{"id":451,"date":"2011-02-21T05:37:57","date_gmt":"2011-02-21T10:37:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=451"},"modified":"2020-05-12T08:01:47","modified_gmt":"2020-05-12T12:01:47","slug":"album-review-thin-lizzy-jailbreak-deluxe-edition-disc-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2011\/02\/21\/album-review-thin-lizzy-jailbreak-deluxe-edition-disc-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak Deluxe Edition (disc 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s an old axiom that sets forth this idea: nearly every band has at least one good<\/em> song in them, but few have more than that. If one accepts that assertion, the odds of a band coming up with a great<\/em> song are a mere fraction of that total. Now, extrapolate that out to the album format: how many groups have a great album<\/em> in them? The answer is: not many. Thin Lizzy<\/strong> was one, and Jailbreak<\/em> was that album.<\/p>\n

Thin Lizzy formed in Dublin in March 1970. Phil Lynott<\/strong> (bass, vocals, songwriting) and childhood mate Brian Downey<\/strong> (drums) briefly enlisted ex-Them <\/strong>guitarist Eric Bell<\/strong>. They signed with Decca in November of that year and promptly moved to London. They enjoyed a modest UK hit with their first single, \u201cWhiskey in the Jar\u201d in late 1972, but no further hits would be forthcoming (for awhile, at least).<\/p>\n

Even on that early single, Lynott\u2019s raspy, impassioned vocal delivery was the central focal point of the band\u2019s sound. And while \u2018Whiskey in the Jar\u201d wasn\u2019t an original composition (it was a folk-rock reworking of a traditional Irish ballad) it fit in with the storytelling approach favored by Lynott.<\/p>\n

Moreover, the song employed lots of clear, sinewy lead guitar. Even on that early track, the band employed overdubbing to showcase a twin harmonizing lead guitar approach. So the components of what would eventually develop as the signature approach of the band were in place right from the get-go. What remained to develop was the depth of Lynott\u2019s songwriting, the quality of studio production, and a stable band lineup. The band endured those challenges while cranking out a few serviceable albums, none of which charted in the UK or USA.<\/p>\n

1976 was the year that Thin Lizzy finally broke through commercially and critically, and they did so in a big way. For Jailbreak<\/em>, Lynott crafted a suite of songs that had a vague thematic linking. Clear antecedents to his verbose (and grandiose) compositional style include Bruce Springsteen<\/strong>. Like the Boss, Lynott set out to create songs of power and grandeur. In doing so he and his bandmates (Downey plus dual lead guitarists Scott Gorham<\/strong> and Brian Robertson<\/strong>) made one of the most influential hard rock albums of the decade. Besides the more obvious list of acts who took a page from the Thin Lizzy stylebook (Def Leppard<\/strong>, to name one), the group\u2019s lyrical and arrangement style bore a strong influence upon the work of Lynott\u2019s fellow Irishman Bob Geldof<\/strong>. Lynott’s influence is evident in much of the latter\u2019s work with the Boomtown Rats<\/strong>, most notably on cuts like \u201cRat Trap\u201d and \u201cWhen the Night Comes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album was (and remains) an aesthetic success on many levels. First, the playing is tight and economical: there\u2019s not a wasted note anywhere on the record. It\u2019s forceful and direct, and producer John Alcock<\/strong> did a superb job showcasing the band\u2019s lean-and-mean sonic attack. (Somewhat surprisingly, Alcock had few other high-profile production credits. He produced Jailbreak<\/em>\u2019s followup Johnny the Fox<\/em> [also 1976] and did some work for the Runaways<\/strong> and John Entwistle<\/strong>, but not much else of note.)<\/p>\n

But the highlight of Jailbreak<\/em> is Lynott\u2019s songwriting. He anchored relatively simple melodies with industrial-strength hooks, and wrote the best set of lyrics of his life. The concept of mythologizing musicians as outlaws enjoyed some popularity in the 70s; Paul McCartney and<\/strong> Wings\u2019<\/strong> own Band on the Run<\/em> (another possible \u2013 albeit minor \u2013 influence on Lynott) was released in November 1973 to great acclaim. The comic-book bombast of Jailbreak<\/em>\u2019s storyline (such as it is) concerns four heroes in the not-too-distant future, and their exploits breaking out of unjust political imprisonment to battle the Overlord. (Those who would criticize Jim Fitzpatrick<\/strong>\u2019s album cover art as cheap or cheesy are simply missing the point.)<\/p>\n

