

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2103 - THIN LIZZY - Nightlife (Deluxe Edition), Disc One (1974)

THIN LIZZY
''NIGHTLIFE (DELUXE EDITION), DISC ONE''
1974
2012
ISLAND
83:50

DISC ONE
1/She Knows
Scott Gorham / Phil Lynott/5:14
2/Night Life
Phil Lynott/3:58
3/It's Only Money
Phil Lynott/2:48
4/Still in Love with You
Phil Lynott/5:41
5/Frankie Carroll
Phil Lynott/2:03
6/Showdown
Phil Lynott/4:33
7/Banshee
Phil Lynott/1:28
8/Philomena
Phil Lynott/3:44
9/Sha-La-La
Brian Downey / Phil Lynott/3:28
10/Dear Heart
Phil Lynott/4:38

DISC TWO
1/She Knows [BBC Session]
Scott Gorham / Phil Lynott/5:10
2/Sha-La-La [BBC Session]
Brian Downey / Phil Lynott/3:37
3/It's Only Money [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/2:43
4/Philomena [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/3:42
5/Dear Heart [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/4:28
6/Banshee [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/2:43
7/Showdown [Demo]
Phil Lynott/3:53
8/Still in Love with You [Demo]
Phil Lynott/6:26
9/It's Only Money [Demo]
Phil Lynott/2:55
10/Showdown [Alternate Take]
Phil Lynott/4:36
11/Still in Love with You [Rough Vocal Mix]
Phil Lynott/6:02

Brian Downey/Drums, Percussion
Scott Gorham/Guitar, Vocals
Phil Lynott/Bass, Guitar, Producer, Vocals
Frankie Miller/Vocals
Gary Moore/Guitar
Brian Robertson/Guitar
Jean Russell/Keyboards

REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
It's curious that Night Life -- the first album Thin Lizzy recorded for Mercury, the first album to feature guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, the album that in many ways kicked off their classic era -- is in many ways a complete anomaly within their catalog. It's a subdued, soulful record, smooth in ways that Thin Lizzy never were before and rarely were afterwards. To be sure, the title Night Life is accurate but not in the sense of this providing a soundtrack for a night out on the town -- quite the opposite actually. This is the soundtrack for an intimate night in, either alone or as a pair, since it has moments ideal for either contemplation or seduction. There are still some moments of tough, primal rock & roll -- there's the funky workout of "It's Only Money" and the nasty "Sha-La-La," both excellent showcases for Gorham and Robertson -- but they stick out among the jazzy, soulful whole, even if they never quite disrupt the mood. And it's that mood that's so appealing about Night Life -- it's a warm, soulful sound that resonates in ways Thin Lizzy's earlier records didn't. And it's not just because of the feel of the music, either, it's due to Phil Lynott's increasing growth as a songwriter. Much of this is quite sentimental -- especially the closing "Dear Heart" -- but it's never saccharine or sappy, it's big-hearted and effecting, best-heard on the gently propulsive, utterly addictive opener "She Knows" and the easy-rolling jazzy "Showdown." These may be the high-water marks on this album, but they're not the only highlights, they're just the most immediate, representative signs of the charms of this underrated gem of a record.

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2102 - THIN LIZZY (BONUS TRACKS) (1971)(2010)

THIN LIZZY
''THIN LIZZY (BONUS TRACKS)''
1971
2010
71:29

1/The The Friendly Ranger At Clontarf Castle
Eric Bell / Phil Lynott/3:02
2/Honesty Is No Excuse
Phil Lynott/3:43
3/Diddy Levine
Phil Lynott/7:08
4/Ray Gun
Eric Bell/3:08
5/Look What The Wind Blew In
Phil Lynott/3:26
6/Eire
Phil Lynott/2:10
7/Return of the Farmer's Son
Brian Downey / Phil Lynott/4:16
8/Clifton Grange Hotel
Phil Lynott/2:29
9/Saga of the Ageing Orphan
Phil Lynott/3:40
10/Remembering
Phil Lynott/6:07
11/The The Farmer
Phil Lynott/3:40
12/Dublin
Eric Bell / Brian Downey / Phil Lynott/2:29
13/Remembering
Eric Bell / Brian Downey / Phil Lynott/5:07
14/Old Moon Madness
Phil Lynott/3:55
15/Things Ain't Working Out Down At the Farm
Phil Lynott/4:32
16/Look What the Wind Blew In
Phil Lynott/3:22
17/Honesty is No Excuse
Phil Lynott/2:45
18/Dublin
Eric Bell / Brian Downey / Phil Lynott/2:32
19/Things Ain't Working Out Down At the Farm
Phil Lynott/3:58

Eric Bell/Guitar, Guitar (12 String)
Bryan Downey/Drums, Percussion
Phil Lynott/Bass, Guitar (Acoustic), Producer, Vocals
Eric Wrixon/Keyboards

REVIEW
by Eduardo Rivadavia
Thin Lizzy were originally conceived as a power trio in the image of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, but Eric Bell lacked the charisma of these groups' guitarists, forcing vocalist/bassist Philip Lynott to take center stage from day one. Despite his already poetic, intensely personal lyrics, Lynott was only beginning to develop as a songwriter, and the band's unfocused, folk-infused early efforts are a far cry from their mid-'70s hard rock glory. Recorded on a shoestring budget, their self-titled debut is surprisingly mellow; many songs, such as "Clifton Grange Hotel" and "The Friendly Ranger of Clontarf Castle," sound confused and unfinished. Quiet ballads like "Honesty Is No Excuse," "Eire," and "Saga of the Ageing Orphan" abound, while supposed rockers such as "Ray-Gun" and "Return of the Farmer's Son" fall remarkably flat. In fact, Lizzy only bare their claws on "Look What the Wind Blew In," a gutsy rocker that hints at things to come. Four bonus tracks (originally released as singles) were added to this CD reissue, and of these "Things Ain't Working Out Down at the Farm" is quite memorable, while the mournful "Dublin" contains Lynott's first great lyric.

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