Rock's underrated heroes

Someone once wrote that Thin Lizzy were a "one-hit wonder" because of "The Boys are Back in Town."
I have always countered that Thin Lizzy are one of the most underrated bands of all time in spite of that ubiquitous, 1976 single.
I have been listening to the Irish band while driving around Dubuque. As I listened to such gems as "Rosalie," "Wild One" and "Waiting for an Alibi," I checked off the attributes that placed Thin Lizzy into a master class of rock 'n' roll:
1. Phil Lynott's voice is among the most soulful in hard rock. Lynott, who died in 1986 of a heroin-related problems at age 34, put all the "screamers" in rock to shame. He could really sing.
2. Lizzy's twin-lead guitar approach produced some of the most melodic guitar lines you will ever hear in rock. The pairing of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson worked the best, but on-again off-again guitarist Gary Moore also produced a wide range of unheralded guitar work.
3. Catchy! Catchy! Catchy!
Even hard-rockin' cuts such as 1975's "Fighting My Way Back" fall into the sing-along category. Try listening to 1976's "Don't Believe a Word" and not sing along.
One-hit wonders? Based on chart hits in the U.S., perhaps. Based on a body of work that epitomized all that was great about 1970s rock? No way.
Posted by Hello