Chinatown

Thin Lizzy | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 19, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 1980
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wounded Bird Records
• ASIN: B00005LN6P
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,565 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #81 in Music > Indie Music > Rock > Classic Rock

Editorial Reviews

Import pressing features the original nine tracks. Universal. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars underrated, February 8, 2005

By 

S. R. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chinatown (Audio CD)

Chinatown is often maligned by critics knowing the dual guitar lineup of Gorham/Robertson or even Gorham/Moore was replaced by ace guitarist Snowy White as partner to Scott Gorham. But this is still Phil Lynot's band here, and once again he makes the magic with a collection of understated rockers that DO better with age "We Will Be Strong" "Sweetheart" and "Chinatown". White brings an american rythm and blues style to the mix with "Sugar Blues" and the band also delivers the goods on the quintessential rocker "Killer on the Loose". Still with the band is Lynot's poignant lyrics and vocal chops, so I never understood the backlash against this effort. To me it easily ranks alongside Jailbreak, and Bad Reputation. The recording is a bit more polished than earlier Lizzy releases but the rockers are still tight and feverish with the sonic clarity welcomed. That's not a slight at earlier Lizzy recordings, which I always thought were a cut above many hard rock bands of the era (especially Sabbath, Slade, and UFO). It's just a good album to crank up to "11".

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CHINATOWN ROCKS!, July 20, 2005

By 

Thin Timmy "Bela Drake" (New Orleans, La.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chinatown (Audio CD)

i'm tired of hearing how bad this album and renegade were!
these two albums are awesome and have classic songs! yes
there were some not so strong but there are no duds. Also
Snowy White is a really good player and plays great on these
albums and blended well with Scott Gorham. Take a listen again
and really listen without comparing to the Live n' Dangerous
line up that everyone compares too. These albums rock as much
as Thunder and LIghtning and some of the earlier stuff! With
all the bad music out there I still listen to these all the time.
I think true Lizzy and rock fans love these albums and maybe all
the skeptics should give them another try? Rock on!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The new expanded edition, July 11, 2011

By 

Brian D. Hughes (Modesto, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chinatown (Audio CD)

Let us discuss what makes this particular release especially notable and special. The Chinatown album itself has it's share of ups and downs - the beginning of Thin Lizzy's decline (but it's FAR more solid then the rock-bottom "Renegade" follow-up). I always thought that "Genocide" came to life when played live and is kind of tepid sounding on this album. Then there's the bland "Having a Good Time" - meh. "Didn't I" succeeds as a ballad to a certain extent - at least it has a nice riff. "We Will Be Strong" is a little all over the place lyrically as well as "Sweetheart" but at least the musicianship is solid and tuneful. More plaintively stated, the trademark dual-guitar melodies propelled this album quite further along with the songwriting largely being inconsistent. The cover of the '30s blues song "Sugar Blues" is very welcomed and the singles "Chinatown" and "Killer on the Loose" are definitely Lizzy classics and standards.
Now let's get on to the meat and potatoes of the release - the bonus tracks. Many of these were previously only available on really expensive and rare import releases or unofficial releases. The live versions of "Dear Miss Lonely Hearts" and "Chinatown" are bar none the best live versions of these tracks. The 3-guitar live version of "Whiskey in the Jar" with Midge Ure ("Midge knows the song") is really fun and the audience makes the performance really special. The fidelity of the tracks is unbelievable compared to how I've heard them over the years. The soundchecks from Cork and Hammersmith are notable as some of the songs are played in different arrangements ("Hey You") or contain different lyrics ("Sweetheart"). I still wonder if Phil adlibbed those lyrics on the spot or they were how the song was originally written. I would've enjoyed the complete Cork and Hammersmith soundcheck material but that's just picking nits. They did the release more then justice here.

Disc One
1- We Will Be Strong
2- Chinatown
3- Sweetheart
4- Sugar Blues
5- Killer On The Loose
6- Having A Good Time
7- Genocide (The Killing Of The Buffalo)
8- Didn't I
9- Hey You

Disc Two
1- Don't Play Around (B-Side)
2- We Will Be Strong (Single)
3- Sugar Blues (Chinatown 7" single)
4- Whiskey In The Jar (Nineteen 7" single double pack)
5- Are You Ready (Killers live 7" single)
6- Chinatown (Killer on the loose 7" single)
7- Got To Give It Up (Killer on the loose 7" single)
8- Dear Miss Lonely Hearts (Killers live 7" single)
9- Killer On The Loose (Thunder and lightning bonus LP)
10- Chinatown (edited version)
11- Hey You (edited version)
12- We Will Be Strong (Demo)
13- Chinatown (Demo)
14- Don't Play Around (Soundcheck - Hammersmith 5/29/80)
15- Sweetheart (Soundcheck - Hammersmith 5/29/80)
16- Didn't I (Soundcheck - Cork)
17- Hey You (Soundcheck - Cork)