It is hard to comprehend, but Phil Lynott passed away thirty-nine years ago. A lifetime too early, yet the music he made lives on in many hearts. It seems like only yesterday that he was raising Thin Lizzy hell with a glint in his eye and that irresistible Irish charm of his, the very embodiment of a rock star.
Thin Lizzy – Acoustic Sessions (Decca)
Release Date: 24 January 2025
Words: Paul Monkhouse
Phil Lynott was, of course, a poet and a soulful one at that, the bluster of the big riffs and rollicking tunes only part of his identity. The mellower side of his career often showed through with such tender fare as Sarah but it was in his earliest works that this shone the brightest, and this facet is highlighted beautifully in Thin Lizzy – Acoustic Sessions.
Perfectly cherrypicked from their first three albums, the selection of numbers on Acoustic Sessions are a glorious run through the blues laced with more than a little Celtic mist and unutterable cool.
At the centre of these performances, Phil’s original vocals are skilfully mixed with brand new guitar parts by founding member Eric Bell whose work alongside producer and mixer Richard Whittaker has birthed the project.
By any standards, the results are astounding. The vibrancy of these new versions certainly pours some bright light through old and much-loved windows. Most striking is just how warm this all sounds. The clarity of the vocals sounds like they were sung yesterday, and the songs themselves have the space to breathe, away from the heavier instrumentation.
Wrapped in some gorgeous artwork, Acoustic Sessions is a beautiful-looking package that comes in various formats with a number of choices, with vinyl zenith and some editions that come with additional tracks.
Whichever version you shell out for, here is a treasure trove that adds another very welcome chapter to the Thin Lizzy story and pays compliments to the recent comprehensive reissue of the seminal Live And Dangerous album.
Things open with the rolling and rocking loose blues of Mama Nature Said and then a swift change of pace to the shimmering orchestral sounds of A Song For While I’m Away, the whole a timeless number that has a flavour of the ’60s and ’70s that speaks of The Beatles and The Moody Blues.
Another switch, but this time to a wistful and passionate Eire, Bell’s fretwork is dazzling and with almost a hint of Spanish guitar before Slow Blues – E.B. ups the ante with drama and a sound like it would perfectly soundtrack a hip early ’70s television series.
There is certainly variety here, and with the delicate Dublin, the wild and funny tale Here I Go Again (not to be confused with the Whitesnake barnstormer), along with the skittering Remembering Pt 2 making an appearance, there is plenty of light and shade.
Whilst its fresh approach is effective, the new version of Whiskey In The Jar is arguably the track that hits the least hardest, due to its ubiquitous nature of having been heard countless times before, but there is still much to love.
The release peaks with Shades Of A Blue Orphanage, the shimmering beauty of it wrapped in a gossamer-thin nostalgia as it soars to ever-great emotional heights, painting pictures in a vivid sepia that warms the soul.
A labour of love by all involved, Acoustic Sessions is a vital addition to anyone who truly loves music.
