Jailbreak (album)

Last updated

Jailbreak
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak.jpg
Cover art by Jim Fitzpatrick
Studio album by
Thin Lizzy
Released26 March 1976 (1976-03-26)
RecordedDecember 1975 – February 1976
Studio Ramport (London)
Genre
Length35:52
Label Vertigo
Producer John Alcock
Thin Lizzy chronology
Fighting
(1975)		Jailbreak
(1976)		 Johnny the Fox
(1976)

Jailbreak is the sixth studio album by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy. It was released on 26 March 1976, by Vertigo Records. The album proved to be the band's commercial breakthrough in the US, and the only Thin Lizzy album with a certification (in this case, Gold) in that country. The singles taken from the album include "Jailbreak" and "The Boys Are Back in Town"; the latter is Thin Lizzy's biggest US hit, and won the 1976 NME Award for Best Single. [1]

Contents

Composition and recording

After their previous two albums, Nightlife and Fighting , failed to generate sales, Thin Lizzy were given one last chance by their label, Vertigo Records. The band wrote songs and collected ideas in a studio in Buckinghamshire in late 1975, then convened at Ramport Studios in London in the new year. They selected John Alcock as their producer, for he had worked in the studio extensively. The band worked diligently through February on the album. However, guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson felt that the speed at which it was completed adversely affected its quality. Both stated that the tightness of the songs made the album feel rigid. In particular, Robertson said he would have liked more freedom to improvise his lead guitar parts. Gorham also criticized Alcock's production, saying that he didn't particularly care for his guitar tone on the album. [2]

"When I wrote 'Warriors'…" frontman and songwriter Phil Lynott remarked in 1976, "the only way I could give any sense of heavy drug takers was by describing them as warriors; that they actually go out and do it. People like Hendrix and Duane Allman were perfectly aware of the position they were getting into. They weren't slowly being hooked. It was a conscious decision to go out and take the thing as far as it can go." [3]

Initially, the song "Running Back" was chosen to be a single ahead of "The Boys Are Back in Town", the latter being seen as possibly too aggressive for some radio stations to play. Lynott and producer John Alcock decided to employ session musicians to add more commercial elements to some of the tracks and try to produce a hit single, so Tim Hinkley was brought in to add keyboard parts to "Running Back". [4] Robertson was against the idea, as he liked the song as it had originally been arranged, in a blues format with his own additions of piano and bottleneck guitar. He later said, "I took enormous offence to [the changes]. I couldn't understand why they'd pay this guy a fortune just for playing what he did. Listen to it and tell me it's not bollocks." [4] Robertson did not play on the finished version of the song and Hinkley is not credited on the album sleeve. Lynott said at the time that "Running Back" was "very much influenced by Van Morrison. I really like that song." [4] Hinkley later recalled, "Robbo and Scott were not keen on it at all but they were overruled." [5] Thirty-five years later, Robertson recorded his own versions of the song on his 2011 album Diamonds and Dirt .

Scott Gorham also revealed that "Romeo and the Lonely Girl" was also brought up as an option for a single, but was ultimately discarded, as "nobody was overexcited about it." [2]

Tour

While touring to promote the album, in the US, Lynott was stricken with hepatitis. Finally, the tour management decided to cancel the remaining tour dates allowing him time to recuperate. [4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [6]
Christgau's Record Guide B− [7]
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 9/10 [9]
Pitchfork 9.1/10 [10]

Village Voice critic Robert Christgau likened the album's songs to Bruce Springsteen cast-offs, finding Lynott's lyrical ideas "boring" and Gorham's guitar lines "second-hand". [11] Stuart Bailie of Classic Rock magazine referred back to Christgau's appraisal, writing that both Springsteen and Lynott "were indebted to Van Morrison and his Celtic soul", and remarked how on Jailbreak "Lynott's best attributes were coming on strong." [8]

