Customer Reviews

Night Life

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Apparently the band hated this album when it came out, guitarist Scott Gorham complaining that the producer made them sound like a cheesey cocktail lounge act. But as we know sometimes a band's worst critic is the band themselves, and in this case they were somewhat off the mark. Yes, it is a far cry from the harder rocking Lizzy lps that were to follow, but "NightLife" has a great variety of songs, from the jazz-influenced title track, to the plaintive and sad "Frankie Carroll", to the funky "Showdown". Phil Lynnott's song-writing is melodic and lyrical; few other writers could bring a story to life through music as well as he could. Even though it was the first Lizzy lp to feature Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson on guitar, the famous trademark Lizzy twin guitar sound did not really emerge until the next lp, Fighting. If anything, "Nightlife" has more in common with Phil Lynnott's later solo albums, if that's any help.

Although this album is rarely mentioned among the classic Lizzy albums, I think it is a very good album. This is the first Thin Lizzy album to feature the twin/harmony Les Paul + Marshall sound of guitar aces Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. Brian Robertson felt (in an interview I saw) that it was too varied -- although I think the variety makes for an interesting experience. Lizzy always managed to produce distinct songs in the early years, Fighting is a great album in this regard, as is Live and Dangerous.

Although a couple of songs appear on Live and Dangerous (Still in Love with you, Sha la la la) there is little overlap with other albums (unlike Jailbreak) - so worth getting. Thin Lizzy's classic soaring, slow blues "Still in Love with you" appears here but features Gary Moore, rather than Brian Robertson on guitar (a secret revealed in the aforementioned interview). The sublime version of this song (comparable in perfection to Led Zepplin's Stairway to Heaven) appears on Live and Dangerous though; Brian Robertson made this song his own with incredibly soulful and tasteful playing. Scott Gorham was incredibly good on this too of course -- the pair complemented each other wonderfully, pity they broke up :(. [An interesting alternative version of the song appears on one of Gary Moore's solo albums and feature Phil Lynott on vocals -- it sounds quite different]

Thin Lizzy went through their first major personnel upheaval at the end of 1973 and times seemed dark for the band. Brief salvation came in the form of Gary Moore, legendary Irish blues guitarist and off again on again running mate of Philip Lynott. As one single was owed to Decca, Gary played on "Little Darlin'", a fantastic yet rare song that only became available on compliations. Moore also contributed to "Still in Love with You" which would later become the centerpiece for Lizzy's Vertigo debut 'Nightlife', released in October 1974. As Gary proved only a temporary fit, Philip and Brian recruited not one but two guitarists to broaden out the sound and make the band even more unique than they already were. Eighteen year old Scotsman Brian Robertson and Santa Monica native Scott Gorham came to complete THE classic lineup of Thin Lizzy and 'Nightlife' was THIS band's first. Curiously the record is not indicative of future Robertson/Gorham classics (very little of their trademark harmonies) and therefore is not up to the standard of their future efforts. The album is also one of Lizzy's most stylistically diverse as funk, R&B, folk and hard rock come together as if Philip wanted to expand people's opinions of what this new band could do. My favorites are of course the rock numbers including the opener "She Knows", which seems to be the self-confession of a heroin addict who needs help from "Mother Mary". "Sha-La-La" which features Brian Downey flexing his muscles, later became a concert staple for that very reason, but it also allows the new boys to let it rip in dueling solos. "Philomena" I have always loved, Phil's tribute to his mom and how he misses her while he's on the road. "It's Only Money" rocks very convincingly as well with Phil being the tough guy again. "Still in Love" is great but I think the studio version is overrated. "Night Life" is kind cool as is "Showdown", two examples of the R&B influences that Philip put in his writing. Worth it for the Lizzy fan but others may want to buy their later classics as 'Nightlife' may not contain as much rock for the heavy rock fans.

In 1975, this was the first Thin Lizzy album I ever bought. I had been hearing a catchy tune called "It's Only Money" and I had to have it. The album totally caught me by surprize; as the band was quite good. This album would make me a Lizzy fan for life, but, I have to admit, the way they continually put out choice material helped a lot.

Back to this release, there are a number of very good songs here, including, "Still In Love With You", "Showdown", "Sha La La", and "Dear Heart". This release is where the twin guitars of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson began the trademark that would mark the band throughout their career no matter who the guitarists were. As with most Thin Lizzy albums, there is a bit of Irish music, ballads, and, of course, some hot rockers.

Whether you are just looking for a taste of 70's rock and ballads, or, the turning point in a bands career, or just need all of Thin Lizzy's work, this is a must! The price here makes this disc all the more attractive...

Thin Lizzy - Night Life, 1974.

Probably more 4.5 stars than 5.

