Episode 19: Thin Lizzy - Chinatown (1980)

That Vinyl Show

If an alien came down to Earth having no idea of our culture and asked, “What is Rock and Roll?”, surely Thin Lizzy should (and probably would) be one of the first bands we show them. Hailing from beautiful Ireland, pioneering the dual guitar solos, and simultaneously incorporating Irish heritage and culture into driving Rock music, Thin Lizzy has influenced and paved the way for countless bands while somehow falling into somewhat “Cult Status” and Rock obscurity. Those who know about them, know about them. They’re loved by their fans and praised by their successors. But 9 albums deep, Thin Lizzy hit a rough point and landed at the beginning of the end. Riding on the coattails of the critically acclaimed album Black Rose with powerhouse guitarist Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy had quite the reputation to live up to. But with the departure of larger-than-life Moore, famed producer Tony Visconti, the crippling drug problems of primary duo singer, songwriter, bassist Phil Lynott and songwriter, guitarist Scott Gorham, and the addition of a new guitarist from a completely different world, Chinatown may have been doomed from the start. New guitarist Snowy White had worked with monolithic artists like Pink Floyd and Peter Green but still lived as more of a “Session Player” than actual band member. Doomed it may have been though, with tracks like the titular “Chinatown” and “Killer On the Loose”, Chinatown still had some wonderfully redeeming qualities. Lace up your boots and take a trip with CJ & Motley down to Chinatown.