Customer Reviews

The Rocker: A Portrait of Philip Lynott

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This is a very well put together, extremely interesting and moving film about one of rock's top performers and songwriters. Bios like this do have the potential to be rather dull puff pieces, but the interviews and well-arranged film create here a very real insight into this tough, sensitive, intelligent hard rocking man. Interviews with his wife, mother and fellow musicians will tell you a lot about Phil's often conflicted feelings and attitudes, as well as an understanding of the childhood upbringing and influences that brought his talent into flower, and perhaps contributed to his early demise. A longtime fan of Thin Lizzy, I feel I have a much better understanding and appreciation for Phil the man now. No full song performances, but enough partials of "Wild One", "The Rocker", live footage to make me send off for more cds.

This is a deeply moving and personal look at Phil Lynott's life and times as the first few minutes of footage show us Phil's funeral. This Irish production gave me insight into Lynott's life that I had never seen before. We get interviews from all the central figures in his life including all his bandmates, mother, ex-wife, managers and other musical friends/influences like Bono, Bob Geldof, Huey Lewis (who played w/ Phil) and Van Morrison. The musical elements of stories and live footage was extremely impressive and great quality. If they had stopped there, the documentary would have been very good. But they takes it to another level by showing what kind of person Phil was with his family and how they remember him. Private home movies of Phil with his kids and life at home brings a tear to your eye. The man was fiercely protective of his family and never spoke about them publicly, but here they reveal so much including how good of a father he was, his music room at home and even the last words he said to his mother while he lay dying. Forget the cheesy cover of this DVD - I was deeply moved and affected by this documentary since nothing was sugarcoated and we truly do get a true portrait of his life and times. If you are a fan of Thin Lizzy at all, this is required watching. But I also highly recommend it to anyone who is Irish or enjoys U2, Bruce Springsteen, Hendrix, Elvis, Bon Jovi or Van Morrison. God bless you Philip...

This is an excellent but brief (58 min.) portrait of Phil Lynott that shows the ups and downs of The Rocker. There are some rare footage of Phil growing up that talks about his childhood & early days prior to Lizzy.
What's interesting is they have footage of Phil talking about Thin Lizzy. You have interviews with Phil's mother, Philomena, his wife Caroline and Thin Lizzy members Brian Downey, Scott Gorham, Brian Robertson, Eric Bell and Gary Moore. Thin Lizzy managers Chris Morrison and Chris O'Donnell. I think the interesting interviews was from the band mates who toured & played w/ him.
Some other guests interviews include Bono, Bob Geldof, Huey Lewis, Van Morrison, etc...
I notice some of the interviews are what was written in the Thin Lizzy `Vagabonds, Kings, Warriors, Angels' 4CD Box Set.
They do play some songs but not in it's entirety. It's sad he left us at an early time. Rest In Peace, Phil.

This DVD reminded how GREAT Thin Lizzy are and what a unique, lovable rogue/genius Phil Lynott was. There is good mix of music and interviews and the sound quality is excellent. Towards the end, I must admit, I shed some tears. Having read several books on Phil and Thin Lizzy, I was happy to see that most of the main characters are interviewed, including the band, management, Phil's mother & wife, and it looked realistically (i.e. including drugs & women) but sensitively at the whole package that was Phil. This DVD should help ensure Phil's considerable contribution continues to be recognised and understood. It serves as a fitting memorial for the Black Rose of Ireland - "he loved to rock and roll".

Re. technical aspects, the quality of the DVD is better than I dared expect. It is professionally made and the quality of the images and sounds are superb; the sound quality is better than the CD version of Live And Dangerous). I was happily surprised to see early home cine film footage which, although predicably low fidelity, was in good condition (computer restored/enhanced perhaps). Some early black & white footage of Dublin was worryingly grainy ("surely they could have restored it?") but it was just setting the scene and was probably deliberate left looking "period". Despite viewing several other Lynott interviews on youtube the night before this arrive -- all the footage on this DVD was refeshingly new to me.

I always regret not going to talk to Phil & the boys after we saw them at the Oxford Apollo. Thin Lizzy always treated the fans right. Too late now. This footage is as close as we can get now...except for one thing: see Thin Lizzy touring now. They are still great and you can feel Phil's presence - the heart and soul of Thin Lizzy. Rock N Roll personified.

This Documentary was originally made for broadcast on television in the UK back in 1996, and it was then (and still is) the best portrait to date of Thin Lizzy's tragic front man Phil Lynott.

The show features interviews with most of the key people in Phil's life, including fellow band members Eric Bell, Brian Downey, Scott Gorham, Brian Robertson, and Gary Moore. Midge Ure (who filled in with the band for one tour) is also interviewed. His mother Philomena, his former wife Caroline, former managers Morrison and O'Donnell, and friend and artist Jim Fitzpatrick (who painted many of the classic Thin Lizzy album covers)are all interviewed as well. There are also comments from fellow musicians and stars in their own right who knew Phil or were influenced by Thin Lizzy, including Van Morrison, Slash, Bono, Jon Bon Jovi, and others.
rounding out this excellent show are many rare live clips of Thin Lizzy on stage, as well as countless "home movie" clips of Philip on the road and at home.

I am very glad that this brilliantly researched documentary was finally released in North America, as it had little or no exposure on television in Canada or the U.S. at all. There have been other shows made about Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy, but none so excellent as this one. If you are a fan, or if you are curious about the man and would like to know the true story of Ireland's greatest rocker from the mouths of those who knew him, then this is the DVD for you. ARE YOU OUT THERE!

You will know the other side of this great rocker, you will see the places where Phil live, you will see his mother, the place were Phil died and much more......