Brian Downey names his 10 favourite Thin Lizzy songs
When you consider how Thin Lizzy’s run as a band was cut short following the tragic death of Phil Lynott, it’s impressive just how much excellent music they managed to put out during their time as a band. Of course, Lynott was a massive contributing factor to these songs, as his songwriting ability, stage presence, and exciting vocal tone meant that Thin Lizzy was completely separate from other rock bands at the time. However, there was a lot more that went into making the band what they were.
One of the biggest things that led to their uniqueness was their harmonisation on guitar. On tracks like ‘Whiskey In The Jar’, ‘Boys Are Back In Town’ and ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’, the licks present on the album were layered and enticing. This sound became such a staple for the band that many people argue between 1975 and 1979 – when they peaked – a lot of their music sounded identical.
Brian Downey, the band’s co-founder, has something to say about that. He has recently picked out some of his favourite Thin Lizzy songs, and they stem throughout the band’s discography, tapping into different styles and sounds that show Thin Lizzy’s versatility. There is a reason why they are still listened to frequently and adored by fans decades later: they have a genuinely irresistible sound.
So, what would one of the band’s founders and arguably the closest person to Thin Lizzy class as their best songs? Let’s find out.
Brian Downey’s favourite Thin Lizzy songs:
‘Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed’
This track got the band so excited that they decided to use it as the album’s titular number (albeit shortening the title to just Johnny The Fox). Released in 1976, there are clear elements of funk throughout the track, but it stays true to its hard rock roots simultaneously. It shows Thin Lizzy’s ability to take advantage of various genres while still making something that is undoubtedly them.
“Phil had come into rehearsal with the idea a few times already, so I kinda knew the song, but it was never really developed until we got into a recording studio in London,” said Downey, “We decided to have another go at it, and it came together pretty quickly in the end. It’s a great song to listen to, with a great groove.”
‘It’s Only Money’
The band went through several different lineups throughout their career as members left and joined for various reasons. Something Thin Lizzy was always great at, though, was ensuring they brought the best out of whoever was working with the band. This is evident in ‘It’s Only Money’, as new members Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham are utilised to create an engaging tune.
“It’s from the Nightlife album, the first one with Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham, and I love the groove on it,” said Downey, “It was a spontaneous thing that came up in rehearsal: Phil came up with the tempo, and it’s one of those tunes that’s just great to play. I still love listening to it.”
‘Chinatown’
Chinatown was the tenth album by Thin Lizzy, which was released in 1980. Though it wasn’t to many people’s liking, it introduced the guitarist Snowy White, who stayed with the band for a few years. One song he worked on that particularly interested Downey was the titular track, ‘Chinatown’.
“Again, a great groove. Kind of a shuffle,” he said, “It’s a song that was thrown back and forward a few times in rehearsal and was originally quite different. Someone suggested we try it with a shuffle beat, and it worked perfectly. It’s become a real favourite.”
‘Look What The Wind Blew In’
The band’s debut album, Thin Lizzy, was released in 1971. It was well received by those who heard it but wasn’t responsible for projecting the band to the heights they would go on to reach. That being said, it still had some excellent songs, one of which was ‘Look What The Wind Blew In’.
The song didn’t come easily for the band, as Downey explains, “It was a song we really struggled with when we were first rehearsing the album in Dublin, then we went to London to record, by which time we had the song’s outline well worked out,” he said, “From start to finish, and it came together pretty quickly.”
‘Warriors’
Jimi Hendrix was pretty hard to escape when Thin Lizzy was making music. His influence was paramount across the industry, and this impacted the way that the band made music. ‘Warriors’ is one of the best examples of that, as the track has a clear Hendrix inspiration present from the moment it’s played.
“We were all pretty influenced by Hendrix back in the day,” admits Downey, “At the time the track was recorded, I wasn’t exactly sure what the idea was, but it came out pretty well. It might not be said in the song, but it’s definitely dedicated to Hendrix.”
‘The Rocker’
Some of Thin Lizzy’s best music came from when they were jamming, allowing their songs to remain open and expanded upon. This technique was used frequently in their third album, leading to the creation of some of their most iconic tunes, one of which was ‘The Rocker’.
“It was so rough and ready when we started the song; it sounds like a jam we just happened to capture on the day,” said Downey, “And that’s basically what it was. We had the idea, rehearsed it a lot before we went into the studio, but yet again, it was left slightly open, so we could play whatever we wanted, and that’s what happened.”
‘Bad Reputation’
The same thing happened with the song ‘Bad Reputation’, where Lynott intentionally left the song open so other musicians could inject their personality into the track. The result was one of their most exciting tunes, completely separate from the rest of the band’s discography.
“It came together pretty quickly,” admits Downey as he reflects on the recording process, “Lots of nice strumming in there. Phil left it nice and open, didn’t really arrange it too much, leaving lots of room for the drums, and it sounds pretty good to me.”
‘Buffalo Gal’
The band’s second studio album, Shades of a Blue Orphanage, was met excitedly by fans and critics. With tracks like ‘Call the Police’, ‘Chatting Today’ and ‘Sarah’, it was a difficult record to turn away from. However, one of the stand-out songs on the record has to be ‘Buffalo Gal’, a track that still makes Downey excited to this day.
“Another great groove that Phil had. A very simple, heart baseline that the drums compliment,” he said, “And Phil’s lyrics just sound fantastic on that song. There’s also a great guitar solo with lots of feedback.”
‘Black Rose’
One guitar player that the band often turned to when there were problems within Thin Lizzy was Gary Moore. He would rock up and lend a hand if people were in the process of leaving or hadn’t turned up. As such a prolific guitarist, he could do a lot in those studio sessions, and one of the biggest tracks he worked on with the band was ‘Black Rose’.
“On ‘Black Rose’, he played brilliantly,” said Downey, “He came up with the idea for the riff, and we all waded in with our own ideas. That’s what makes ‘Black Rose’ really special for me: everybody contributed something to the song, and it came out brilliantly.”
‘Emerald’
One of the band’s most popular albums was the 1976 release ‘Jailbreak’. It was an incredibly well-received record that had several excellent tracks on there. The best has been debated repeatedly, but for Downey, it could only ever go to ‘Emerald’.
“Kind of an Irish-influenced groove on this one. Lots of Irish-influenced guitar, too, with a jiggy kind of vibe,” he said, “Phil’s vocals are splendid on this. The lyrics are really good… Phil put his stamp on it.”