Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak

A lot has been written about Thin Lizzy’s guitar sound, but I’m not sure it’s enough. The guitars are tough and muscular, but also precise and lyrical. Guitarists Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham developed a dual-lead-guitar sound that’s harmonious and intricate, and must have taken a long time to perfect.

Even if you’ve never heard of Thin Lizzy, you probably know this sound from the guitar solo in the monster hit “The Boys Are Back in Town.” Despite its use in just about every commercial aimed at men (for cars, jeans, beer, etc), the song remains compulsively listenable. Much of that is due to frontman Phil Lynott’s lyrics (supposedly written about soldiers returning from Vietnam), which have a Springsteen quality, only more kick-ass.

There are other great songs on the album, “Jailbreak” and “Cowboy Song” among them. The former is a powerful album-opener with a propulsive bassline, while the latter is an epic Western featuring soaring guitar work. The other songs are always interesting, even if they don’t reach these heights.

Perhaps the coolest thing about the album, though, is the jaw-droppingly ridiculous sci-fi story in the liner notes. Apparently, in Dimension 5, the world was ruled by "the Overmaster, whose lust for ultimate power had become an obsession.” The subjects under his rule were essentially slaves, and he imprisoned innocent people on a whim. Eventually, a rebel leader called “the Warrior” leads a jailbreak. While this might have made a good novel, it’s laugh-inducing when rendered in 3 paragraphs on a single page in the liner notes. You can’t fault their ambition, though.
Over the course of this album, Thin Lizzy became my favorite 70s rock band. Enough said.