Mits’ Pick of the Week 4/22/07
Written by Mits
If you ask someone if they’ve ever heard of Thin Lizzy, chances are they’ll respond with something along the lines of “that’s the band that did ‘The Boys Are Back in Town,’ right?” Yes, that’s their biggest radio hit. But most people don’t know that Thin Lizzy has an extensive discography and a musical career which spans about 30 years.
This week I picked one of their lesser known songs. It is entitled “Emerald.” A quick internet search showed that the song has something to do with Irish history. The “marching men with their shields and their swords” refers to Viking invaders, and the defenseless villagers are the Irish people. Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy’s bassist/singer/songwriter/hip black man, was a student of Irish history, and references Irish history in a number of their songs. Speaking of Phil Lynott, man did that dude have some pipes. His vocal work is amazing, especially when he breaks out into the throaty, bluesy yell in the last verse. This song also has some great guitar work, especially the solo trading section towards the end. It also has some fantastic dual-leads. The drums are powerful, yet still manage to swing like no other.
Enjoy.