While the Springsteen influence is oft-cited, it\u2019s quite likely that Lynott took inspiration (if not unconscious direction) from Pete Townshend<\/strong>. In the decade prior to Thin Lizzy\u2019s Jailbreak<\/em>, The Who<\/strong> had made a career out of pushing the conceptual boundaries of rock music, and doing so in a forceful, non-effete manner. \u201cA Quick One (While He\u2019s Away),\u201d Tommy<\/em>, the aborted Lifehouse<\/em> project that mutated into Who\u2019s Next<\/em>, Quadrophenia<\/em>\u2026 all of these balanced rock power with a level of ambition that attempted to create narrative, storytelling works. Jailbreak<\/em> is in many ways Lynott\u2019s response to the unspoken challenge that Townshend\u2019s works set out.<\/p>\n

Jailbreak<\/em> is some seriously macho, masculine music: who needs nonsense like Robert Bly<\/strong>\u2019s Iron John<\/em> when you\u2019ve got Thin Lizzy\u2019s Jailbreak<\/em>? Built around the central theme of camaraderie and male bonding, the songs promote an us-against-the-world approach that still holds power some thirty-five years after its creation.<\/p>\n

The record all but explodes out of the gate with the crashing opening chord of \u201cJailbreak;\u201d it\u2019s a hard rock opening vaguely reminiscent of the kickoff of the Beatles<\/strong>\u2019 \u201cA Hard Day\u2019s Night.\u201d From there the song settles into a menacing groove, atop which Lynott spits his lyrics. The song makes it clear: don\u2019t mess with us; we\u2019re on a mission, \u201cBustin\u2019 out, dead or alive.\u201d The verses are built around a repetitive, three-chord pattern, and the chorus — full of vocal harmonies that subtly reinforce the \u201cwe\u2019re in this together\u201d aesthetic \u2013 ups the ante. Downey\u2019s drums punctuate the sections perfectly, and the guitarists add brief, effective flourishes of wah-wah guitar. After Lynott screams the command to his compatriots (\u201cbreak out!\u201d) the song heads into almost progressive-rock territory, with a jazzy(!) time signature, wailing sirens and dueling guitars headed to a crescendo. The song\u2019s macho cred is unassailable: even while staging a prison break, the protagonists stop to accost a lovely lady: \u201cHey you, good lookin\u2019 female: Come here.\u201d If Lynott weren\u2019t delivering the line with such unironic swagger, the line might come off as a joke. Here it sounds like he means it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAngel From the Coast\u201d is a lesser song, but how could it not be? The band pummels along, providing plenty of dynamics, but the song is primarily a vehicle for Lynott\u2019s lyric; moreso than Jailbreak<\/em>\u2019s other tracks. The now-patented twin guitar assault is the song\u2019s real highlight, and Downey\u2019s fills tie it all together. It\u2019s Jailbreak\u2019s<\/em> shortest song.<\/p>\n

In terms of instrumentation, Jailbreak<\/em>\u2019s sonic approach is fairly basic and no-frills: guitar, guitar, more guitar, bass and drums. But on Lynott\u2019s \u201cRunning Back,\u201d the song is built upon a foundation of (session overdubbed) electric piano, and adorned with sax lines redolent of Springsteen or fellow Irishman Van Morrison<\/strong>. Percussion accoutrements even include handclaps(!), making \u201cRunning Back\u201d the most pop-oriented number on the record. Lynott\u2019s na-na-na and tra-la-la vocalizations are a clear nod to Morrison.<\/p>\n

