WOT Favorites: Thin Lizzy

A few weeks ago I was helping my mother put together a photo slideshow for Trouble Jr.'s graduation party. It made sense to use songs that feature her first name for the soundtrack, so I set about googling "songs about..". The predictable ones; Hall & Oates, Fleetwood Mac, and Starship, I was extremely reluctant to use. Then, I see a Thin Lizzy track. What? I thought I knew me some Thin Lizzy, yet hadn't heard of this song.

You may have heard of Thin Lizzy, guitar heroes and rock and roll gods. Phil Lynott, the massively talented bassist and lead singer of Thin Lizzy, is probably best known for being a sort-of Irish Jimi Hendrix. Thin Lizzy's biggest hit was "The Boys are Back in Town" but the band's influence on other rockers was greater than any Billboard chart landing. It's no hyperbole to say that every single hard rock band recording today was influenced by Thin Lizzy, either by innovative duel lead guitar harmonies or by their signature working-class poetry lyrics.

Metallic famously covered "Whiskey in the Jar" and Smashing Pumpkins put their stamp on "Dancin' in the Moonlight", for starters. Thin Lizzy tribute bands abound, the most well-known and highest regarded of which is Dizzy Lizzy — personally approved by Mama Lynott.

I just saw in our local paper that "Thin Lizzy" is coming in concert this summer. From what information I've read so far the line-up is a mash-up of tribute players and original players. For my money, that's worth a ticket!

Superfly says I put too much video on my blog. If you agree, I apologize. I won't stop, but I'm sorry you and he feel that way. With that semi-disclaimer, here's a video of Thin Lizzy on Top of the Pops, singing Trouble Jr.'s song: