Great Metal Albums of 1984: Gary Moore- Victims of the Future

 

UK Album Cover

North American Album Cover

Gary Moore as a solo artist didn't enter my radar until 1986 when I went over to England. Before that and I am ashamed of my naivety at the time, I only knew Gary as the guitarist who used to be in Thin Lizzy. Fortunately, I got a full course in the music of Gary Moore when I did get there thanks to a friend who was a big fan. As a result I got to hear lots of his albums including this one, "Victims of the Future" and I can say that my education in this subject has been top notch. Thirty years on, I have to say a special thanks to Kieran Devlin for being my teacher.

My first impressions of "Victims of the Future" as with many Gary Moore albums, now as it was then, was "He can really play a guitar." His trademark solos permeate this album and now I am tempted to go into a rant as to how underrated he has been.  That might be true in North American terms but he has always been considered one of the greats here in Britain and of course his native Ireland. Just listen to "Shapes of Things" because that is in my opinion, his best guitar work on the album.

Many of the songs here are straight forward rock anthems. My personal favourite is "Teenage Idol" because that one comes out and hits me in the face the most. "Murder in the Skies" has a very cool guitar intro where he rips up the chords before the meat of the song comes pounding through. A look at history reveals that Gary wrote the song in protest of the Soviets shooting down Korean airline 007 in 1983. The same can be said for "The Devil in Her Heart" which is only on the US release. This is a good rocking song so I don't know why it's omitted from the UK version. "Law of the Jungle" is another exemplary rocker and the way it fades out makes it a great closer but he does go a little mellow with "Empty Rooms." You can call it a ballad but he lays down some good guitar work on it.

Not only does Gary shine on "Victims of the Future," he enlists some great musicians. Ian Paice of Deep Purple fame plays drums on half the tracks and Bob Daisley who played with Ozzy provides the bass work on two. Noddy Holder of Slade steps in to provide backing vocals on one song. The others who support may not be as recognized but they still do a magnificent job. Therefore, the album has all one needs to be great, good vocals, a steady rhythm section and of course, Gary's guitar solos.

Track Listing (UK)

1. Victims of the Future
2. Teenage Idol
3. Shapes of Things
4. Empty Rooms
5. Murder in the Skies
6. Hold Onto Love
7. All I Want
8. Law of the Jungle

Track Listing (US)

1. Victims of the Future
2. Teenage Idol
3. Devil in Her Heart
4. Empty Rooms
5. All I Want (cassette only)
6.  Shapes of Things
7. Murder in the Skies
8. Hold Onto Love
9. Law of the Jungle

Gary Moore

Gary Moore- guitars, vocals

Neil Murray- bass on tracks 1,3,7 & 8

Mo Foster- bass on tracks 4 & 6

Bob Daisley- bas on tracks 2 & 5

Ian Paice- drums on tracks 1,3,4 & 8

Bobby 'Prime Time' Chouinard- drums on tracks 2,5,6 & 7

Neil Carter- keyboards

Noddy Holder- backing vocals on "Shapes of Things"

So thirty-one years on, I have to say "thank you Kieran" for introducing me to Gary Moore and playing his albums for me, "Victims of the Future" included among them.

Next Post: Since I'm in a Gary Moore mood, it will be his 1984 live album, "We Want Moore."

To buy Rock And Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1983: Thin Lizzy- Life

 

"Thunder and Lightning" might have been the final studio album for Thin Lizzy but that didn't mean they were in any way finished. Further along in the year, 1983, the band released the live album, "Life." The album was recorded over a series of concerts played in September and October, predominantly taking place at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.

The closest I got to ever seeing Thin Lizzy live was seeing the tribute band, Limehouse Lizzy, in Stroud over ten years ago. It's a shame they never came back, but I digress. Both the tribute band and this album make me regret the fact that I have never seen the actual band in concert. What I have heard in both camps here give me the impression that they would have been sensational, but no use crying over something I have no control over.

