1543 - Thin Lizzy Dear Lord 1977

Thin Lizzy came from Ireland, with members mostly being strictly working class; in addition to that, Phil Lynott was black, and some have quite justly pointed out that this rendered him "double outcast" in among the all-white European rock crowd of the day, especially since Hendrix had already gone by the time of Lizzy's arrival on the scene. Add to this his personal problems and a radical drugs & alcohol involvement that eventually led to his untimely death in 1986, and you pretty much get the picture of why so much of his material comes across as totally authentic and tear-bringing. The songs on ‘Bad Reputation,’ originally released in 1977, are full of Lynott’s lyrical vignettes backed by pounding drums and the dual-lead guitar harmonies. Most of the tracks feature only three-quarters of the band, with guitarist Brian Robertson only credited on three tracks. He had missed most of their previous tour, following an injury sustained in a brawl, and this album turned out to be his last studio effort with Thin Lizzy. With Robertson out of the band, Lynott had decided that Scott Gorham would be able to handle all the guitar duties himself, and that no replacement for Robertson would be recruited prior to recording the album. However, Gorham believed that a second guitarist was required, particularly for live work, performing songs that were written for two guitars. He later said, "I was always a big believer in the magic circle – once you broke the magic circle. Gorham persuaded Lynott to allow Robertson to return to the band to record some solos. Lynott relented, and Robertson flew to Toronto and recorded his lead guitar parts. However, he initially refused to socialise with the other band members: "Christ, I wouldn't even have a drink with them," he said. He later added, "I tried not to go out to clubs for about a week, then succumbed...". With its uplifting vocals and upbeat riff, "Dear Lord" is a happy end to "Bad Reputation". The solos are great here, and Phil´s lyrics are heartfelt.