1967/ 1976
The 2nd album of Thin Lizzy is not properly a Metal or Hard Rock album but a great compendium of 70's Rock in the vein of Progressive Rock or Hard Rock. Said this I admit that this album is pure dynamite in some moments. The strange combination of Hard Rock and Funky is the propellent of "The Rise And Semise Of The Funky Nomadic Tribes", the first song of this album, a song that recalls me bands as Andromeda, Fuzzy Duck or Atomic Rooster. Not for this fact this song isn't personal. In fact I think that the variations of Funky insertion is important because this song isn't a copy of Andromeda, Fuzzy Duck or Atomic Rooster. "Buffalo Gal" is a Folk Rock song with great guitar and organ, interesting drums and typical Lynott depressive vocal style. Very evocative, "Buffalo Gal" is an example of how to draw from what has been invented to invent something new. "I Don't Want To Forget How To Jive" is a simple Jive, short and not memorable. "Sarah" is the first of two Lynott penned songs that have this title. This is an acoustic Folk ballad for guitar, piano and voice. "Brought Down" is a sort of surprise for 1972. In fact this acoustic track in start of song is in truth a great electric Heavy Folk/ Hard Rock that today is classifiable as Traditional Heavy metal but that I think it is also a sort of song that every Classic Metal band should rediscover, because its being universal. Great chorus and drums with big guitar riffs. "Baby Face" is a song of pure no compromise Heavy Progressive Rock... But because this song is pure Heavy Metal (for 1972) I repeat what I already said for "Brought Down", only that this song is psychedelic and not folk. "Chatting Today" is an Heavy and acoustic Rock song with folk treatment. "Calling The Police" is a psychedelic Heavy Metal song with punky flavor and tons of power in the veins! "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage" is a soul/ folk ballad with mellotron that close "Shades..." in a great manner.
In a vision not only my "Shades ..." isn't simply a metal or hard rock album. Rather it's to be seen as progressive rock album. Or rather, would now be classified as progressive metal, even if we consider a Neo Prog album. In 1972 "Shades..." sounded like a normal album of a promising band. Today it sounds like a beautiful album of a fundamental band for Heavy Metal. An album that I prefer so many albums of the 70's...!