It wouldn't have taken a computer to deduce the fact that any live album late in Thin Lizzy's career would have been a glorified greatest hits album. Having owned their greatest hits album, (I have it on cassette), I can attest to this. Still there are some great surprises on here, starting with the fact that "Thunder and Lightning" would be the best track to open the live album or any concert. They play it just as loud and proud live, maybe more. In fact, the songs from "Thunder and Lightning" are all played rather well, "Cold Sweat" definitely gets an honourable mention here. In addition, in my mind, they pick the right songs from that album to play on this one. Saying that, I like the live version of "The Sun Goes Down." To me it seems more sinister though it does go on even longer than on the studio version.

Of course, all the great Lizzy classics are on here and most of them are played very well live. I only have to wait to the third song to hear my all time favourite Thin Lizzy ditty and they definitely do it justice. Other notable efforts are "Emerald," "Black Rose," "Waiting for an Alibi," "Hollywood (Down On Your Luck)" and if they genuinely closed their shows, with "The Rocker" like they do on the album, then it was a very wise choice indeed. A great song to go out on.

Additionally, Phil Lynott got the former Thin Lizzy guitarists to play on different numbers on the album. Gary Moore, Snowy White, Eric Bell and Brian Robertson all play on the album. I now know why "The Rocker" was such a great closer. That's because all the guitarists mentioned as well as Sykes and Goram of course play on the final song in what Phil calls 'The All Star Jam." That was great to hear, it must have been mind blowing to see.

Track Listing:

1. Thunder and Lightning
2. Waiting for an Alibi
3. Jailbreak
4. Baby Please Don't Go
5. The Holy War
6. Renegade
7. Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)
8. Got to Give it Up
9. Angel of Death
10. Are You Ready
11. The Boys are Back in Town
12. Cold Sweat
13. Don't Believe a Word
14. Killer on the Loose
15. The Sun Goes Down
16. Emerald
17. The Black Rose
18. Still in Love With You
19. The Rocker

[caption id="attachment_3501" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Thin Lizzy[/caption]

Phil Lynott- bass, lead vocals

John Sykes- guitar, backing vocals

Scott Goram- guitar, backing vocals

Darren Wharton- keyboards, backing vocals

Brian Downey- drums, percussion

Guest Musicians

Gary Moore- guitar on Black Rose and The Rocker

Eric Bell- guitar on The Rocker

Brian Robertson- guitar on Emerald and The Rocker

Snowy White- guitar on Renegade, Killer on the Loose, Hollywood and The Rocker

In November of 1983, I met up with a friend who was on leave from the army after spending two years stationed in Germany. Before he left the country, he got to see Thin Lizzy's last ever gig in Nuremberg. I don't remember many of the details but it sounded like an amazing event. They played many of their classics more than once and "The Boys are Back in Town" three times! Boy I was jealous, still am. I have to settle for the next best thing, this live album.

Next post: Zebra

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1983: Thin Lizzy- Thunder and Lightning

 

Before I launch into the final studio album from one of the greatest rock bands from the 1970s, I feel I must bring to everyone's attention the boo-boo I made on my last post. Having looked at it, I realise that I never posted the photos I took of the headline band, Twister, that night. I have since rectified this mistake and the photos are there for your viewing enjoyment. I've listened to a couple of Twister songs on Youtube and they're quite good.

Yes, "Thunder and Lightning" would be the final studio album from Thin Lizzy. My first experience of this album came in 1986, when partying in my college dorm room, my new British friends and I were making a tape for my sister. A Thin Lizzy song was suggested and "Thunder and Lightning" was further suggested. Upon hearing that suggestion, the Thin Lizzy officianado in the room stated that it was the worst Thin Lizzy song you could play. Having to decide things like that for myself, I listened to the album and I never agreed with my friend's opinion.

Whether it was the addition of John Sykes on guitar or Thin Lizzy trying to jump on the new wave of British heavy metal, (NWOBHM), "Thunder and Lightning" is the heaviest Thin Lizzy album I have experienced. The title cut opens the album and from the first notes, you know that this is a much heavier brand of Thin Lizzy. That heaviness carries on through the second song as well. However, things slow right down with "The Sun Goes Down." This one is much slower, a rock against the tide of the rest of the album. Still, there is some good keyboard work on it and I have always been a sucker for a great slow blues guitar solo. However, the song does drag in some places.

