Nightlife (Thin Lizzy album)

Last updated

Nightlife
Thin Lizzy - Night Life.jpg
Cover art by Jim Fitzpatrick
Studio album by
Released8 November 1974 [1]
RecordedApril and September 1974 [2]
StudioSaturn, Worthing; Trident and Olympic, London [3]
Genre
Length37:11
Label Vertigo
Mercury (Canada only)
Producer Ron Nevison and Phil Lynott
Thin Lizzy chronology
Vagabonds of the Western World
(1973)
Nightlife
(1974)
Fighting
(1975)
Singles from Nightlife
  1. "Philomena"
    Released: 25 October 1974
  2. "Showdown"
    Released: January 1975 (US) [5]
  3. "It's Only Money"
    Released: January 1975 (Ger.) [6]

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.

Contents

Some reissue CDs, and occasionally other sources, spell the album title as Night Life, the same as the song title. However the original album title is Nightlife. [2]

The song "Philomena" was written for Lynott's mother. [2]

Album artwork

The album cover, designed by Jim Fitzpatrick, shows a panther-like creature in a city scene. The panther is often thought to be intended to represent Lynott, [2] but Fitzpatrick has confirmed that the panther referred to the Black Panthers and African-American political figures like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. [7]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 7/10 [9]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described Nightlife as an "underrated gem of a record", but a "complete anomaly within their catalog"... "a subdued, soulful record, smooth in ways that Thin Lizzy never were before and rarely were afterwards". He singles out "She Knows" as "gently propulsive, [and] utterly addictive", but adds that there are "still moments of tough, primal rock 'n' roll", such as "It's Only Money" and "Sha La La". [8] Martin Popoff judged the album "more enigmatic, sincere and philosophically complex than much else rock 'n' roll out there at the time", but also "too distant from the band's heart and soul" and overtly into black music, with Lynott "searching for ways to pay homage to his racial heritage." [9]

Cover versions

Track listings

All tracks are written by Phil Lynott, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."She Knows" Scott Gorham, Lynott5:13
2."Night Life" 3:57
3."It's Only Money" 2:47
4."Still in Love with You" 5:40
5."Frankie Carroll" 2:02
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Showdown" 4:32
7."Banshee" 1:27
8."Philomena" 3:41
9."Sha La La" Brian Downey, Lynott3:27
10."Dear Heart" 4:35

The song "Night Life" borrows the title and chorus of Willie Nelson's 1960 song "Night Life", but Nelson is not credited on the album. [14]

On the cassette version, the positions of "She Knows" and "Showdown" were reversed.

Remastered edition

A remastered 2-CD set deluxe edition of Nightlife was released on 12 March 2012.

Disc two
No.TitleLength
1."She Knows" (BBC Session, 3 October 1974)5:10
2."Sha-La-La" (BBC Session, 3 October 1974)3:38
3."It's Only Money" (BBC Session, 3 October 1974)2:44
4."Philomena" (BBC Session, 3 October 1974)3:43
5."Dear Heart" (BBC Session, 23 October 1974)4:28
6."Banshee" (BBC Session, 23 October 1974)2:43
7."Showdown" (demo with Gary Moore)3:53
8."Still in Love with You" (demo with Gary Moore)6:27
9."It's Only Money" (demo with Gary Moore)2:55
10."Showdown" (alternate take)4:37
11."Still in Love with You" (rough vocal mix)6:02
Total length:46:20

Singles

Personnel

Thin Lizzy
Additional musicians
Production

Related Research Articles

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

Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or sometimes heavy metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Lynott</span> Irish musician (1949–1986)

Philip Parris Lynott was an Irish singer, bassist and songwriter. His most commercially successful group was Thin Lizzy, of which he was a founding member, the principal songwriter, lead vocalist and bassist. He was known for his distinctive pick-based style on the bass and for his imaginative lyrical contributions, including working class tales and numerous characters drawn from personal influences and Celtic culture.

<i>Run for Cover</i> (Gary Moore album) 1985 studio album by Gary Moore

Run for Cover is the fifth solo studio album by Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore, released on 2 September 1985. It is often considered his breakthrough album.

<i>Thin Lizzy</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy is the debut studio album by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, released on 30 April 1971. The album was followed by the EP New Day, produced and recorded by Nick Tauber at Decca Studios on 14–17 June 1971 and released on 20 August 1971. The songs from the EP were included in later editions of the album.

<i>Shades of a Blue Orphanage</i> 1972 studio album by Thin Lizzy

Shades of a Blue Orphanage is the second studio album by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, released in 1972. The title is a combination of the members' previous bands: Shades of Blue and Orphanage.

