For the first time since 1983's Thunder And Lightning, a new Thin Lizzy album is to hit the stores. Acoustic Sessions, which will be released on January 2025, features songs from Lizzy's first three albums – Thin Lizzy, Shades Of A Blue Orphanage, and Vagabonds Of The Western World – reimagined as acoustic tracks, with Phil Lynott's original vocals augmented by new contributions from founding guitarist Eric Bell.
"I remember recording Eire from our debut album Thin Lizzy in 1971," says Bell. "I wrote the main guitar part first on acoustic and then we built it up from there. I played the 12-string acoustic throughout the track and introduced the electric on top.
"This was useful in the studio in Belfast recently where we recorded fresh guitar parts to allow us to create new Thin Lizzy acoustic versions of some of our favourite songs, by recreating those original acoustic parts and adding the vocals which Philip laid down on the day and those original drum parts which Brian came up with in the original recording sessions."
"Traditionally, songwriters and bands have used acoustic polyrhythmic instruments such as piano or guitar to demo or sketch out their ideas," says Acoustic Sessions producer Richard Whittaker. "In most cases these parts are replaced as the production process develops but occasionally, these core elements survive and remain intact. I encountered this during the Vagabonds project [Whittaker was responsible for the Dolby Atmos/Spatial Audio and 5..1 surround sound remixes of Vagabonds Of The Western World, released as part of the 50th anniversary edition in late 2023].
"After sifting through all the Decca recordings, I presented a list of ideas however, in most cases additional development and material was required. So the guys at the label approached Eric who was happy to get involved with the project and between us, I think we’ve made something really quite unique and special.”
The album will be available in CD, Blu-ray and limited-edition marble vinyl formats, as well as an "ultra-limited" vinyl edition featuring an exclusive bonus track, Slow Blues G.M. The song is a tribute to Gary Moore, who briefly replaced Bell as Thin Lizzy guitarist in late 1973, before rejoining in 1977.
Phil Lynott died in 1986. The band reformed a decade later, and have continued to perform, with a number of different lineups, in the years since.
Acoustic Sessions is available to pre-order now. Full tracklist below.
Thin Lizzy: Acoustic Sessions tracklist
Mama Nature Said
A Song For While I’m Away
Eire
Slow Blues
Dublin
Whiskey In The Jar
Here I Go Again
Shades Of A Blue Orphanage
Remembering Pt. 2
Slow Blues G.M (Gary Moore)