"The Holy War" returns things to its natural pace. While not quite as hard as the first two tracks, it does deliver through the melodic hard rock avenue and it's possibly my favourite track on the album. It's melody is quite catchy. That track sets up the rest of the album. From then on it's one hard tune after the other, sort of a one, two, three, four, five punch. The opening riffs of "Cold Sweat" give that away. Even then, I can still hear the what some would say as traditional Thin Lizzy coming through and there is some good soloing from both Goram and Sykes.

One song that really intrigued me on "Thunder and Lightning" is "Someday She's Going to Hit Back." The title suggests this is an anti- domestic abuse song and having a read of the lyrics, it seems to support that theory. Here's the paradox. This music to this rocker is really cool with another great guitar solo. However, I fear that on account of that, the message of the lyrics gets lost in the song. Just an observation here. Then comes "Baby Please Don't Go," another cool hard rock song but I am left to wonder if the last song sets up this one. However, both songs lead the way out for the album which ends on a terrific closer in "Heart Attack." Not to take anything away from the penultimate song as that's a good one too.

Track Listing:

1. Thunder and Lightning
2. This is the One
3. The Sun Goes Down
4. The Holy War
5. Cold Sweat
6. Someday She's Going to Hit Back
7. Baby, Please Don't Go
8. Bad Habits
9. Heart Attack

[caption id="attachment_3501" align="aligncenter" width="369"] Thin Lizzy[/caption]

Phil Lynott- bass, lead vocals

Scott Goram- guitar, backing vocals

John Sykes- guitar, backing vocals

Darren Wharton- keyboards, backing vocals

Brian Downey- drums, percussion

Usually in the case of final albums, they are a lackluster offering from a band whose attitude is to get it done and go. This isn't the case here with "Thunder and Lightning." There was some good thought put into it. Some say that the lyrics aren't up to much but that's a technicality. The music more than makes up for it. Definitely the rockingest album from Thin Lizzy.

Next post: Thin Lizzy- Life

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1983: Thin Lizzy- Thunder and Lightning

 

Before I launch into the final studio album from one of the greatest rock bands from the 1970s, I feel I must bring to everyone's attention the boo-boo I made on my last post. Having looked at it, I realise that I never posted the photos I took of the headline band, Twister, that night. I have since rectified this mistake and the photos are there for your viewing enjoyment. I've listened to a couple of Twister songs on Youtube and they're quite good.

Yes, "Thunder and Lightning" would be the final studio album from Thin Lizzy. My first experience of this album came in 1986, when partying in my college dorm room, my new British friends and I were making a tape for my sister. A Thin Lizzy song was suggested and "Thunder and Lightning" was further suggested. Upon hearing that suggestion, the Thin Lizzy officianado in the room stated that it was the worst Thin Lizzy song you could play. Having to decide things like that for myself, I listened to the album and I never agreed with my friend's opinion.

Whether it was the addition of John Sykes on guitar or Thin Lizzy trying to jump on the new wave of British heavy metal, (NWOBHM), "Thunder and Lightning" is the heaviest Thin Lizzy album I have experienced. The title cut opens the album and from the first notes, you know that this is a much heavier brand of Thin Lizzy. That heaviness carries on through the second song as well. However, things slow right down with "The Sun Goes Down." This one is much slower, a rock against the tide of the rest of the album. Still, there is some good keyboard work on it and I have always been a sucker for a great slow blues guitar solo. However, the song does drag in some places.

"The Holy War" returns things to its natural pace. While not quite as hard as the first two tracks, it does deliver through the melodic hard rock avenue and it's possibly my favourite track on the album. It's melody is quite catchy. That track sets up the rest of the album. From then on it's one hard tune after the other, sort of a one, two, three, four, five punch. The opening riffs of "Cold Sweat" give that away. Even then, I can still hear the what some would say as traditional Thin Lizzy coming through and there is some good soloing from both Goram and Sykes.

