Thin Lizzy is one of the most underrated bands in rock history in my opinion. Whether it’s the super smooth vocal stylings of Phil Lynott, the twin guitar harmonies of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson that remain to this day the sound of their generation, or the pulsating rhythm section of Brian Downey, there is simply nothing here that fails to get me out of my seat.
In other words, I adore Thin Lizzy. And be forewarned, I’m gonna get a little earnest here over the next five minutes.
Formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1969, Thin Lizzy had a long road to the recording of Jailbreak. Their first four albums were effectively commercial disasters, and outside of a handful of gems (like “Whiskey In The Jar” from 1972’s Shades of a Blue Orphanage and “Rosalie” and “Wild One” from 1975’s Fighting), their discography was largely inconsistent and scattershot. In another era Thin Lizzy would have been dropped never to be remembered again outside of a few hardcore fans. And it would have been a damn shame.
But luckily this was the 70’s, and luckily labels and the music business machine at that time was a little more forgiving on letting bands develop on the company dime. Because 1976’s Jailbreak effectively blew the doors off all of Thin Lizzy’s prior releases combined, bringing together elements of heavy metal, soul, blues rock, and Irish folk music into a perfect nine-song run.
Phil Lynott is one of my favorite all-time rock singers for a handful of reasons. There’s his soulful approach to vocal lines like the ones on “Romeo And The Lonely Girl” and “Fight Or Fall”, his diabolically suave low-end that’s breathy and scratchy and delivered in almost spoken-word like during the verse of “Jailbreak”, and of course his massive power during the choruses of anthems like “The Boys Are Back In Town” and “Cowboy Song” that demand to be sung along with a full-throated zeal. What I appreciate most about Lynott isn’t his vocal range (which by most vocal standards is relatively average) but the dynamic capabilities he has to sing two songs in entirely different ways. Lynott had the ability to change his approach and enunciation to serve the individual song, a near chameleon behind the mic. And he found the right note every single damn time.
And then there’s the twin guitar tidal wave from Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. This more than anything became Thin Lizzy’s signature sound, and deservedly so, because it is (and I cannot underscore this enough) fucking awesome. “Guitarmonies” have been done before of course (see 1971’s At Fillmore East from The Allman Brothers Band) but never to this degree. The mid-song bridge coming out of “Cowboy Song” at the 2:53 mark is an absolute masterclass in driving two lead guitars at the same time, and just when you thought they were done, they circle back and tease you with another extended build up at 3:36, drop out to a bass and drums section, and then take you up again at 4:04 to an absolutely stunning conclusion. This would be the pinnacle of guitar work for 99.9% of bands out there but it’s not even the most iconic guitar line on Jailbreak— the lead hook and subsequent outro solo in “The Boys Are Back In Town” is simply iconic, probably the perfect encapsulation of what dual lead guitar lines are capable of in the entirety of rock and roll history. And I don’t say that lightly. It’s simply magnificent.
Underneath all the overdriven guitars is great percussion led by Brian Downey. Downey has some huge parts and great syncopated grooves in conjunction with the lead singer Phil Lynott, as well as some absolutely massive drum fills that serve the purpose of making this whole album feel organic live. Another note here is the production– tom’s in the era Downey played in tended to sound a bit “tinny” (go and listen to Black Sabbath’s Paranoid and you’ll see what I mean), but these are a lot thicker and richer than what you’ll hear from a lot of 70’s recordings. And Downey isn’t just hammering away here either– listen to the shuffle beat he throws down in the verse during “The Boys Are Back In Town” and you’ll quickly appreciate how much “feel” Downey has behind the kit.
Jailbreak has a dynamic range that has both depth and width which separates it from a lot of the classic rock it gets commonly lumped in with. It’s a rare album that covers an incredible amount of genres, sounds, and influences, and yet never loses its gravitational center or drifts off into something that doesn’t contribute to the greater whole.
And it’s why Jailbreak will always be an all-time classic.
Standout Songs: “The Boys Are Back In Town”, “Jailbreak”, “Fight Or Fall”, “Cowboy Song”
