Thin Lizzy: Why Weren't They Huge?

Funny, I ordered that book 2 days ago. Even more excited now!

 

Dynamically, VotWW is hard to top. That is one sweet sounding album. But I digress.

 

i think so, yes. that and

edit: i was just going to say what @GodShifter already said.

 

A couple of you have mentioned that Thin Lizzy were too "Irish" or too diverse for the US audience. I don't agree with those theories. Jethro Tull did quite well with their hard rock/old England folk during the same time frame. Led Zeppelin also had folk and mystical songs (Battle of Evermore, Black Mountain Side) along with their hard rock (Black Dog, etc.). The Rolling Stones had some pretty diverse songs too, they weren't just doing songs like Satisfaction because they also did songs like Lady Jane and You Can't Always Get What You Want.

Diverse was more the rule than the exception during the 60s & 70s. Who wants to listen to an album where all the songs sound alike? Not me.

I think the correct answer is that they didn't have hits after their Jailbreak album and the lack of touring. Strike while the iron's hot!

Scott

 

Nice clip. Usually on a Whistle Test appearance artists do two live songs. What you know what the other track he did was? Cheers.

 

Hi Godshifter I agree with many of the points in your previous posts on this thread.
The expression 'large markets' is the key. Lizzy had loads of hits in the UK. They were always on Top Of The Pops & in the singles charts. Dancing in the Moonlight was a big hit here as was Waiting For An Alibi IIRC. Before that Whisky In The Jar was an early hit. There were lots of UK hits in between.
I think Bad Rep is a good album. Johnny the Fox has too many ballads.
Don't Believe A Word fitted the Jailbreak template, wasn't that a reasonable hit in the USA? At this point the writing was still good I think. it was post Live & Dangerous & post-Robbo that the songwriting lost the quality control IMO.

 

Yeah, if they were concerned with staying on the FM playlists. That would mean they would ensure their albums had radio friendly tunes. Lynott could have done that. He had solid writing skills. Maybe he wasn’t thinking of exposure.

 

Like Badfinger or Blue Oyster Cult, they were as big as they deserved to be.

 

Dancing in the Moonlight is a great little tune. I was surprised it didn’t get any airplay here.

 

Wow. I would have thought that it would have really scored

 

I saw Phil in the street once, High St Ken I'm pretty sure it was. Skinny bloke, not as tall as he looked on the telly. He stood there like he was on "Solo in Soho", with a cig. I turned back, he'd gone back in the building - I wouldn't have hassled him or owt, but he's not to know that, I guess.

Anyway, in that sense he was not huge.

 

Ha, was in my local DIY trade shed this morning, here in the UK, and `Waiting For an Alibi` was playing over the speakers.....passed at least 3 people singing the lyrics!

 

My experience is the opposite! I met him after a Grand Slam gig, & although I'm six foot 3, he towered over me. He was an imposing figure all right. He was nice as pie & signed my ticket stub. However you couldn't help but notice he was struggling health wise. Very sad.

 

I reckon he had those "grow you quickly boots" on.

 

Ha ha that's great.
I've just put on my copy of Johnny the Fox. Love this band.

 

Nice one!

 

btw: Wikip has it that..

[q]A life-size, anatomically correct, bronze statue of Lynott was unveiled on Harry Street, off Grafton Street, Dublin, in August 2005. [/q]


o rlly?

 

Funny. I was just listening to them today. Johnny the Fox. Great Album.
How huge do you need to be? They are rock legends.

 

That formula did NOT hurt Hendrix. Or Arthur Lee. But Phil is not Hendrix, totally different. I love all 3 of those cats and think they are among the best ever of course.

 

I'm actually glad they weren't more popular because they have a lasting appeal that woulda been worn thin if classic rock played them as often as Skynyrd, who is great, but everything sounds like a single and gets played to death on classic rock. We can listen to old school rock that hasn't been worn out! That is why people are seeking all these old bands, some of whom kinda suck, but have that sound and attitude that so many people miss. Thin Lizzy doesn't even remotely suck.

 

Hendrix and Arthur Lee were in different genres. Hard rock and metal was less tolerant in those times.

 

They've always struck me as just being cheesy rock with little substance. I've seen quite a few American bands in the recent past citing them as an influence, which I was surprised by. Nice of em to write the Toy Story theme tune though

 

Go back and listen to the albums you will find the complete opposite.

 

You mean weren't?