One song that really intrigued me on "Thunder and Lightning" is "Someday She's Going to Hit Back." The title suggests this is an anti- domestic abuse song and having a read of the lyrics, it seems to support that theory. Here's the paradox. This music to this rocker is really cool with another great guitar solo. However, I fear that on account of that, the message of the lyrics gets lost in the song. Just an observation here. Then comes "Baby Please Don't Go," another cool hard rock song but I am left to wonder if the last song sets up this one. However, both songs lead the way out for the album which ends on a terrific closer in "Heart Attack." Not to take anything away from the penultimate song as that's a good one too.

Track Listing:

1. Thunder and Lightning
2. This is the One
3. The Sun Goes Down
4. The Holy War
5. Cold Sweat
6. Someday She's Going to Hit Back
7. Baby, Please Don't Go
8. Bad Habits
9. Heart Attack

[caption id="attachment_3501" align="aligncenter" width="369"] Thin Lizzy[/caption]

Phil Lynott- bass, lead vocals

Scott Goram- guitar, backing vocals

John Sykes- guitar, backing vocals

Darren Wharton- keyboards, backing vocals

Brian Downey- drums, percussion

Usually in the case of final albums, they are a lackluster offering from a band whose attitude is to get it done and go. This isn't the case here with "Thunder and Lightning." There was some good thought put into it. Some say that the lyrics aren't up to much but that's a technicality. The music more than makes up for it. Definitely the rockingest album from Thin Lizzy.

Next post: Thin Lizzy- Life

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1981: Thin Lizzy- Renegade

There were several artists in the 1970's and early 80's that were hard rock bands but as the latter decade progressed, some people considered them to be heavy metal acts. The next four posts will be dedicated principal artists who fell into this category and some of them accepted being called metal better than others but they all put out albums in 1981. First of these, only because I listed them first, was Thin Lizzy. It's hard to say how they would have reacted to being labeled heavy metal since they broke up in 1983. However, I know a lot of metalheads, especially in the UK, who were heavily into them.

One critic called the 1981 "Renegade" album Thin Lizzy's worst album. Well after listening to it, I have drawn the conclusion that if this is their worst album, I have to hear what he calls their best. I find nothing to dislike about "Renegade." True, I thought the first two tracks, "Angel of Death" and "Renegade" started off a little proggy but the first of those quickly reverted to the more traditional Thin Lizzy sound. The rest of the album carries on sounding like the Thin Lizzy I have grown to love. "The Pressure Will Blow" and "Hollywood (Down On Your Luck)" both carry the trademark sound and in between them is the slightly more bluesier "Leave This Town." Another point this critic made was that there were elements of NWOBHM on the album. I can definitely hear that on the song "No One Told Him" but I say there's nothing wrong with that. With the likes of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Saxon around at the time, it should come as no surprise that that sound should find it's way into Thin Lizzy's music. I think it sounds good. One song that is noticeably different to the rest is "Fats" which has a pop/lounge act sound reminiscent of the Little River Band. What is prominent on the song is the keyboard skills of Darren Wharton who had been fully included into the band on this album. Still, "Fats" isn't enough to make me agree with the critic's assertion that Thin Lizzy were trying to sound pop. The critic might have said the same thing about "Mexican Blood" although that has a harder sound than "Fats" and that leads to the rocking closer "It's Getting Dangerous." Maybe this critic thought so little of the album because of the drug problems the band members were experiencing at the time and there are occurrences in Lynott's voice that suggest this but at the end of the day, there is nothing I dislike about "Renegade."

Track Listing:

1. Angel of Death

2. Renegade

3. The Pressure Will Blow

4. Leave This Town

5. Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)

6. No One Told Him

7. Fats

8. Mexican Blood

9. It's Getting Dangerous

[caption id="attachment_2326" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Thin Lizzy[/caption]

Phil Lynott- bass, lead vocals

Scott Goram- guitar, backing vocals

Snowy White- guitar, backing vocals

Darren Wharton- keyboards, backing vocals

Brian Downey- drums, percussion

Some people considered Thin Lizzy to be on their way out with this album due to the drug problems and I have to admit, I never listened to "Renegade" until recently because I believed the same. But even with all that, I found that I nearly missed a great album by one of the major bands to influence metal.