In a retrospective assessment for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine describes Jailbreak as a "truly exceptional album", with "a dimension of richness that sustains, but there's such kinetic energy to the band that it still sounds immediate no matter how many times it's played". Highlighting Lynott's songs as "lovingly florid... crammed with specifics and overflowing with life", he says that Gorham and Robertson's guitar work is "intertwined, dual-lead guitar interplay that was one of the most distinctive sounds of '70s rock". [6] In his review Martin Popoff described Jailbreak as "the band's last album where eclecticism outweighs the cohesive signals" which made later releases "much more singular in intent". He praised "Gorham and Robertson's sharpest metal to date" and remarked how the album is made of "a coterie of songs that very often struck the same emotional heartstrings of Springsteen." [9]

Track listings

All tracks written or co-written by Phil Lynott; additional writers noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Jailbreak" 4:01
2."Angel from the Coast" Brian Robertson 3:03
3."Running Back" 3:13
4."Romeo and the Lonely Girl" 3:55
5."Warriors" Scott Gorham 4:09
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."The Boys Are Back in Town" 4:27
7."Fight or Fall" 3:45
8."Cowboy Song" Brian Downey 5:16
9."Emerald"Gorham, Robertson, Downey4:03

On the 1996 Mercury CD reissue, "Angel from the Coast" and "Running Back" are listed as the second track with only one running time, making it appear to be a single song called "Angel from the Coast Running Back", and there is no third track listed. However, all the songs are sequenced as on the original LP release.

Remastered edition

On 24 January 2011, a new remastered and expanded version of Jailbreak was released. This new edition is a 2-CD set, with the original album on disc one, and bonus material on disc two. On the original vinyl release of the album, the back cover included a short story, which is also reprinted inside some editions of the new deluxe edition.

However, the track listing on the back cover of the first release was incorrect, listing only ten songs, while the actual CD contains eleven tracks. Also, the songs are not in the correct order. The track listing was corrected on later versions of the release.

Only the bonus material on disc two has been remastered in 2010 (despite what it says on the back of the CD booklet). Disc one uses the same remaster as the 1996 edition. New remasters were made, but scrapped at the last minute before the release, for reasons unknown.[ citation needed ]

Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Boys Are Back in Town" (remixed version) 4:34
2."Jailbreak" (remixed version) 4:13
3."The Boys Are Back in Town" (alternate vocal - remixed version) 4:32
4."Emerald" (remixed version) 4:08
5."Jailbreak" (BBC Session, 12 February 1976) 4:04
6."Emerald" (BBC Session, 12 February 1976) 3:57
7."Cowboy Song" (BBC Session, 12 February 1976) 5:13
8."Warriors" (BBC Session, 12 February 1976) 3:56
9."Fight or Fall" (extended version – rough mix) 5:21
10."Blues Boy" (previously unreleased studio track)Lynott4:38
11."Derby Blues" (early live version of "Cowboy Song" recorded 11 February 1975)Lynott, Downey6:51
Total length:51:27

Singles

Some countries, including the US and Canada, featured "Jailbreak" as the B-side.

Personnel

Thin Lizzy

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [19] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [20] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [21] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thin Lizzy</span> Irish rock band

Thin Lizzy are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. The band initially consisted of bass guitarist, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Phil Lynott, drummer Brian Downey, guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixon although Wrixon left after a few months. Bell left at the end of 1973 and was briefly replaced by Gary Moore, who himself was replaced in mid-1974 by twin lead guitarists: Scott Gorham, who remained with the band until their break-up in 1983, and Brian Robertson, who remained with the band until 1978 when Moore re-joined. Moore left a second time and was replaced by Snowy White in 1980, who was himself replaced by John Sykes in 1982. The line-up was augmented by keyboardist Darren Wharton in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Robertson (guitarist)</span> Scottish guitarist

Brian David Robertson is a Scottish rock guitarist, best known as a former member of Thin Lizzy from 1974 to 1978, and Motörhead from 1982 to 1983, replacing Fast Eddie Clarke.