The record heads back into Cinemascope storytelling mode with \u201cRomeo and the Lonely Girl.\u201d Propulsive instrumentation gives the song a fist-pumping, driving-fast feel, and the chorus\u2019 vocal harmonies are a highlight. A soaring, searing guitar break extends over the returning chorus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWarriors\u201d opens with a chugging, sinister riff, underpinned by Lynott\u2019s underrated bass work. Thin Lizzy rocks hard throughout most of Jailbreak<\/em>, but \u201cWarriors\u201d may be the hardest rocking track on the record. The simple chord structure allows some wailing solo guitar work, but again a set of melodically interesting (and surprising) breaks elevate the song towards something like proto-prog-metal. And it stops on a dime.<\/p>\n

Side two of the original vinyl was kicked off with what became the band\u2019s signature track: \u201cThe Boys Are Back in Town.\u201d The monster hit broke the band in the USA. Lynott\u2019s wordy set of lyrics isn\u2019t afraid to sacrifice variety in the interest of making its points: the verses employ an AAA rhyme scheme. Here his writing style is most reminiscent of Springsteen, yet it\u2019s quintessentially Thin Lizzy at its best. Lynott inserts his now-famous bass fill between the guitars\u2019 power chording on the turnarounds, but when the verses kick in, Robertson and Gorham play lots and lots and lots of chords. Few hit songs possess more dynamic tension than \u201cThe Boys are Back in Town,\u201d even though the track includes six verses in four and a half minutes. At around the 3:20 mark the band brings it way down, setting the stage for one of rock\u2019s classic dual guitar breaks; here Gorham and Robertson channel the Hunter-Wagner<\/strong> aesthetic used so effectively on Alice Cooper<\/strong> and Lou Reed<\/strong> sessions. All the while, Lynott and Downey lay down a rock-solid beat. The tight harmonies of the lead guitar sing the song out.<\/p>\n

\u201cFight or Fall\u201d takes a breather, dialing back the energy but keeping the melody strong. The track is built around acoustic guitar, with some clever start-and-stop action to add texture. Slide guitar and Lynott\u2019s wide-panned stereo vocals (tellin\u2019 myself \/ tellin\u2019 myself\u2026) set a memorable vibe. Again here, Lynott uses the AAA rhyme scheme; it adds a subtle insistence to the lyrics, and has the (perhaps unintended) effect of making the sentiments expressed seem less sophisticated than they actually are. Finally, the album\u2019s underlying theme is explicitly voiced in the song\u2019s outro: \u201cBrother, brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all-in for \u201cCowboy Song.\u201d Warbling campfire-style harmonica accompanies Lynott as he spins his tale of bustin\u2019 broncs for the rodeo. Here the bassist aims to create a song of epic and mythical proportions. His expansive first-person lyrics are aided in no small measure by a strong melody, and some of the record\u2019s most melodramatic guitar work. Vocal harmonies on the chorus (\u201cRoll me over and turn me around\u2026\u201d) match up effectively with the similar approach the of dueling guitarists. When Gorham and Robertson duel, everybody wins: three minutes in, they drop back to give space for Lynott\u2019s vocal, and then they come back in with some more lean licks. Then — as is their wont — they explode for an instrumental verse and chorus.<\/p>\n

A martial, heavy metal arrangement serves \u201cEmerald\u201d well. The album closer is constructed around a dual-guitar riff that runs up and down the scale. Bands like Metallica<\/strong> built entire careers around the sort of approach used on \u201cEmerald.\u201d And while in print it might sound like it\u2019s an overused technique on Jailbreak<\/em>, a harmony lead guitar line followed by an epic guitar battle (in stereo!) provides the rock equivalent of hand-to-hand combat on the windswept plain.<\/p>\n

And then it\u2019s over. At a shade over thirty-six minutes, Jailbreak<\/em> is a concise statement of the best that Thin Lizzy \u2013 and, for that matter, rock in the mid 1970s — had to offer. The band went on to make other enjoyable albums (perhaps most notably the 1978 double LP Live and Dangerous<\/em>. But Jailbreak<\/em> stands as the band\u2019s finest hour, and a crowning achievement of 1970s hard rock.<\/p>\n

A look at the bonus disc included with the Jailbreak <\/em>2011 reissue is here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"I<\/a><\/p>\n

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