To start out, by looking at any of the reviews for this album and then subsequently reading reviews for the rest of the band's output, it will be immediately obvious that this album is quite different from all the rest. This however, does not have to be a bad thing. The subdued nature of the entire album helps to bring out a romantic quality that is not touched upon in other recordings. Smooth, yet sensual, without being overly soft or cute; this is a record, that while it does certainly have its moments of intensity, is also one that a person who prefers to 'rock out' on occasion will not feel ashamed of listening to.

From the ever catchy lead-off track, 'She Knows', to the light funk of 'Night Life', to a healthy dose of swagger in 'It's Only Money', there's a bit of something offered up in each track to keep you interest going throughout. It should also be noted that the interplay between the band is quite superb. Everyone seems to mention the twin guitar attack that is self-evident, but there is also a very capable rhythm section to back the guitarists, courtesy of Phil Lynott and Brian Downey.

So if you're ever in the mood for the softer side of rock while avoiding the cheesy or sappy, and are already a fan of this band's more well-known records, I would not hesitate to give this one a shot.

When I first bought this album back in 1974 I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. This was the first outing featuring the twin guitar sound of Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham so I expected something different, but I was surprised at how mellow it was. Ok so the band had changed direction before. In the Eric Bell era they went from a folk sound on the first two albums, to a heavier raw sound on Vagabonds so I guess I was anticipating hard rock here, but although it does contain a couple of heavier songs in Sha-La-La and Its Only Money, the guitars are played down somewhat with strings featuring on the title track and the final song Dear Heart. This may have been due to the production of Ron Nevison which the band was allegedly unhappy with. There are also, what appears to be, a couple of fillers in Frankie Carroll and the instrumental Banshee. Don't let that put you off however, as there are still some great tracks with excellent guitar harmonies in She Knows, Philomena and Showdown. But what elevates this album to five stars for me is the beautiful Still in Love with You. The live version has received greater acclaim (this is also brilliant incidentally), but I still love the studio version. It features Gary Moore on guitar and Brian Robertson apparently refused to re-record it, as he thought it couldn't be bettered. I have to say I'm inclined to agree.

The first album to feature Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson features a different sound that fans became acustomed to after the release of Jailbreak. Thin Lizzy dives through many styles here. From the hard edge sounds of "It's Only Money", and "Sha-La-La" to the beautiful overtons of "Dear Heart", and "Frankie Carroll". A certain kind of jazz influence is apparent on the title track, which is probably my favorite song on the album. "Showdown" sounds like it was the theme for some night-time 70's cop show. "Philomena" is a sweet song dedicated to Phil's mother, and the short but sweet instrumental "banshee" is a cool treat. So if you are a big Thin Lizzy fan and you don't have this. Buy it now, and don't miss out on this great album!

Thin Lizzy's 1974 release,"Night Life"(the first to feature the classic duel guitar lineup of Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham) marks a drastic departure in sound and song quality from the band's first three releases. A majority of the songs are dark numbers dealing with drugs, love, money and a host of unsavory characers such as Johnny Cool, Frankie Carroll, and Miss Lucy, just to name a few. The appeal of the album as a whole may not strike you upon first listen, but it's one that gets under the skin, soon leaving you addicted to the funky, bluesy and sad grooves contained within. (Recommended for nighttime listening)

I like Thin Lizzy alot, but I'm not one of those folks that has to have everything they ever recorded. I bought this disc because it's one of their better albums, in my opinion. It has some of their biggest early tunes- She Knows, Showdown, and my particular favorite is Still In Love With You (one of the saddest heart break songs ever)- but there are a few really good songs that aren't well known- It's Only Money comes to mind. To be sure, recording an album is often hit or miss and you never know what will stand up over time, and this album has the high and low points I expect from a group that's just putting out what sounds good to them at the moment and hoping others like it, too. I like the flow of this disc and the overall vibe when I play it straight through. The less interesting songs aren't distracting and still contribute to the listening experience in a positive way. It's a record that was made when there was still great attention paid to things like running order, pacing and such.
I'd say that if all you want to hear is more like The Boys Are Back In Town or The Cowboy Song then stick with the Jailbreak and Fighting albums. There's nothing wrong with that. Thin Lizzy has a lot more to offer, though, and some of the substance is found on Night Life. (By the way, I also recommend the rework of It's Only Money by Concrete Blonde.)

Fantastic record. The somewhat softer side of Thin Lizzy, but boy is it good. Very soulful on some tracks, but the rockers come out on tracks such as Sha La La and It's Only Money. If you want to bang your head, get Thunder & Lightning. You can't go wrong with Thin Lizzy. There are some classics here. The live staple Still In Love With You came from this album! Listen to it!