<i>Fighting</i> (Thin Lizzy album) 1975 studio album by Thin Lizzy

Fighting is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, released in 1975. Following the release of four studio albums, the band finally forged an identifiable sound featuring the twin guitars of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. This sound draws from hard rock, folk, pop and rhythm and blues. It set the stage for the big commercial breakthrough of the follow-up album, Jailbreak. The album was also their first album to chart in the UK, hitting No. 60.

<i>Johnny the Fox</i> 1976 studio album by Thin Lizzy

Johnny the Fox is the seventh studio album by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy, released in 1976. This album was written and recorded while bassist/vocalist Phil Lynott was recovering from a bout of hepatitis that put him off the road halfway through the previous Jailbreak tour. "Don't Believe a Word" was a British hit single. Johnny the Fox was the last Thin Lizzy studio album on which guitarist Brian Robertson featured as a full member of the band, as the personality clashes between him and Lynott resulted in Robertson being sacked, reinstated, and later sacked again.

<i>Bad Reputation</i> (Thin Lizzy album) 1977 studio album by Thin Lizzy

Bad Reputation is the eighth studio album by the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, released in 1977. As the front cover suggests, 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 a hand injury sustained in a brawl, and this album turned out to be his last studio effort with Thin Lizzy. On 27 June 2011, a new remastered and expanded version of Bad Reputation was released.

<i>Black Rose: A Rock Legend</i> 1979 studio album by Thin Lizzy

Black Rose: A Rock Legend is the ninth studio album by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy. Released in 1979, it has been described as one of the band's "greatest, most successful albums". It was the first time that guitarist Gary Moore remained in Thin Lizzy long enough to record an album—after previous brief stints in 1974 and 1977 with the band. The album peaked at No. 2 on the UK charts-- making it the band's highest-charting album in the UK. It was their fourth consecutive album to be certified Gold by the BPI.

<i>Chinatown</i> (Thin Lizzy album) 1980 studio album by Thin Lizzy

Chinatown is the tenth studio album by Irish band Thin Lizzy, released in 1980. It introduced guitarist Snowy White who would also perform on the next album as well as tour with Thin Lizzy between 1980 and 1982; he replaced Gary Moore as permanent guitarist. White had previously worked with Cliff Richard, Peter Green and Pink Floyd. Chinatown also featured eighteen-year-old Darren Wharton on keyboards, and he joined Thin Lizzy as a permanent member later that year.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Thin Lizzy album) 2004 greatest hits album by Thin Lizzy

Greatest Hits is a double-CD compilation of Thin Lizzy songs released in 2004.

<i>Nightlife</i> (Thin Lizzy album) 1974 studio album by Thin Lizzy

Nightlife is the fourth studio album by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, released on 8 November 1974 by Vertigo Records. It was produced by Ron Nevison and bandleader Phil Lynott, and was the first album to feature the band as a quartet with newcomers Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson on guitars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boys Are Back in Town</span> 1976 single by Thin Lizzy

"The Boys Are Back in Town" is a song by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy. The song was released in 1976 as the first single from their album Jailbreak. It is considered by Rolling Stone to be the band's best song, placing it at No. 272 on the 2021 edition of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.

<i>Dedication: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy</i> Compilation album

Dedication: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy is a compilation album released by rock group Thin Lizzy in 1991. The only previously unreleased track was "Dedication", which was reconstructed after band leader Phil Lynott's death, using an old 8 track demo recording of a Grand Slam song originally recorded around 1985 and written by guitarist Laurence Archer. This track was the subject of a High Court case, as following Lynott's death Thin Lizzy released this track as a lost Thin Lizzy track, removing Archer's guitar and the writing credit from the track. Archer is now credited for writing this track.

<i>The Adventures of Thin Lizzy</i> 1981 compilation album by Thin Lizzy

The Adventures of Thin Lizzy is a compilation album by the rock band Thin Lizzy, released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 1981. It features songs released as singles from 1972 to 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jailbreak (Thin Lizzy song)</span> 1976 single by Thin Lizzy

"Jailbreak" is a song by Thin Lizzy that originally appeared as the title track on their 1976 album Jailbreak. Along with "The Boys Are Back in Town", it is one of their most popular songs, played frequently on classic rock radio.

