Thin Lizzy: Why Weren't They Huge?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Barnabas Collins, Mar 23, 2019.

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  1. FuturisticWorkshop

    FuturisticWorkshop Forum Resident

    Location:
    United State
    You’re comparing Thin Lizzy and Motley Crue???
     
  2. FuturisticWorkshop

    FuturisticWorkshop Forum Resident

    Location:
    United State
    Geldof is just awful. Gary Moore playing a Lizzy era song he had nothing to do with is odd, but letting that clown sing is much worse.
     
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  3. Many Clouds

    Many Clouds Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    Of course not. I’m just saying I really like some of Motley Crue’s stuff , but they are not what you call a great band. The discussion between a couple of posters was about liking a band but knowing that they weren’t that good a band. Thin Lizzy and Motley are apples and oranges. I like both but can see why neither were grade A bands .
     
  4. Detroit Rock Citizen

    Detroit Rock Citizen RetroDawg Digital

    I saw them on that tour as well. That was my first concert. I thought Queen were better but you hit the nail on the head. Plus they never made another album as great as Jailbreak again but that is a personal opinion
     
  5. jmcecil

    jmcecil Analog Jitter

    I guess we define fan differently. I have every album, most 2 or 3 copies. I have all CDs, bootleg live shows, videos. I've seen them numerous times in concert starting in 78. In the early 80s I could play a large number of songs starting with Fighter through Black Rose for each guitar part and bass.
    However, I don't think its necessary to overstate the catalog. And yes, the only truly great album is Jailbreak. JtF and Black Rose are not complete enough. Too much filler time and weak songs.
    So, call me not a fan if you want. But, they don't stack up to most of the bands (with a couple of oddball exceptions) to the bands that performed at Live Aid. I'm not saying they weren't better live than quite a few of those bands either. Lizzy was an excellent live band. So anyhow, that's my "not a fan" opinion I guess.
     
  6. However, there has been no further US RIAA certification since October 1977. As we have seen with many bands during the 80s and 90s there were substantial bumps in sales both in vinyl and during the conversion to cds. I'd like to think Lizzy experienced this. @goodhumorman
     
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  7. Pouchkine

    Pouchkine Forum Resident

    Thin Lizzy were certainly Grade A in terms of quality. At least 10/12 very solid studio albums, one of the greatest Live Album ever and a constantly great live band. Quality, longevity, diversity.

    They lost their big momemtum in the US in 1976 by their own fault, it has nothing to do with the quality of their output.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2021
  8. Many Clouds

    Many Clouds Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    That’s the great thing about music, we’ve all got different opinions. I enjoy listening to them, and they are a fun band to listen to. Before my time, but they seemed a great live band. I’m aware of the lost opportunities that occurred, but I’ve never considered them a dine at the top table type of band. Not that it’s important anyway. Phil was a true star and had tonnes of charm. There were bands who put out far better albums though, but that’s just my opinion.
     
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  9. Rufus rag

    Rufus rag Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Me neither!! I'd only have about five albums in my collection if I did and certainly no Van Halen.
     
  10. Pouchkine

    Pouchkine Forum Resident

    Even as a big fan I can't say for sure what is clearly my favorite Thin Lizzy album, they have so many great albums but none that is clearly "perfect" apart from Live And Dangerous.
    I'm very open minded when it comes to music and can appreciate many different styles and when I look at their main body of work the 12 studio albums (in barely 12 years) + Live And Dangerous, I can easily place them among the best bands (not at the very very top) in their genre. Add to this the fact that they were a great live band and that Phil was a truly iconic rockstar.
    A successful 1976 US Tour could have changed a lot in the minds of many people.
     
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  11. Many Clouds

    Many Clouds Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    They were a very good band I’m not doubting that. Probably better live than in the studio???? Phil is one of the true rock n rollers, lived and died by the sword, but seemed a genuine nice down to earth bloke, too. There were lesser bands who became bigger than Thin Lizzy, but maybe bad luck played its part there. They were pretty big, but in my eyes I can see why they didn’t become Huge as the title of the thread asks. They were a proper band, but their music didn’t come across as serious as say bands like The Stones and Zeppelin. Thin Lizzy come across as a street band , a bit like Bon Scott era AC/DC. You could say Thin Lizzy were more fun to listen to, than say The Stones, but I can see why The Stones and Zeppelin were really huge and Thin Lizzy weren’t .
     
