THIN LIZZY – At The BBC [2-CD] , MP3+FLAC

As requested, here’s THIN LIZZY ”At The BBC”, a collection of recordings taken from the BBC owned Lizzy recordings that still exist in the archive and charts the inexorable rise of the band: from the first steps as a three piece on the Decca label, to the glory days as one of the greatest live acts of all time.

This collection brings together sessions and live recordings from throughout the band’s career including the last concert with Phil Lynott from the Reading festival in 1983. There’s a huge box set with several discs, however we think this 2-CD is an impressive selection of highlights and works better, a less-exhausting way to enjoy this incredible band.
What makes this release unique is that as years go by, the BBC used to wipe their older tapes. Fortunately, many featuring Thin Lizzy have been kept. There are no surprising covers and the versions generally follow the same arrangements that are on the studio records — but the intensity level is higher, sometimes resulting in intensely visceral readings that are certainly worth the price of admission. We wouldn’t go as far as saying that these BBC recordings rival the originals but in some cases that just might be the case.

Disc one contains material from 1971-1974 which gives you a great feel for what the band was like in its original form. Songs like “Showdown” and “Slow Blues” showcase some great bluesy guitar solos. “Suicide” shows off some great slide guitar playing. Some of the renditions of these songs are much more raw and up-close compared to the versions that are on the band’s studio albums. Examples of this would include “Vagabond of the Western World” and “Showdown”.
Lynott’s ability to sing gruff vocals on songs like “The Rocker” and then sing equally as well on a quiet song like, “Randolph’s Tango” is proof of his amazing versatility.

Disc two covers 1974-1983, including more of the hit songs from the band. It has tracks like “The Boys are Back in Town” with their signature sound of two guitars playing leads in harmony, and “Jailbreak” among others. ”Jailbreak” sounds different from the studio recording since everything seems to be tuned down a bit. Then “Rosalie” feels more bare bones.
It’s also impressing to find a Reggae song, “Half Castle” and more of a Jazz sound on the song “Dancing in the Moonlight” in this collection. They save the best for last with the final track being “The Boys are Back in Town” from a concert in 1983 at the Regal Theatre.

Thin Lizzy were untouched in creating epic, emotional rock & roll… and if there’s any place to hear just how good they were for how long, this is it.
Highly Recommended

Disc I
1 – Look What The Wind Just Blew In (Sounds Of The Seventies, 1971)
2 – Whiskey In The Jar (John Peel Session, 1972)
3 – Saga Of The Ageing Orphan (John Peel Session, 1972)
4 – Things Ain’t Working Out Down At The Farm (Live In Concert, 1973)
5 – Suicide (Live In Concert, 1973)
6 – Vagabond Of The Western World (John Peel Session, 1973)
7 – Gonna Creep Up On You (John Peel Session, 1973)
8 – Randolph’s Tango (John Peel Session, 1973)
9 – Slow Blues (John Peel Session, 1973)
10 – The Rocker (Bob Harris Session, 1973)
11 – Little Girl In Bloom (Bob Harris Session, 1973)
12 – Showdown (Rock On Session, 1974)
13 – Little Darling (Bob Harris Session, 1974)
14 – Black Boys On The Corner (John Peel Session, 1974)
15 – Sitamoia (John Peel Session, 1974)
16 – It’s Only Money (John Peel Session, 1974)

Disc II
1 – She Knows (John Peel Session, 1974)
2 – Sha La La (John Peel Session, 1974)
3 – Philomena (Bob Harris Session, 1974)
4 – Still In Love With You (Live In Concert, 1974)
5 – Baby Drives Me Crazy (Live In Concert, 1974)
6 – Rosalie (John Peel Session, 1975)
7 – Half Caste (John Peel Session, 1975)
8 – Jailbreak (John Peel Session, 1976)
9 – Cowboy Song (John Peel Session, 1976)
10 – Don’t Believe A Word (John Peel Session, 1976)
11 – Johnny (John Peel Session, 1976)
12 – Bad Reputation (John Peel Session, 1977)
13 – Dancing In The Moonlight (John Peel Session, 1977)
14 – Renegade (Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, 1981)
15 – Killer On The Loose (Live At The Hammersmith Odeon, 1981)
16 – Cold Sweat (Live at the Regal Theatre, 1983)
17 – The Boys Are Back In Town (Live at the Regal Theatre, 1983)

MP3 FLAC