Was Scott’s version lacking a bit of punch and edge?Įric: I really don’t know if there were any leftover tracks. Were there any leftover tracks from those early recording sessions that have remained unreleased? Speaking of those January 1971 sessions, how come Nick Tauber was hired to mix the album? I take it that the three of you were not entirely satisfied with English’s version of the mix. In fact, when the album was released, the critics would always mention that we hadn’t got a style of our own yet – there was too much variety. We did play all types of music and didn’t worry about that. Even from the very first rehearsal that we had, when we didn’t really know what we were doing, it was a very honest approach to it all. Did you ever plan or discuss the musical direction of the group’s sound or did everything just unfold organically back then with you writing whatever you felt like without any regards for genre conventions? The record Thin Lizzy sounds so authentic, honest, and diverse to me – the variety of the material is a huge part of its charm.Įric: No, we never really sat down and talked about this or that musically.
Judging from its musical content, Thin Lizzy were inspired and influenced by a variety of different styles and genres (hard rock, blues, folk, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, etc.) and there are some lovely Celtic undertones and melancholy vibes to that first LP.
It sounds very original to me now, what we were trying to do. It just whisks me back, and I can picture us there in the studio working. Do you feel a sense of nostalgia and longing when you listen to the album nowadays?Įric: Yes, I find Thin Lizzy’s first album very emotional when I listen to it nowadays. To these ears, the debut offering is pure magic and many of the riffs, melodies, and words have a beautiful and poetic quality to them. At the time he seemed to be into what we were trying to do. Scott English was right with us and I remember he let us try out any ideas no matter how weird. Looking back, I think it might have been nine days of recording and two days of mixing. We all felt a bit nervous as this was the real thing now, and we just wondered what the people in Decca would think of us. With respect to the Thin Lizzy (1971) album, what were the recording sessions at Decca’s studios in London like and do you recall roughly how many days you spent recording all of it? Did producer Scott English “get” your music and understand where you wanted to go, musically and lyrically, and what you wanted to achieve?Įric: We just couldn’t believe our luck recording in Decca studios and thinking about all the many famous people who had recorded here. At first, we were just another group in Dublin, and there were lots of really good groups around at that time, but we sensed after just being together for a few months that we were taking off. What are some of your fondest and most treasured memories from those months leading up to the recording of the self-titled LP? You guys were touring all over Ireland at first, right?Įric: It was when we realized that there was something about the music we played and the way we looked that seemed to be attracting people. Within a year of playing together and finding your feet, so to speak, Thin Lizzy secured a record deal with Decca. In the clear retrospective gaze of history, it is time to seriously re-evaluate and celebrate the aforementioned gem and discuss its many qualities, and what better way to do that than talking to original Thin Lizzy guitarist and founding member Eric Bell about the magical aura of those early days? Let us celebrate the 50 th anniversary of Thin Lizzy’s first record.
Not only does it showcase the talent of the Eric Bell/Brian Downey/Phil Lynott constellation, but it also contains some incredibly well-written and deeply poetic compositions that are rich in atmosphere and oftentimes moving and evocative. Fifty years ago, the legendary Irish rockers Thin Lizzy recorded and released their self-titled debut LP via Decca Records, and this particular album is a real musical treat and an immersive listening experience, but sadly, it is also extremely overlooked and underappreciated.