Music Review: Thin Lizzy ~ "Nightlife" & "Fighting" Deluxe Edition CDs

From 1971 to 1983 Thin Lizzy released 12 studio albums and yet most people are only familiar with their 1976 hit single "The Boys Are Back In Town."

How can a band have a decade long career and be virtually ignored by classic rock radio?!? In my opinion this might just make Thin Lizzy the most underrated hard rock band in history!

Led by singer, songwriter and bassist Phil Lynott Thin Lizzy perfected the dual lead guitar sound that would later be used by bands like "Iron Maiden," "Def Leppard" and many others.

Thin Lizzy's recorded history got off to a rocky start with 3 uneven albums with the band playing as a 3-piece unit. When it was time to record album #4 Lynott and drummer Brian Downey decided it was time to shake things up a bit and hire not just one lead guitarist but 2 thus forming what would be known as the "classic line-up" of Lynott, Downey, Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson.

The first two albums from the newly formed quartet have just been re-released as 2 Disc Deluxe Editions. 1974's "Nightlife" and 1975's "Fighting." The new editions are newly remastered and pack with b-sides, bonus tracks and live tracks.

While "Nightlife" finds the band in a mostly mellow mood with standout tracks such as "She Knows" and "Still In Love With You" the follow-up, "Fighting," really rocks!

"Fighting" starts with a cover of the Bob Seger tune "Rosalie" and Lizzy's version is so good that most people who hear it assume it's an original! Other hard rock masterpieces include: "Wild One" and "Fighting My Way Back."

Although neither of these two releases is the best the band has to offer but the overall vibe of "Fighting" is the beginning of the classic Thin Lizzy sound that would pave the way for the group's biggest and best albums "Jailbreak," "Bad Reputation" and "Black Rose."

The thing I love about music is that it's never too late to discover a great band so if you are still unfamiliar with Thin Lizzy the time is now!

Drumroll please...

Nightlife: 6 out of 10 drumsticks!!

Fighting: 8 out of 10 drumsticks!!