<i>Wild One: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy</i> 1996 greatest hits album by Thin Lizzy

Wild One: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy is a 1996 compilation album by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy. It was released ten years after the death of frontman Phil Lynott in 1986 as a tribute to him.

<i>Vagabonds Kings Warriors Angels</i> 2001 box set by Thin Lizzy

Vagabonds Kings Warriors Angels is a 2001 4-disc set by Irish rock group Thin Lizzy, which also contains a book chronicling the life of the band and music in some detail, with rare photos and a discography. The set was packaged in a longbox format with the booklet fixed inside like a book.

<i>Thin Lizzy Live at Sydney Harbour 78</i> Album by Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy Live at Sydney Harbour '78 was a live concert performance by Thin Lizzy on 29 October 1978, subsequently produced in VHS and DVD format and available from Warner Vision. It was originally a made for television special produced by local radio station 2SM and Australia's Seven Network.

<i>Still Dangerous</i> 2009 live album by Thin Lizzy

Still Dangerous is a live album by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy. It was compiled from two live concerts by the band at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, U.S., just outside of Philadelphia, at 20 and 21 October 1977 during the tour in support of their Bad Reputation album. No overdubs were made to any tracks so the album is completely live. The tracks "Cowboy Song", "The Boys Are Back in Town", "Massacre" and "Emerald" were previously released on the album Live and Dangerous, while "Opium Trail" and "Bad Reputation" were issued on the Killers Live EP in 1981.

<i>Diamonds and Dirt</i> 2011 studio album by Brian Robertson

Diamonds and Dirt is the first solo studio album by Scottish guitarist Brian Robertson, released in 2011. Robertson was previously a member of Thin Lizzy, Motörhead and Wild Horses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)</span> 1982 single by Thin Lizzy

"Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)" is a song by the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, written by guitarist Scott Gorham and bassist/vocalist Phil Lynott, and released as a single in 1982. It was the only single to be released from their 1981 album Renegade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cowboy Song (Thin Lizzy song)</span> 1976 single by Thin Lizzy

"Cowboy Song" is a song by hard rock band Thin Lizzy that originally appeared on their 1976 album Jailbreak.

References

  1. ↑ "NME Awards History: 1976". NME . 28 February 1976. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  2. 1 2 Oliver, Derek (2011). Jailbreak (CD Booklet). Thin Lizzy. Santa Monica, CA: Universal Music Group. B0015199-02.
  3. ↑ Salewicz, Chris (February 2016). "The hardest time I ever had was in England…". Classic Rock . No. 219. p. 53.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Byrne, Alan (2006). Thin Lizzy: Soldiers of Fortune. London, UK: SAF Publishing. pp. 87–94. ISBN   978-0946719815.
  5. ↑ Byrne, Alan (2015). "Bad Reputation". Are You Ready?: Thin Lizzy: Album by Album. Soundcheck Books. p. 92. ISBN   978-0992948085 . Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  6. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak review". AllMusic . Rovi Corporation . Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  7. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: T". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved 16 March 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  8. 1 2 Bailie, Stuart (February 2011). "Thin Lizzy - Reissues". Classic Rock . No. 154. p. 88.
  9. 1 2 Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 278–279. ISBN   978-1894959025.
  10. ↑ Sartini Garner, Marty (17 January 2021). "Thin Lizzy: Jailbreak". Pitchfork . Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  11. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide Reviews: Jailbreak". Robert Christgau.com. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  12. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 19. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  13. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4283a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Thin Lizzy Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Top 50 Albums of 1976" (PDF). Music Week . 25 December 1976. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021– via worldradiohistory.com.
  19. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak". Music Canada.
  20. ↑ "British album certifications – Saxon – Wheels of Steel". British Phonographic Industry.
  21. ↑ "American album certifications – Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.