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Shades of a Blue Orphanage

Thin Lizzy - Shades of a Blue Orphanage Audio CD

A fair review of the Thin Lizzy "Shades of a Blue Orphanage" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Thin Lizzy reviews here, or go back to the Thin Lizzy tabs.

Band: Thin Lizzy
Title: Shades of a Blue Orphanage
Rating:

Release Date: 2004-02-23
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Rise & Dear Demise of the Funky Nomadic Tribes 2: Buffalo Gal 3: I Don't Want to Forget How To 4: Sarah 5: Brought Down 6: Baby Face 7: Chatting Today 8: Call the Police 9: Shades of a Blue Orphanage

I love this album a lot
This is a GREAT album! Here's why-

I'm not normally a lyrics kind of guy (I'm not a Bruce Springsteen fan for instance, but admire the guys talent) but when you combine interesting and creative lyrics with honest, meaningful emotions from the lead singers voice, the results can be very very good, and Shades of a Blue Orphanage is a PERFECT example of mixing excellent lyrics with great vocal melodies. I am REALLY shocked people are giving this album a negative rating, or having mixed feelings about it.

I really love this album and the more I listen to it, the more the tunes grow on me, and the more I'm becoming a big fan of Thin Lizzy. These guys are NOT your typical hard rock band, and this is solid proof.

These songs are written in a very neat way, like the band wanted to explore a different approach on how to put a song together. I really like it.

As for the way the album was produced with old early 70's recording equipment. . . well, that's part of the appeal if you ask me. Just like early Alice Cooper or early Blue Oyster Cult, and people don't seem to have a problem with THOSE albums. Really don't understand the negativity towards early Thin Lizzy.

I love Thin Lizzy's style of songwriting, and the way the lyrics are actually able to MOVE me in a way most bands are unable to do. Let that be an important note to other bands attempting the same style- combine important lyrics with emotion and melody, and that way, the listener ends up paying even *more* attention to the lyrics.

It's amazing how the lead singers voice sounds like someone I can relate to, just by the sound and feeling in his voice. Very odd.

To me, this is an album worth owning, and I'm very happy I gave it a chance. Please, don't worry about comparing this to the later stuff Thin Lizzy did- Shades of a Blue Orphanage is perfection from beginning to end.

I just can't agree with all the average ratings this album has received here on amazon. The album is just really good to me.

Underrated Sophomore Effort From Thin Lizzy
It's one of those albums that really grows on you with repeated listenings! At this point the band still consisted of a trio featuring Phil Lynott on bass/vocals/acoustic guitar, Eric Bell on guitars, and Brian Downey on drums. The second collection, 1972's "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage", is probably the most obscure release of their catalog. Out of the nine songs included, there's only one that foreshadows their later hard rock style as here, the main direction seems to be folk-rock with some detours into blues-rock riffing and funk.

The starting point is this song with the atypical long name "The Rise & Dear Demise Of The Funky Nomadic Tribes" that happens to be the only composition written by the three members. Lynott wrote all the rest by himself! The most important word in its title is funk, as this is what this song sounds like the most! A fusion of tribal drums, blues rock riffs, and very cool funky rhythm guitar from Eric Bell. It clocks at seven minutes, unquestionably an early masterpiece from them! After it's conclusion comes the first of the folk-rock numbers in "Buffalo Gal", which is one of the few songs off this record to be included on compilations. Lynott chants buffalo!, buffalo!, many times over some tribal drum triplets, then a melodic theme appears, and finally the acoustic guitars kick in. There's a melancholic feeling throughout and guitarist Bell throws some melodic lead guitar bits in the verses. I really like this one! The album takes a sharp turn in "I Don't Want To Forget How To Jive". This is their try at doing rockabilly! Flawlessly executed! Lynott sounds like a cross between Elvis Presley and Gene Vincent. At one minute and forty five seconds, this is by far the shortest number! There's some piano in addition to the guitar, bass, and drums. The very quiet ballad "Sarah" follows, written about Lynott's grandmother. Lynott sings very softly to the accompaniment of the acoustic guitars and piano.
"Brought Down" is another folk-rock composition with some riffs in the middle while "Baby Face" is an early hard rock number that, like I said before, foreshadows the band's later style. The bass is very powerful and Bell plays a cool solo that utilizes feedback. "Chatting Today" is a haunting folk-rock masterpiece! One of their most underrated. Downey's drumming focuses on cymbal work exclusively and the most interesting thing is the fact that there's no bass. Instead Lynott and Bell play the acoustic guitars together. "Call The Police" is the second foray into funk rock before it's time for the LP's main piece in the title track. It lasts for seven minutes and about six seconds. Mostly a showcase for Lynott's story telling lyrics with acoustic and electric guitars, harmonica, and even some mellotron played by session musician Clodagh Simonds. The lyrics are quite unusual, for example, they mention the country of Afghanistan. Quite a rarity indeed!

To sum up, this is well worth checking out if you are interested in the early works of Thin Lizzy!
Thanks for taking the time to read!
Later. . . .

Fairly Weak, for Lizzy
While it's not bad, they don't do a lot on here that demands repeated listens. The first very average release from Thin Lizzy, this one is a bit repetitive and uninspired.

the second
what can I say, is not a great record, for the sound,if you think the next album is vagabonds. . . the difference is very big, you will understand only when you listen this album.
I like this album but they have a problems for record this album.

Claim to fame is Jesse James...
They seemed to be ready to go in two different directions, straight-up hard rock band, or folk with a tinge of power. After a very promising debut, Lizzy seemed to take a step back with their March 1972 followup. On this release they seemed to go more towards the later which is kind of a shame. Not a bad album but as another reviewer also said not particulary memorable. I think it would be hard to include any of these tunes on a Lizzy top 30 but I know how subjective that can be. "Buffalo Gal" is probably the best song but it isn't really a rocker or a ballad in the traditional sense, "Brought Down" is very similiar in the same way. Phillip's first "Sarah" is almost buried by the reoording, forget about listening to this one in the car. . . it's too damn soft! "Rise and Dear Demise" and "Baby Face" are the best of the "rockers" but again, nothing Lizzy wouldn't blow away on future releases. Case in point, less then a year after this forgettable affair, they released their first single and masterpiece, "Whisky in the Jar/Black Boys on the Corner" - and reputation was secured. I'm not one to quibble about lineups either as each formation of Lizzy provided their own memorable addtions to the catalogue, though 'Shades' was not one for the Eric Bell era. Their next release with the aforementioned single would be Lizzy's first true artistic peak. 'Shades' is a slight misstep. Not bad just not a classic. .

You can see a complete list of all Thin Lizzy discography, or go back to the Thin Lizzy tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.