THIN LIZZY
''NIGHTLIFE (DELUXE EDITION), DISC TWO''
1974
2012
ISLAND
83:50
DISC ONE
1/She Knows
Scott Gorham / Phil Lynott/5:14
2/Night Life
Phil Lynott/3:58
3/It's Only Money
Phil Lynott/2:48
4/Still in Love with You
Phil Lynott/5:41
5/Frankie Carroll
Phil Lynott/2:03
6/Showdown
Phil Lynott/4:33
7/Banshee
Phil Lynott/1:28
8/Philomena
Phil Lynott/3:44
9/Sha-La-La
Brian Downey / Phil Lynott/3:28
10/Dear Heart
Phil Lynott/4:38
DISC TWO
1/She Knows [BBC Session]
Scott Gorham / Phil Lynott/5:10
2/Sha-La-La [BBC Session]
Brian Downey / Phil Lynott/3:37
3/It's Only Money [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/2:43
4/Philomena [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/3:42
5/Dear Heart [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/4:28
6/Banshee [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/2:43
7/Showdown [Demo]
Phil Lynott/3:53
8/Still in Love with You [Demo]
Phil Lynott/6:26
9/It's Only Money [Demo]
Phil Lynott/2:55
10/Showdown [Alternate Take]
Phil Lynott/4:36
11/Still in Love with You [Rough Vocal Mix]
Phil Lynott/6:02
Brian Downey/Drums, Percussion
Scott Gorham/Guitar, Vocals
Phil Lynott/Bass, Guitar, Producer, Vocals
Frankie Miller/Vocals
Gary Moore/Guitar
Brian Robertson/Guitar
Jean Russell/Keyboards
REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
It's curious that Night Life -- the first album Thin Lizzy recorded for Mercury, the first album to feature guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, the album that in many ways kicked off their classic era -- is in many ways a complete anomaly within their catalog. It's a subdued, soulful record, smooth in ways that Thin Lizzy never were before and rarely were afterwards. To be sure, the title Night Life is accurate but not in the sense of this providing a soundtrack for a night out on the town -- quite the opposite actually. This is the soundtrack for an intimate night in, either alone or as a pair, since it has moments ideal for either contemplation or seduction. There are still some moments of tough, primal rock & roll -- there's the funky workout of "It's Only Money" and the nasty "Sha-La-La," both excellent showcases for Gorham and Robertson -- but they stick out among the jazzy, soulful whole, even if they never quite disrupt the mood. And it's that mood that's so appealing about Night Life -- it's a warm, soulful sound that resonates in ways Thin Lizzy's earlier records didn't. And it's not just because of the feel of the music, either, it's due to Phil Lynott's increasing growth as a songwriter. Much of this is quite sentimental -- especially the closing "Dear Heart" -- but it's never saccharine or sappy, it's big-hearted and effecting, best-heard on the gently propulsive, utterly addictive opener "She Knows" and the easy-rolling jazzy "Showdown." These may be the high-water marks on this album, but they're not the only highlights, they're just the most immediate, representative signs of the charms of this underrated gem of a record.
''NIGHTLIFE (DELUXE EDITION), DISC TWO''
1974
2012
ISLAND
83:50
DISC ONE
1/She Knows
Scott Gorham / Phil Lynott/5:14
2/Night Life
Phil Lynott/3:58
3/It's Only Money
Phil Lynott/2:48
4/Still in Love with You
Phil Lynott/5:41
5/Frankie Carroll
Phil Lynott/2:03
6/Showdown
Phil Lynott/4:33
7/Banshee
Phil Lynott/1:28
8/Philomena
Phil Lynott/3:44
9/Sha-La-La
Brian Downey / Phil Lynott/3:28
10/Dear Heart
Phil Lynott/4:38
DISC TWO
1/She Knows [BBC Session]
Scott Gorham / Phil Lynott/5:10
2/Sha-La-La [BBC Session]
Brian Downey / Phil Lynott/3:37
3/It's Only Money [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/2:43
4/Philomena [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/3:42
5/Dear Heart [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/4:28
6/Banshee [BBC Session]
Phil Lynott/2:43
7/Showdown [Demo]
Phil Lynott/3:53
8/Still in Love with You [Demo]
Phil Lynott/6:26
9/It's Only Money [Demo]
Phil Lynott/2:55
10/Showdown [Alternate Take]
Phil Lynott/4:36
11/Still in Love with You [Rough Vocal Mix]
Phil Lynott/6:02
Brian Downey/Drums, Percussion
Scott Gorham/Guitar, Vocals
Phil Lynott/Bass, Guitar, Producer, Vocals
Frankie Miller/Vocals
Gary Moore/Guitar
Brian Robertson/Guitar
Jean Russell/Keyboards
REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
It's curious that Night Life -- the first album Thin Lizzy recorded for Mercury, the first album to feature guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, the album that in many ways kicked off their classic era -- is in many ways a complete anomaly within their catalog. It's a subdued, soulful record, smooth in ways that Thin Lizzy never were before and rarely were afterwards. To be sure, the title Night Life is accurate but not in the sense of this providing a soundtrack for a night out on the town -- quite the opposite actually. This is the soundtrack for an intimate night in, either alone or as a pair, since it has moments ideal for either contemplation or seduction. There are still some moments of tough, primal rock & roll -- there's the funky workout of "It's Only Money" and the nasty "Sha-La-La," both excellent showcases for Gorham and Robertson -- but they stick out among the jazzy, soulful whole, even if they never quite disrupt the mood. And it's that mood that's so appealing about Night Life -- it's a warm, soulful sound that resonates in ways Thin Lizzy's earlier records didn't. And it's not just because of the feel of the music, either, it's due to Phil Lynott's increasing growth as a songwriter. Much of this is quite sentimental -- especially the closing "Dear Heart" -- but it's never saccharine or sappy, it's big-hearted and effecting, best-heard on the gently propulsive, utterly addictive opener "She Knows" and the easy-rolling jazzy "Showdown." These may be the high-water marks on this album, but they're not the only highlights, they're just the most immediate, representative signs of the charms of this underrated gem of a record.
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