Thin Lizzy "Thunder and Lightning" (the song)

I am not hardcore into Thin Lizzy. I like them just fine. Jailbreak is probably the only album I've ever bought.

But damn, "Thunder and Lightning" is a great song. I can't stop listening to it. It's too bad, though, because I feel it sets you up thinking the album will be a monster, and it really is not. But that one song, just so damn good.

Very strange indeed how that album is set up; I remember buying it and thinking the rest of the record was going to be just as nuts, then wondering if there was an error in pressing. But it is a great album and a proper goodbye.

The title track for that album is fun, but it's "too metal" for Thin Lizzy. That's really the reason the rest of the album sounds so different, because the title track was obviously their attempt to survive in an era when their style of melodic hard rock wasn't in vogue, but metal was.

Cold Sweat is another track from that album that sounds like they were listening a little too closely to the current crop of metal bands. Good song? Yes. Indicative of what Thin Lizzy is all about? Not really.

The real Thin Lizzy magic is on display in the song "The Sun Goes Down", one of their best tracks from later years and one showing that they reached far greater heights when they weren't concerned about headbanging.

S.D. wrote:

The title track for that album is fun, but it's "too metal" for Thin Lizzy.  That's really the reason the rest of the album sounds so different, because the title track was obviously their attempt to survive in an era when their style of melodic hard rock wasn't in vogue, but metal was.  

Cold Sweat is another track from that album that sounds like they were listening a little too closely to the current crop of metal bands.  Good song?  Yes.  Indicative of what Thin Lizzy is all about?  Not really.

The real Thin Lizzy magic is on display in the song "The Sun Goes Down", one of their best tracks from later years and one showing that they reached far greater heights when they weren't concerned about headbanging.  

Yes, but both Thunder and Lightning and Cold Sweat are good songs. This was the album that introduced me to TL and I traveled backwards through the catalog because of this release. I'd heard TL before, but this was my first buy and I guess it was that way because it was new at the time and caught my eye.

I also agree they are good songs, not really stylistically in-tune with the rest of their catalog, but good songs nonetheless.

Great album. Not a bad song on it. You definitely hear a more 'metallic' vibe due to the addition of John Sykes on guitar (ex-Tygers of Pan Tang). This has to be one of the most covered albums in the Thin Lizzy catalog.

Just a few of bands that have covered songs from this album:
Megadeth recorded a cover of "Cold Sweat" on their Super Collider album (Universal Music) 2013
Helloween "Cold Sweat" Perfect Gentleman EP (Raw Power) 1994
Re-Animator "Cold Sweat" That Was Then...This Is Now (Under One Flag) 1992
Sodom "Cold Sweat" Better Off Dead (Steamhammer/SPV) 1990
Gothic Slam "Thunder and Lightning" Just a Face in the Crowd (Epic) 1989
Sinner "Sun Goes Down" The Nature of Evil (Nuclear Blast) 1998
Heathen "The Holy War" Recovered (independent) 2004

I've always enjoyed this version more...

...however, it was Gothic Slam's version that inadvertainly led me back to Thin Lizzy. I thought maybe I missed out on something heavier from the Lizzy chaps. Turns out I was mistaken. Like SD said, it's a good song, but not really indicitive of their style overall.

Yeah, this album had a heavy vibe and as ultmetal said, probably due to Sykes. I really like Thin Lizzy and would recommend live and dangerous to folks as a first buy, but still say this is a must buy.

The megadeth version threw me for a loop upon first listen cause I just couldn't place it. I thought maybe jailbreak would have gotten the most covers, especially the boys are back in town.

Funny that songs from this album were covered by so many bands and I have not heard a single one of the covers listed.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I've always enjoyed this version more...

...however, it was Gothic Slam's version that inadvertainly led me back to Thin Lizzy. I thought maybe I missed out on something heavier from the Lizzy chaps. Turns out I was mistaken. Like SD said, it's a good song, but not really indicitive of their style overall.

I was about to post the same thing Gothic Slams version is killer

I love the song and the album overall, Phil Lynott's songwriting is still top notch, but bringing in John Sykes was meant to be appeal to the metal crowd, it worked because I loved the album.

