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In early 1971, radio DJ John Peel was aboard a ferry crossing the Irish Sea when he was accosted by a tall, striking, dandily attired fellow with an Afro, who urged him to listen out for his band Thin Lizzy. Radio 1’s captain of the late-night airwaves admired the young musician’s boldness, and by the autumn a BBC radio session was in the bag. Several of those songs, from both Peel’s Top Gear and Stuart Henry’s 70s show, augment this repackaged edition of Thin Lizzy’s self-titled debut album.
It was a welcome stroke of luck in an otherwise tough landing for the trio who were top draw in their native land but restarted their career at the bottom in London, where they recorded their first LP for Decca, steered by fellow Dubliner Ted Carroll, ex-manager of compatriots Skid Row and founder of Rock On record stall in London’s Portobello.
Comprising original songs written by Lynott plus one from guitarist Eric Bell (the Hendrixian Ray-Gun), Thin Lizzy garnered scant sales or attention at the time, apart from airplay by a few cool DJs. The album does, however, provide an early peek at the many jewels at the band’s disposal - Lynott’s distinctive voice and poetic, cinematic imagination, and the respective talents of Bell and drummer Brian Downey who melded together in a goldmine of potential.
While there were other Celtic rockers, such as the aforementioned Skid Row and Horslips, Lynott and co. had the swag. The spoken-word intro of The Friendly Ranger At Clontarf Castle switches effortlessly into the joy of strolling with his girl under starry skies, swept along by Bell’s glowing playing, and flows into Honesty Is No Excuse, one of Lynott’s finest songs.
Diddy Levine and Clifton Grange Hotel (owned by Lynott’s mum) both weave a musical tale from chequered familial history. It’s a pity that the powerfully atmospheric Eire is only two minutes long, when it cries out to be an epic. (Metallica thought so too.)
This three-CD/four-LP set includes new stereo mixes by Richard Whittaker and rarities, including the debut single The Farmer, the New Day EP, and the previously unreleased Beggar’s Song, along with BBC sessions and instrumental outtakes. The generously illustrated book of early-days memorabilia will delight the dedicated. From Crumlin to Sydney Opera House is some giant, long-legged leap, and much changed along the way, but here’s how Thin Lizzy’s fantastic voyage began.
