Thin Lizzy (album)

Thin Lizzy is the debut studio album by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, released on 30 April 1971. The album was followed by the EP New Day, produced and recorded by Nick Tauber at Decca Studios on 14–17 June 1971 and released on 20 August 1971.[1] The songs from the EP were included in later editions of the album.

Thin Lizzy
Studio album by Thin Lizzy
Released	30 April 1971
Recorded	4–9 January 1971
Studio	Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London[1]
Genre	Blues rock folk rock
Length	38:39
Label	Decca London (Canada and US)
Producer	Scott English
Thin Lizzy chronology
Thin Lizzy (1971) Shades of a Blue Orphanage (1972)
US London Records edition cover
Singles from Thin Lizzy
"The Farmer" / "I Need You" Released: 31 July 1970 (Ireland only)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	8/10[3]

Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic described the album as "surprisingly mellow" and wrote that a number of songs sound "confused and unfinished". However, he did describe "Look What the Wind Blew In" as a "hint of things to come", and that the bonus track "Dublin" from the "New Day" EP contained "Lynott's first great lyric".[2] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff appreciated the experimental flavour of the album "drawing mainly from bluesy non-metal influences" and found the compositions "astonishingly well written, very Irish, very heart-felt".[3]

Influence

The song "Honesty Is No Excuse" was covered by Cass McCombs on his 2013 album Big Wheel and Others.[4]

Track listings

All tracks are written by Phil Lynott, except where noted.

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Friendly Ranger at Clontarf Castle" (Eric Bell, Lynott)	3:01
2.	"Honesty Is No Excuse"	3:40
3.	"Diddy Levine"	7:04
4.	"Ray-Gun" (Bell)	3:05
5.	"Look What the Wind Blew In"	3:23

Side two

No.	Title	Length
6.	"Eire"	2:07
7.	"Return of the Farmer's Son" (Brian Downey, Lynott)	4:14
8.	"Clifton Grange Hotel"	2:26
9.	"Saga of the Ageing Orphan"	3:40
10.	"Remembering"	5:59

New Day EP bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Dublin"	2:26
12.	"Remembering, Pt. 2 (New Day)" (Bell, Downey, Lynott)	5:04
13.	"Old Moon Madness"	3:52
14.	"Things Ain't Workin' Out Down at the Farm"	4:29
Total length:		54:30

Remastered and expanded release

On 11 October 2010, a new remastered and expanded version of Thin Lizzy was released. This version features the following bonus tracks:

No.	Title	Length
11.	"The Farmer"	3:40
12.	"Dublin"	2:30
13.	"Remembering Pt. 2 (New Day)"	5:08
14.	"Old Moon Madness"	3:56
15.	"Things Ain't Working Out Down at the Farm"	4:32
16.	"Look What the Wind Blew In" (1977 overdubbed and remixed version)	3:22
17.	"Honesty Is No Excuse" (1977 overdubbed and remixed version)	2:46
18.	"Dublin" (1977 overdubbed and remixed version)	2:32
19.	"Things Ain't Working Out Down at the Farm" (1977 overdubbed and remixed version)	3:58
Total length:		71:03

Personnel

Thin Lizzy

• Philip Lynott – vocals, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
• Eric Bell – lead guitar, twelve-string guitar
• Brian Downey – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Ivor Raymonde – mellotron on "Honesty Is No Excuse"
• Eric Wrixon – keyboards on "The Farmer"
• Gary Moore – additional guitar and keyboards on tracks 16-19
• Midge Ure – additional vocals and guitar on tracks 16-19

Production

• Scott English – producer
• Peter Rynston – engineer

References

1. Byrne, Alan (2006). Thin Lizzy: Soldiers of Fortune. London, UK: SAF Publishing. pp. 34–40. ISBN 978-0946719815.
2. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Thin Lizzy - Thin Lizzy review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
3. Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 277. ISBN 978-1894959025.
4. Big Wheel and Others (CD booklet). Cass McCombs. London, UK: Domino Recording Company. 2013. WIGCD305.CS1 maint: others (link)