<i>Vagabonds of the Western World</i> 1973 studio album by Thin Lizzy

Vagabonds of the Western World is the third studio album by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy, released in 1973. It was the band's last album with original guitarist Eric Bell and the first to feature the artwork of Jim Fitzpatrick, whose work would appear on many subsequent albums by the band.

<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>Jailbreak</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Thin Lizzy

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 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.

<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>Live and Dangerous</i> Live album by Thin Lizzy

Live and Dangerous is a live double album by the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, released in June 1978. It was recorded in London in 1976, and Philadelphia and Toronto in 1977, with further production in Paris. It was also the last Thin Lizzy album to feature guitarist Brian Robertson, who left the band shortly after its release.

<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>Renegade</i> (Thin Lizzy album) 1981 studio album by Thin Lizzy

Renegade is the eleventh studio album by Irish band Thin Lizzy, released in 1981. Though not his first appearance, this was the first album in which keyboard player Darren Wharton was credited as a permanent member, becoming the fifth member of the line-up. As such, he made a contribution as a songwriter on the opening track "Angel of Death". However, even though he had officially joined the band, his picture was omitted from the album sleeve. Renegade was the second and final album to feature guitarist Snowy White. By his own admission, White was more suited to playing blues than heavy rock and he quit by mutual agreement the following year. He went on to have a hit single with "Bird of Paradise" in 1983.

<i>Life</i> (Thin Lizzy album) 1983 live album by Thin Lizzy

Life is a double live album by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, released in 1983. This double album was recorded during their farewell tour in 1983, principally at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, UK. Phil Lynott had felt reluctantly that it was time to disband the group after the 1983 tour and to mark the occasion, former Thin Lizzy guitarists Eric Bell (1969–73), Brian Robertson (1974–78) and Gary Moore joined the band on stage at the end of these gigs to do some numbers. This was called "The All-Star Jam".

<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>Remembering – Part 1</i> 1976 compilation album by Thin Lizzy

Remembering – Part 1 is a compilation album by rock group Thin Lizzy, one of the first compilations of the band's early years with Eric Bell, released by their record company at that time, Decca Records, in an apparent attempt to cash in on the chart success Lizzy had recently begun enjoying with Vertigo. It includes "Sitamoia" and "Little Darling", both featuring Gary Moore during his first brief stint with the group, the first of which was previously unreleased. The time frame of the album stretches from 1971 to 1974. The album was issued in the US as Rocker (1971-1974) in 1977 by London Records, with the song "Honesty Is No Excuse" instead of "A Song for While I'm Away".

<i>The Continuing Saga of the Ageing Orphans</i> 1979 compilation album by Thin Lizzy

The Continuing Saga of the Ageing Orphans is a 1979 compilation album by the rock group Thin Lizzy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Please Don't Leave Me (John Sykes song)</span> 1982 single by John Sykes

"Please Don't Leave Me" is a song by English hard rock musician John Sykes. It was released in 1982 by MCA Records as his first solo single. It also features members of the Irish hard rock group Thin Lizzy, including frontman Phil Lynott, who co-wrote the track with Sykes.

<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>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.

References

  1. Popoff, Martin (2011). Fighting My Way Back: Thin Lizzy 69–76. Power Chord Press. p. 211. ISBN   978-0-9811057-5-8.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Byrne, Alan (2006). Thin Lizzy: Soldiers of Fortune. London, UK: SAF Publishing. pp. 65–86. ISBN   978-0946719815.
  3. "Thin Lizzy - Nightlife". Thin Lizzy Guide.com. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  4. Popoff, Martin. "Nightlife – Classic THIN LIZZY Line-Up Born 40 Years Ago Today". bravewords.com. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  5. Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 829. ISBN   9780862415419.
  6. "Thin Lizzy singles".
  7. "Nightlife album cover". Jim Fitzpatrick official website. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  8. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Thin Lizzy - Nightlife review". AllMusic . Rovi Corporation . Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  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. p. 278. ISBN   978-1894959025.
  10. Made in Poland (CD booklet). Slough Feg. Warsaw, Poland: Megadisc. 2011. MEGACD1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. Free (CD booklet). Concrete Blonde. Culver City, California: I.R.S. Records. 1989. IRSD-82001.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. Diamonds and Dirt (CD booklet). Brian Robertson. Hannover, Germany: SPV GmbH. 2011. SPV 309072 CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. Sacred (CD booklet). The Obsessed. Upper Darby, Pennsylvania: Relapse Records. 2017. RR7361.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. Adams, Scott (10 September 2012). "Thin Lizzy: Nightlife and Fighting, Reissues". Ink 19.com.