Nightlife (Thin Lizzy album)

Nightlife
Studio album by Thin Lizzy
Released	8 November 1974
Recorded	Worthing & London, April & July-October 1974
Genre	Hard rock
Length	37:11
Label	Vertigo (UK) Mercury (USA)
Producer	Phil Lynott, Ron Nevison
Thin Lizzy chronology
Vagabonds of the Western World (1973) Nightlife (1974) Fighting (1975)

Nightlife is the fourth studio album by Irish band Thin Lizzy, released in 1974, and produced by Ron Nevison and Phil Lynott. The album cover shows a panther-like creature in a city scene, and the panther was intended to represent Lynott.^[1]

Some reissue CDs, and occasionally other sources, spell the album title as Night Life, the same as the song title. However the original album title is Nightlife.^[2]

The song "Philomena" was written for Lynott's mother. "It's Only Money" was re-recorded more than 35 years later by guitarist Brian Robertson on his 2011 solo album Diamonds and Dirt.

Also, Nightlife is the only album from the Thin Lizzy catalogue that is not available for purchase on iTunes (except for "She Knows", "Still in Love with You" and "Showdown", on the Dedication: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy compilation album released in 1991).

Track listing

All songs composed by Phil Lynott, except where stated.

1. "She Knows" (Scott Gorham, Lynott) – 5:13
2. "Night Life" – 3:57
3. "It's Only Money" – 2:47
4. "Still in Love With You" – 5:40
5. "Frankie Carroll" – 2:02
6. "Showdown" – 4:32
7. "Banshee" – 1:27
8. "Philomena" – 3:41
9. "Sha La La" (Brian Downey, Lynott) – 3:27
10. "Dear Heart" – 4:35

On the cassette version, the positions of "She Knows" and "Showdown" were reversed.

Singles

• "Philomena" / "Sha La La" - 25 October 1974
• "It's Only Money" / "Night Life" (Germany only)
• "Showdown" / "Night Life" (USA only)

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described Nightlife as an "underrated gem of a record", but a "complete anomaly within their catalog"... "a subdued, soulful record, smooth in ways that Thin Lizzy never were before and rarely were afterwards". He singles out "She Knows" as "gently propulsive, [and] utterly addictive", but adds that there are "still moments of tough, primal rock 'n' roll", such as "It's Only Money" and "Sha La La".^[3]

Personnel

• Phil Lynott - bass guitar, vocals, acoustic guitar
• Scott Gorham - guitar
• Brian Robertson - guitar, backing vocals
• Brian Downey - drums, percussion

with

• Frankie Miller - joint lead vocals on "Still In Love With You"
• Gary Moore - lead guitar on "Still In Love With You"

References

1. ^ Alan Byrne, "Thin Lizzy: Soldiers of Fortune", Firefly, 2004
2. ^ Alan Byrne, "Thin Lizzy: Soldiers of Fortune", Firefly, 2004
3. ^ ^{a b} Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Nightlife review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/night-life-r19990/review. Retrieved 2011-06-15.