On its self-titled debut album, Thin Lizzy was still a few records away from becoming the dual-guitar driven hard-rock juggernaut that it became in the mid-'70s. Instead, this 1971 release found Phil Lynott, Eric Bell, and Brian Downey crafting a conceptual piece that melded the lyricism of Bruce Springsteen with a progressive musical base that at times evoked harder-edged Yes.Predominantly penned by frontman/bassist Lynott, THIN LIZZY contains material inspired by experiences that the trio had growing up in working-class Dublin. The sprawling "Diddy Levine" is a song about a mother forced to raise a child alone after its father abandons the family (reflecting Lynott's mixed-parentage background) while the eclectic "Clifton Grange Hotel" is the name of an establishment managed by Lynott's mother. Elsewhere, songs such as the staccato "Look What the Wind Blew In" and the gorgeous "Honesty is no Excuse" portray Lynott as both a wild-eyed lady's man and sentimental romantic, respectively. "Remembering Part I" is an epic stroll down memory lane that closes out the original running order. The four-track bonus EP added on to the CD reissue is also a nostalgic collection and includes the sweeping "Remembering Part 2 [New Day]" and the delicate ballad "Dublin."
