Thin Lizzy Shades Of A Blue Orphanage

Rushed into the studio to follow up their self-titled debut album, Thin Lizzy – bassist Phil Lynott, guitarist Eric Bell and drummer Brian Downey – came up with another ambitiously diverse collection. The funky drive of “The Rise and Dear Demise of the Funky Nomadic Tribes” and “Buffalo Gal” meshes well with the introspective pieces “Sarah” and “Brought Down.” Lynott continued to write the majority of the material and the band received much praise from British radio DJs, Kid Jensen and John Peel, who invited the group to perform on his program. This edition of the album includes the original nine-track album, the “Black Boys On the Corner” single, with its B-side turned A-side, “Whiskey In the Jar” (here in unedited form), three overdubbed tracks with guitarist Gary Moore that appeared on the 1978 album The Continuing Saga of the Ageing Orphans and four tracks from the John Peel radio sessions. It provides a complete look at the early career of Thin Lizzy, when Philip Lynott was still finding his way to genius.