But I was already a Thin Lizzy fan anyhows

Jorn covered The Sun Goes Down also. It's a great album, the one I listen to most.

ultmetal wrote:

Great album. Not a bad song on it. You definitely hear a more 'metallic' vibe due to the addition of John Sykes on guitar (ex-Tygers of Pan Tang). This has to be one of the most covered albums in the Thin Lizzy catalog.

   Just a few of bands that have covered songs from this album:
   Megadeth recorded a cover of "Cold Sweat" on their Super Collider album (Universal Music) 2013
   Helloween "Cold Sweat" Perfect Gentleman EP (Raw Power) 1994
   Re-Animator "Cold Sweat" That Was Then...This Is Now (Under One Flag) 1992
   Sodom "Cold Sweat" Better Off Dead (Steamhammer/SPV) 1990
   Gothic Slam "Thunder and Lightning" Just a Face in the Crowd (Epic) 1989
   Sinner "Sun Goes Down" The Nature of Evil (Nuclear Blast) 1998
   Heathen "The Holy War" Recovered (independent) 2004

Also,

The Sword covered "Cold Sweat". I thinks it is just a 45 release.

This is my favorite Lizzy album. I just wish the crap keyboards weren't marring some of the tracks. The title track is awesome.

I loved this album...I also liked life live that was recorded on the tour to promote this album...Life Live features all the guitarist...Gary Moore, John Sykes, Scott Gorham, Eric Bell, Brian Robertson and Snowy White...it was a materpiece and features alot of songs from Thunder and lightning....

brokentulsa wrote:

I loved this album...I also liked life live that was recorded on the tour to promote this album...Life Live features all the guitarist...Gary Moore, John Sykes, Scott Gorham, Eric Bell, Brian Robertson and Snowy White...it was a materpiece and features alot of songs from Thunder and lightning....

Really. I defiantly need to check it out. Gary and John, I've got to hear the two of them, cause they appeoach things differently. As far as I knew Gary was only on Black Rose.

journeyman wrote:

brokentulsa wrote:

I loved this album...I also liked life live that was recorded on the tour to promote this album...Life Live features all the guitarist...Gary Moore, John Sykes, Scott Gorham, Eric Bell, Brian Robertson and Snowy White...it was a materpiece and features alot of songs from Thunder and lightning....

Really. I defiantly need to check it out. Gary and John, I've got to hear the two of them, cause they appeoach things differently. As far as I knew Gary was only on Black Rose.

Most of the record is the Gorham/Sykes lineup, the other guitarists show up as "guests" on a couple songs.

I read on Scott's Thin Lizzy page that Life Live is a pretty rare record these days. I actually found the first pressing of this on blowitoutahere (an ebay store) for a very affordable price - it comes in that old school bulky 2 disc jewel case:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thin-Lizzy-Life-live-ger-CD-/400540023596?pt=Music_CDs&hash=item5d420bbb2c

As for Thunder and Lightening it is an awesome album through and through. Easily one of my most favorite 'Lizzy albums. I love the entire Thin Lizzy catalog so it is hard for me to choose. I must confess however that I actually like Renegade a bit better than T&L - not sure why that album gets so much bad press because it is easily one of the greatest Thin Lizzy albums but I am probably in the minority here.

Renegade is KILLER and I also agree that it's a better album than T&L.

"Angel of Death" from Renegade is the best song they did in the 80s. Lots of killer tracks on that album as well including Hollywood (Down On Your Luck), The Pressure Will Blow, Leave This Town and the biker-influenced title track (which is a minor league Lizzy classic).

S.D. wrote:

Renegade is KILLER and I also agree that it's a better album than T&L.  

"Angel of Death" from Renegade is the best song they did in the 80s.  Lots of killer tracks on that album as well including Hollywood (Down On Your Luck), The Pressure Will Blow, Leave This Town and the biker-influenced title track (which is a minor league Lizzy classic).  

The only song that I am not too crash hot about on Renegade is "Fats" - musically I like the bluesy sound it has but I find the lyrics somewhat ... silly ...