Rocktober '70s Song #14: "Emerald" by Thin Lizzy (1976)

Thin Lizzy is yet another band that I had to include in this Rocktober.  I didn't really fully discover them until about 2006, and then I dove in head first.  They are now one of my favorite bands, and it amazes me that they weren't bigger in the U.S. because their songs are fantastic.  Phil Lynott was like an Irish Bruce Springsteen, creating great tales, scenes, and characters in his songs.  And, of course, guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson popularized the twin lead guitar sound that was the calling card of the band -- and which would influence other bands, like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, to name a few.  I also can't forget to mention drummer Brian Downey, who was a great rock drummer.

Picking a song was tough, but I decided to narrow it to the "classic" lineup of the aforementioned foursome.  That was the lineup on four of Thin Lizzy's twelve studio albums:  Nightlife, Fighting, Jailbreak, and Johnny the Fox (and three tracks on Bad Reputation).  

I decided on "Emerald," which is the final track off of the band's most successful album, 1976's Jailbreak.  It's a plodding rocker about warring Irish clans, and Gorham and Robertson's guitar work particularly stands out.  Their interplay in the solos is something to behold, and the song ends arguably the band's best album on a high note.  If I can give you one piece of advice during this '70s-themed Rocktober, it's listen to more Thin Lizzy.