Thunder and Lightning
Studio album by
Thin Lizzy
Released4 March 1983[1]
RecordedLate 1982
Studio
Genre
Length40:36
LabelVertigo
Mercury (Canada)
Warner Bros. (US)
ProducerThin Lizzy and Chris Tsangarides
Thin Lizzy chronology
Renegade
(1981) 		Thunder and Lightning
(1983) 		Life
(1983)

Thunder and Lightning is the twelfth and final studio album by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy, released on 4 March 1983. Guitarist John Sykes was hired to replace Snowy White after 1981's Renegade, and Sykes helped to provide a heavier sound and guitar tone than Thin Lizzy had used on previous albums. However, the bulk of the songwriting (except for "Cold Sweat") was completed before he joined the band. Keyboard player Darren Wharton also offered a stronger musical influence to Thin Lizzy's final studio album, co-writing many of the tracks including "Some Day She Is Going to Hit Back", and the final single "The Sun Goes Down". A farewell tour followed the album's release, followed by the live album Life. The group's co-founder, frontman and bass player Phil Lynott died in 1986.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal10/10[5]
Metal Hammer (GER)5/7[6]

AllMusic's Greg Prato proclaimed Thunder and Lightning "a definite improvement" compared to much of their other output in the 1980s, but remarked that the record was not the "best release" by the band.[4]

Track listings

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Thunder and Lightning"Brian Downey, Phil Lynott4:56
2."This Is the One"Lynott, Darren Wharton4:04
3."The Sun Goes Down"Lynott, Wharton6:20
4."The Holy War"Lynott5:12
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Cold Sweat"Lynott, John Sykes3:06
6."Someday She Is Going to Hit Back"Downey, Lynott, Wharton4:05
7."Baby Please Don’t Go"Lynott5:10
8."Bad Habits"Scott Gorham, Lynott4:04
9."Heart Attack"Gorham, Lynott, Wharton3:39

The limited edition double LP and cassette version of the album adds four tracks, recorded live in Britain while Snowy White was still a member of the band.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Emerald"Gorham, Brian Robertson, Downey, Lynott 
6."Killer on the Loose"Lynott 
12."The Boys Are Back in Town"Lynott 
13."Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)"Gorham, Lynott 

2013 Deluxe Edition

In 2013, a deluxe edition of the album was released. It consisted of two discs: disc one included the original release, and disc two contained live recordings from a 1981 Hammersmith Odeon show and a number of demos.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Angel of Death"Lynott, Wharton7:30
2."Don't Believe a Word"Lynott8:16
3."Emerald"Gorham, Robertson, Downey, Lynott4:17
4."Killer on the Loose"Lynott5:39
5."The Boys Are Back in Town"Lynott5:10
6."Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)"Gorham, Lynott4:37
7."The Sun Goes Down"Lynott, Wharton6:07
8."Bad Habits"Gorham, Lynott4:32
9."This Is the One"Lynott, Wharton4:21
10."Thunder and Lightning"Downey, Lynott4:58
11."Cold Sweat"Lynott, Sykes3:10
12."Baby Please Don't Go"Lynott5:38
13."Heart Attack"Gorham, Lynott, Wharton3:41
14."The Holy War"Lynott5:17
15."Someday She Is Going to Hit Back"Downey, Lynott, Wharton4:00

Singles

A double single pack and 12" were also released, the other tracks being "Angel of Death" (live) / "Don't Believe a Word" (live).
A 12" was also released, featuring the same two tracks and a poster.
The B-side in the Netherlands was "Bad Habits".

Personnel

Thin Lizzy

Production

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] Silver 60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Popoff, Martin (2012). It's Getting Dangerous: Thin Lizzy 81–12. Power Chord Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-9811057-6-5.
  2. ^ "Thin Lizzy – Looking Back at 1983's Thunder and Lightning, the End of an Era!". ZRockR Magazine. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Thin Lizzy - Thunder And Lightning Album of the Week Club review". Classic Rock. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b Prato, Greg. "Thin Lizzy – Thunder and Lightning review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  5. ^ Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 355. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5.
  6. ^ Leim, Christof (May 2006). "Thin Lizzy – Thunder and Lightning". Metal Hammer (in German). Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  7. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6255a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Thin Lizzy – Thunder and Lightning" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  9. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  10. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Thin Lizzy – Thunder and Lightning". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Thin Lizzy – Thunder and Lightning". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Thin Lizzy | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Thin Lizzy Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  14. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Cold Sweat". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  16. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Cold Sweat". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  19. ^ "British album certifications – Thin Lizzy – Thunder and Lightning". British Phonographic Industry.
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