Charged by the creative force of the late Phil Lynott, the legendary Irish hard-rock band Thin Lizzy combined working class romanticism and Irish folk law with piercing dual-guitar lines. Like artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, Lynott was a poet of the downtrodden who helped break down racial stereotypes in rock and became one of the most influential front men in hard rock and heavy metal.

When scrolling down a list of debut LPs by rock’s heaviest hitters, 1971’s Thin Lizzy is too often lost in the shuffle. Long before the group’s trademark “twin-guitar” sound was born and anthems like “Jailbreak” and “The Boys Are Back In Town” became instant hall-of-fame material, the street tough group was a dynamic power trio consisting of guitarist Eric Bell, singing bass player Philip Lynott, and drummer Brian Downey.

Forming only a year before their signing to Decca Records, Thin Lizzy fused folk, hard rock, lyrical poetry, and a dose of Celtic lore in one heady and potent brew here.