Customer Reviews

Phil Lynott Album

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

 

 

I haven't got the cd yet, but... last sunday (december 99) I heard THE CORRS unplugged in MTV and they played a gem from this album called 'OLD TOWN'.. I almost cryed like you do when you meet a good friend after almost twenty years; they played it with passion and reverence only a great musician can have to another great musician (I plan to buy the Corrs cd as soon as it is available).

REMEMBER 'THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN'?

Phil Lynott, (irish as the Corrs) who died in the first half of the 80's, was the main composer, lead singer and bass player of the legendary rock band called THIN LIZZY, and brought us such talented guitar players as Gary Moore and John Sykes (co-writer of most of Whitesnake's multi-platinum album songs); in his time, he was considered among the best rock composers in the U.K.(his lyrics were unusually deep and literate for a hard rock group) in the same category as Paul McCartney and Pete Townshend.

Although it never got as successful in America as in Europe, Thin Lizzy set the foundation for double lead guitar bands as Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, and even Metallica plays a song by T.L. in their cover album Garage Inc.

Unknown to most fans is the fact that Lynott recorded some solo albums, with a pop post-beatles sound but with great lyrics; I only remembered OLD TOWN from radio airplay almost 15 years ago until I heard THE CORRS, but the other song samples I just heard in AMAZON convinced me to buy THE PHILIP LYNOTT ALBUM, even if it's a little expensive (import edition).

If you are a fan of Thin Lizzy, this album will be a great addition to your cd collection; otherwise, I sugest you to buy 'Dedication', Thin Lizzy's greatest hits.

this cd along with "solo in soho" are must haves for Phil Lynott/Thin Lizzy fans. Both solo albums showcase Philip's musical diversity. Bits of new romance, r&B, soul and good old rock n roll are showcased in both these cds. To me these are classic gems! What are you waiting for, pick 'em up, you won't be let down. God bless ya Phil!

Phil Lynott the rogue poet/rocker of Thin Lizzy fame released this solo album in '82 and I must say that there are some GREAT tunes here. It is balanced by lesser songs that are not really up to the high standard Phil Lynott set. "Old Town" is the major single off this record for good reason. It has that wistfulness that the best of Thin Lizzy is known for. A song about lost love, longing and rememberence, it truly is a gem. If this was the only good song on this album id still say buy it, but there are some other standouts, such as "Little bit of water" , "Cathleen" , and "Together"
coupled with "Solo in Soho" this album is a good taste of Phil Lynott for the Thin Lizzy fan and people who have a passing interest in this fabulous songwriter.

I can't speak for everyone else, but I always thought Phil presented himself as a very easy target to critics (both in print and on Amazon.com). He was unabashedly honest with his music, and always tried different styles, even if they didn't quite fit. As such, he occasionally made mistakes, but it never seemed to phase him. God forbid the critics should forgive him for this!
After listening to this album again, over 20 years later, I can honestly say that even today, I appreciate Phil's music, warts and all. (Piss on all the critics who championed the bombast of "everyman" Bruce Springsteen back in the day!)

A lyric from "Ode To Liberty" stuck out in my head while I listened to this. I believe that on January 4, 2006 it will be 20 years since Phil passed away. (Unfortunately, Phil uses "Jack" once again, for the hundredth time in a song lyric, and unfortunately references the drink and drugs that killed him. Miss you, Phil. A great album).

I would dearly love to return
Through a mirror in twenty years
And learn what the future has in store for us
And if i learned that we lost
And there was no hope
For those that fight
I would turn to drink
And drink is drugs
And drugs would help me sink
And like of boat, i float
I sail out to the sky
To the universe and back
Maybe to give it another try
I don't know why, why jack
Just to confirm our father
Just to learn, just to heal us

This album is great from start to finish, but there some standout tracks such as Old Town, Growing Up, Yellow Pearl, Little Bit Of Water, Together, and Ode To Liberty (The Protest Song). Those songs alone make the CD a worthy purchase.

I heard OLD TOWN for the first time performed by the Corrs and I loved it. Then, one day, I heard it on my car-radio, performed by Philip Lynott. What fantastic song what a fantastic performers. (can anyone help me with finding a CORRS 2000 calender ?)

When this album was released back in 1982 it probably already sounded dated. It exhibits all the worst features of 80's production values: tinny brass sections, electronic percussion, psuedo-disco vibes. Makes your hair stand on end at times. This was the second (and final) of Lynott's solo albums, the preceding Solo in Soho being a much more solid affair. On The Philip Lynott Album there are really only two songs worth a sook: Old Town (as covered - or rather copied - by the Corrs on their Unplugged album) and the chilled-out Ode To Liberty, which features Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits turning in another sterling performance on guitar. The other tracks are weak and simplistic affairs that lean towards lightweight imitations of pop, disco and reggae, with plenty of weedy ballads thrown in. The album might have been saved if the quality of the songwriting had been good, but alas Lynott's considerable creative talents must have been at a low ebb. Even the lyrics sound trite and uninspired, which is unusual for him. Another point of concern is the quality of Lynott's singing voice, which lacks any passion or conviction of any kind and sounds like he had a heavy cold throughout the recording: the cynic in me might attribute that to the effects of substance abuse. We'll never know.

Curiously, Yellow Pearl features here: on the original vinyl release it didn't. In fact it was on the previous album Solo in Soho. Can't see any good reason for including it on BOTH albums...

There is a poignant lyric on Ode To Liberty, where Phil sings "I would dearly love to return, through a mirror in 20 years, and learn what the future has in store for us." Alas, for Mr. Lynott the future was only to last another year or two.

In conclusion, then, this album is probably the weakest offering in the Lynott/Lizzy catalog and suitable for completists only (like me). But by my reckoning, Phil Lynott released something like 18 albums with and without Thin Lizzy, out of which 16 are not only good but downright essential (the other bad one? Thunder and Lightning). And with a track record like that I'm sure we can overlook the occasional low point.