  12. Pouchkine

    Pouchkine Forum Resident

    I don't see a huge difference honestly but in the end it doesn't really matter.
     
  13. Todd W.

    Todd W. It's a Puggle

    Location:
    Maryland
    I wouldn't argue with you tooth and nail, but Johnny and Bad Reputation are both darn good albums. We might be splitting hairs as to which is clearly better.

    I haven't gone through all this thread but the Live At The BBC 2 disc set is excellent also.
     
  14. vinyl diehard

    vinyl diehard Two-Channel Forever

    True.
     
  15. apple-richard

    apple-richard *Overnight Sensation*

    I'm sure someone has mentioned that this performance is on the DVD that came with the Thin Lizzy Legends Mega Box that came out last November. Excellent set. I would highly recommend it to any fan of the band.
     
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  16. FuturisticWorkshop

    FuturisticWorkshop Forum Resident

    Location:
    United State
    Thats like saying the Stones never made an album better than Sticky Fingers. They made one of the best double live albums, 3 great albums that might not best Jailbreak, but they are close in quality and better than what came before from this lineup. Black Rose is pretty great too. Anyone that thinks the majority of what Thin Lizzy had to offer was on the Jailbreak album isn’t really a fan
     
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  17. Detroit Rock Citizen

    Detroit Rock Citizen RetroDawg Digital

    Depending on your opinion of Exile the Stones may or may not have made a better album after Sticky Fingers. That's not important to the thread. You basically admitted my point which is that Jailbreak was their best album. Whether they cam close to equaling is up for debate. You also mistakenly believe that I said that the majority of what Thin Lizzy had to offer was on Jailbreak. Not true. You are trying to read between lines that don't exist. Next thing you'll probably accuse me of is saying that Metallica's cover of Whiskey In the Jar is better than Thin Lizzy's version. As for being a fan? Sure, I'm a fan, but not a fanatic.
     
    jmcecil likes this.
  18. Leroyd

    Leroyd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ireland
    Fan is short for fanatic
     
  19. mcnpauls

    mcnpauls Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    I asked an Irish colleague who is both a massive Lizzy fan and a Dubliner who actually knows the Lynott family: he insisted that it was entirely the responsibility of the band members that Lizzy weren't bigger in America due to rudeness, unreliability, aggressiveness as well as drink and drugs problems that progressively lost them goodwill in the industry, among promoters, djs, etc, etc.
     
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  20. Supraman

    Supraman Active Member

    Location:
    Dublin
    It's certainly true that bands needed to roll over and bow to Americans if they wanted to be successful they also needed a bit of luck and to get airplay which was massively important back then and to do an awful amount of touring coast to coast particularly in the 70s and 80s where there were no short cuts via social media or YouTube in which to promote your band's music.
     
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  21. mike sullivan

    mike sullivan Blues Boy

    Location:
    hong kong
    It was a shame that Robbo didnt stay with the band, that classic line-up of Lynott, Downey, Gorham and Robertson was magnificent..
     
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  22. mike sullivan

    mike sullivan Blues Boy

    Location:
    hong kong


    This lesser known track from their catalogue is what Lizzy were all about to me..a magnificent hard pumping rock song with Robbo's mind-blowing wailing guitar.
     
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  23. AngusStanley

    AngusStanley Forum Resident

    Location:
    Massachusetts
     
  24. mike sullivan

    mike sullivan Blues Boy

    Location:
    hong kong


    For me, Robbo was the best ever wah wah rock guitarist..Superb!
     
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  25. bever70

    bever70 Let No-one Live Rent Free in Your Head!

    Location:
    Belgium
    Lizzy is the only hard rock band that swings! Thanks to some great, non-stereotype drumming :righton:.
     
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