I've never really got into Lizzy that much - I know all the singles, of course, and I've got Live And Dangerous, of course, but the studio albums (to the extent I've heard them) always seemed to sound a bit weak/underproduced. I really should give them another go.
I can see what you mean Philly. :)
When I read your comment(s) above - I remembered that Jailbreak does sound charmingly basic on the production front. The 'redeeming factors' for me ( that had made me overlook those facts till I read and felt resonance with your opinion ) - are the ' simple-but-effective ' narratives/ story telling in the songs , the fact that the four chaps still made it
emotionally absorbing whilst playing as if it was a Pub gig - and of course the fact that back in the early 70's they had a style we had not heard before - and could play to death and sing along to on the car tape player.
When I went to see them on the Black Rose tour - at a relatively cosy venue; and was hung over the 'front / lower tier' above Phil Lynott on his extended runway ( Mmmmm just
smell that sweat and 'Soul - Glo' on his hair ! ) 8) - I remember us coming out and saying how much we had enjoyed
singing along all night - and about the
characters on stage. There were two slim Marshall stacks, one chap with a drum kit, a slinky Geezer with an earing playing the bass - and of course the now famous 'THIN LIZZY' logo behind them. but when they kicked off the first song, it all just swelled up like 'All Bran' in hot water. The magic being ( be it studio or stage ) that of Alchemy ; pure Gold from (admittedly )simple / base materials.
It was the same mechanism of
Sexxayy melodic Rock, Vaudeville show , use of basic equipment - and song writing / apt guitar embelishments - that made it very much like 'The Sensational Alex Harvey Band' ( our 'other' fetish at the time ).
There is of course the ( somewhat influential to my current enjoyment of Lizzy ) fact that historically, psychologically and emotionally - when I first heard and enjoyed Jailbreak , life was hitting me with enough formative experiences and 'firsts' to make it feel like I was simultaniously wired to the mains, mainlining three rows and re-inventing the whole concept of Romance for the modern age ... :lol: I cannot hear that era of Lizzy, without it having an almost hynotic effect - it persuaded / persuades me to invest much of myself in the experience.
So yes Philly, I really can see / hear what you mean about the sound on the albums : and can only assume that the likes of Lizzy / Alex Harvey - worked even better for me than the highly produced albums of the era ( Eagles / Meatloaf / Supertramp / Bachman-Turner Overdrive e.t.c. ) because it was intimate,
chummy and you could sing / join in with it , like walking into a room of friends. :)
