Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Overlooked and Unappreciated Gem, February 3, 2004
While I am a huge fan of all of Lizzy's music,a part of me always wondered what path their music would have taken had they continued in the musical direction of their first three albums. In many ways, I miss the simple purity Lizzy had with these early records, something that was lost when they hit it big. Shades of a Blue Orphanage is an extension of their first album; storytelling, poetic lyrics, musical experimentation with blues, rock, folk and prog elements. There is no real formula to any of it; These tracks would be right at home in a live jam, and I can only imagine some of the great shows Lizzy must have put on in the early days. Listeners looking for classic Lizzy hard rock will be scratching their heads at hearing this album. Listeners without an appreciation for lyrical imagery and experimentation will be prone to dismiss what they don't understand as "awful". Shades is an original recording filled with verve and genuine emotion. It's too bad most modern music can't say the same thing.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good but a buy for only a true Thin Lizzy Fan, October 29, 1999
By A Customer
This is the weakest of the Eric Bell era Thin Lizzy albums. Half of the album will not interest most people but there are a few quality songs(Brought Down, Baby Face, Call the Police). The production quality is poor by todays standards which can be expected of many albums of that time. There are a couple of good but very slow songs(Sarah, Shades of a Blue Orphanage) and one that should just be skipped(I Don't Want to Forget How to Jive). If you are interested in an album from the Eric Bell days, I would first recommend Thin Lizzy(electric folk debut album) then Vagabonds of the Western World(their 3rd album, the heaviest and last of the Eric Bell years).
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Claim to fame is Jesse James..., July 7, 2006
After a very promising debut, Lizzy seemed to take a step back with their March 1972 followup. They seemed to be ready to go in two different directions, straight-up hard rock band, or folk with a tinge of power. On this release they seemed to go more towards the later which is kind of a shame. Not a bad album but as another reviewer also said not particulary memorable. I think it would be hard to include any of these tunes on a Lizzy top 30 but I know how subjective that can be. "Buffalo Gal" is probably the best song but it isn't really a rocker or a ballad in the traditional sense, "Brought Down" is very similiar in the same way. Phillip's first "Sarah" is almost buried by the reoording, forget about listening to this one in the car...it's too damn soft! "Rise and Dear Demise" and "Baby Face" are the best of the "rockers" but again, nothing Lizzy wouldn't blow away on future releases. Case in point, less then a year after this forgettable affair, they released their first single and masterpiece, "Whisky in the Jar/Black Boys on the Corner" - and reputation was secured. I'm not one to quibble about lineups either as each formation of Lizzy provided their own memorable addtions to the catalogue, though 'Shades' was not one for the Eric Bell era. Their next release with the aforementioned single would be Lizzy's first true artistic peak. 'Shades' is a slight misstep. Not bad just not a classic.
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