Next post: Alice Cooper- Special Forces

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Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1980: Thin Lizzy- Chinatown

Let me say that I am feeling rather foolish at the moment for not including Thin Lizzy's "Black Rose, A Rock Legend" in my tour of 1979 albums. After all, Thin Lizzy were a great influence on heavy metal as affirmed by many of the metal bands we would come to know and love in the 80s. For those who have joined recently or haven't read it, check out my post "Other Great Metal Influences: Part 7- Thin Lizzy" for further information. Furthermore, many metal heads, especially many I have met in the UK, were all fans of Thin Lizzy.

It has been said that the 1980 album "Chinatown" didn't measure up to their previous album which I mentioned earlier. Many have blamed this on the departure of guitarist Gary Moore, (yes his leaving was a major loss for the band) and the recognisable drug problems of Phil Lynott. However, after getting reacquainted with "Chinatown" after so many years, I don't want to make any comparisons because for me, there is nothing wrong with this album. Ok, maybe one small thing, the opening track, "We Will Be Strong" went on a little too long but it was still a good album opening song. Then there are the two songs I have known for years, "Chinatown" and "Killer On the Loose." Both are good rocking songs in the tradition that made Thin Lizzy famous. Other standouts include "Genocide, The Killing of the Buffalo" and "Having a Good Time." However, I still rocked along to the rest of the album and it reminded me that Thin Lizzy, even this late in their career, were still a force to be reckoned with in the rock world. I can also see from this album why they would go on to inspire a many metal bands less than a decade later.

Track Listing:

1. We Will Be Strong

2. Chinatown

3. Sweetheart

4. Sugar Blues

5. Killer On the Loose

6. Having a Good Time

7. Genocide, The Killing of the Buffalo

8. Didn't I

9. Hey You

Thin Lizzy

    Phil Lynott- bass, vocals

Scott Goram- guitar, vocals

Snowy White- guitar, vocals

Brian Downey- drums, percussion

For many die hard Thin Lizzy fans, "Chinatown" might not have ranked up their with some of their other ones. However, for me, this is a damned good album and it reminds me why they were such an influence on the establishment of heavy metal. So much so, that many people in the mid 80s would class them as such.

Next post: Rainbow: The Soundtrack to Up the Academy

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishingroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Other Great Metal Influences: Part 7, Thin Lizzy

Like T-Rex, Thin Lizzy was one of those great rock bands from the 70s which I didn't fully appreciate until the 1980s. Sure, I loved the song "The Boys Are Back In Town" when I first heard it on the radio, back in 1977. Also, I would see their albums advertised, but think nothing more. But that was down to me and nothing to do with this great band.

For me, it seemed when I began to really expand my musical horizons in the early 80s, it seemed only natural that Thin Lizzy would be part of that. Their music seemed to fit right in with much of the metal going on at the time. I really began to get into their earlier material as well at that time. Therefore, it is no surprise that many of the metal acts of the 80s cite Thin Lizzy as one of their influences, with some acts even releasing covers of Thin Lizzy songs. I have heard Bon Jovi's cover of "The Boys Are Back In Town" and only a few years ago, the great Metallica released a copy of "Whiskey In a Jar." However, I am still waiting for a cover of my personal favourite Lizzy song, "Jailbreak" as long as they do the song justice.

An old friend of mine, (I haven't seen him in over 27 years) saw Thin Lizzy play what was then to be their last ever gig back in 1983. My reaction to that is "You lucky ****." Reports were, they were a great live act and not seeing them is a regret for me.
The death of Phil Lynott in 1986 marked an end of an era for Thin Lizzy fans. The way he died made many rock stars at the time rethink their life style and live cleaner. However, his spirit lives on in the music, just ask any true Thin Lizzy fan. Thin Lizzy was definitely a big influence on heavy metal.
Next post: Rainbow
To buy Rock And Roll Children, visit: www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle