It took a few albums to get it right, but when Thin Lizzy broke through with 1976’s Jailbreak and “The Boys Are Back In Town,” there was no turning back. There were loads of mid 70s hard rock bands plowing the fields and tightening the reins, and Lizzy rose to the occasion with the lethal two-lead-guitar attack of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, ably propelled by the vocals and bass of Phil Lynott, and given legs courtesy of the always-without-fail-in-the-pocket drums of Brian Downey. Seven months later, Johnny the Fox, a difficult follow-up, came along and Thin Lizzy’s stock shot through the roof. To celebrate both albums’ 35th anniversary, Universal has packaged expanded reissues, each with second CDs loaded up with outtakes, alternates, tracks from two separate BBC sessions, and remixes from Gorham and Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott.
In all actuality, Thin Lizzy began to find their sound on 1975’s Fighting; on Jailbreak, they learned how to refine that sound with an irresistible zing. Lynott was injecting his songs with poignant lyrics, and adding a soulful punch with his vocals. Not since Jimi Hendrix had audiences seen a black musician transform a rock groove into such a saucy splotch of R&B with a heavy bottom-end. After “The Boys Are Back In Town” baited the thirsty hard rockin’ radiowaves with a hook, line and sinker that took it to Number 12 on Billboard’s Hot 100, the title track reaffirmed the band’s “tough guy” image and expanded even further on the “red-hot” power and majesty of the Irish-Scottish-American quartet.
The anomaly of songs like “Romeo And The Lonely Girl,” “Running Back” (dominated by a lilting Fender Rhodes over jangling guitars, a saxophone, a Hammond organ and a few, scattered handclaps) and the ever-so-forgiving “Cowboy Song” introduce a sophisticated flavor to the record. Indeed, they help in defining the band’s broad palette — edgy guitars, a pulsating rhythm, added instrumentation when and where needed, and Lynott’s sensitivity to the craft of a song, perhaps owing more to the likes of Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen than other hard rock mavens of the day. The added extras, depending on which version you get, add some flourishes fans and freaks will relish, but as a stand-alone, Jailbreak still dents the fenders, sounding every bit as fresh and biting as it did in 1976.
Of course, later that year, Lizzy made a left turn with Johnny The Fox. An oddity to be sure, it nevertheless showed that the band wasn’t about to rest of their hard rockin’ laurels. Sure, they could have milked Jailbreak for a couple years before even thinking about a follow-up, but Lynott was burning with ideas, brought on by a bout of hepatitis that forced him off the road and landed him in the hospital. Most of the songs would bear the band’s trademark groove, right out the gate with “Johnny,” followed by the equally infectious “Rocky” and “Don’t Believe A Word.” And mellowing out with “Borderline,” a song Lynott co-wrote with Robertson, the group once again spread their wings, especially as the tune unfurls into an orchestral ménage of guitars. Even so, there was tension between Lynott and Robertson. The guitarist would later sustain an injury and only play on three tracks on 1977’s Bad Reputation before leaving Thin Lizzy altogether.
Numerous references to “Johnny” on subsequent songs (also used in “The Boys Are Back In Town”) don’t seem to add up to any concept or running thread, making it the aforementioned oddity. But listening back to the remaster, all the songs swim in a quirky, continuous flow — from “Johnny” to “Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed” to the vaguely misunderstood “Boogie-Woogie Dance.” Lizzy diehards will appreciate the second disc of remixes, four songs from a November 10, 1976 BBC session, a few instrumental tracks without vocals (which totally highlight the musicianship), and various versions of “Don’t Believe A Word,” one with different lyrics. Johnny The Fox may not have gotten the attention and praise of its predecessor, but it played an important role of the evolution of Thin Lizzy. As a pair, Jailbreak and Johnny The Fox perfectly showcase everything right (and a couple of wrongs) with one of rock’s most underrated gems.
~ Shawn Perry
