Shades of a Blue Orphanage - Misplaced Pages

Shades of a Blue Orphanage is the second studio album by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, released in 1972. The title is a combination of the members' previous bands: Shades of Blue and Orphanage.

"Sarah" was written for Phil Lynott's grandmother who raised him when his mother, Philomena, was unable to do so. This song should not be confused with the 1979 song of the same name, for Lynott's daughter, included on Black Rose: A Rock Legend.

A remastered and expanded version of Shades of a Blue Orphanage was released on 11 October 2010.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	7/10
Pitchfork	6.3/10

Stuart Berman of Pitchfork stated that Thin Lizzy "weren’t lacking ambition at this stage, but rather direction", criticizing songs such as the album opener for its "early, clumsy stab at heaviosity from a band that, at this point, had a much better grasp of intimacy", but praising "Lynott’s lyrical voice" as a "sturdy anchor" to the band's output. Martin Popoff defined Shades of a Blue Orphanage "a honest work", showing hints of Lynott's folk acoustic past, "some '60s-directed progressive psychedelia and even out of context rockabilly" typical of such early 1970s rock records. Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic was largely critical of the album, describing it as "disappointing", and both the opening track and the title track as "overblown and disjointed". However, he picked out "Baby Face" and "Buffalo Gal" as bright moments, and praised Lynott's "eloquent and personal" performance on "Sarah".

Track listings

All tracks are written by Phil Lynott, except where noted

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Rise and Dear Demise of the Funky Nomadic Tribes"	Lynott, Eric Bell, Brian Downey	7:06
2.	"Buffalo Gal"		5:30
3.	"I Don't Want to Forget How to Jive"		1:46
4.	"Sarah"		2:59
5.	"Brought Down"		4:19

Side two
No.	Title	Length
6.	"Baby Face"	3:27
7.	"Chatting Today"	4:19
8.	"Call the Police"	3:37
9.	"Shades of a Blue Orphanage"	7:06

Remastered CD edition bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
10.	"Whiskey in the Jar" (full-length version)	Traditional; arranged by Lynott, Bell, Downey	5:45
11.	"Black Boys on the Corner" (B-Side of the single "Whiskey in the Jar")		3:24
12.	"Buffalo Gal" (1977 overdubbed and remixed version)		5:10
13.	"Sarah" (1977 overdubbed and remixed version)		2:47
14.	"Brought Down" (1977 overdubbed and remixed version)		3:06
15.	"Suicide" (BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session)		4:03
16.	"Black Boys on the Corner" (BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session)		3:07
17.	"Saga of the Ageing Orphan" (BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session)		3:39
18.	"Whiskey in the Jar" (BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session)		5:55
Total length:			77:05

Singles

Whiskey In The Jar / Black Boys on the Corner – 7" (1972)

Personnel

Thin Lizzy

Philip Lynott – vocals, bass, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
Eric Bell – lead guitar, acoustic guitar
Brian Downey – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

Clodagh Simonds – harpsichord, keyboards, mellotron
Gary Moore – additional guitar on tracks 12–14

Production

Nick Tauber – producer
Louie Austin – engineer
Dick Plant, Tony Duggan, Desmond Najekodunmi – assistant engineer

References

Popoff, Martin (2011). Fighting My Way Back: Thin Lizzy 69–76. Power Chord Press. p. 72. ISBN 978-0-9811057-5-8.
Byrne, Alan (20 September 2015). Shades of a Blue Orphanage. Soundcheck Books. ISBN 9780992948085.
^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Thin Lizzy - Shades of a Blue Orphanage review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
^ Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 277. ISBN 978-1894959025.
^ Berman, Stuart (3 March 2015). "Thin Lizzy: Shades of a Blue Orphanage/Vagabonds of the Western World". Pitchfork. Retrieved 3 March 2015.

External links

Shades Of A Blue Orphanage at Discogs (list of releases)

v t e Thin Lizzy
Scott Gorham Darren Wharton Ricky Warwick Damon Johnson Troy Sanders Scott Travis Phil Lynott Brian Downey Eric Bell Eric Wrixon Gary Moore Brian Robertson Snowy White John Sykes Andy Gee John Cann Dave Flett Mark Nauseef Marco Mendoza Randy Gregg Francesco DiCosmo Tommy Aldridge Michael Lee Vivian Campbell Richard Fortus Midge Ure Tom Hamilton
Studio albums	Thin Lizzy Shades of a Blue Orphanage Vagabonds of the Western World Nightlife Fighting Jailbreak Johnny the Fox Bad Reputation Black Rose: A Rock Legend Chinatown Renegade Thunder and Lightning
Live albums	Live and Dangerous Life BBC Radio One Live in Concert The Peel Sessions The Boys Are Back in Town: Live in Australia One Night Only UK Tour '75 Still Dangerous
Compilations	Remembering – Part 1 The Continuing Saga of the Ageing Orphans The Adventures of Thin Lizzy Dedication Wild One Whiskey in the Jar Vagabonds Kings Warriors Angels Greatest Hits The Definitive Collection
Songs	"The Farmer" "Whiskey in the Jar" "The Rocker" "Still in Love with You" "The Boys Are Back in Town" "Jailbreak" "Cowboy Song" "Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me in Its Spotlight)" "Waiting for an Alibi" "Do Anything You Want To" "Sarah" "Killer on the Loose" "Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)" "Angel of Death" "Cold Sweat" "The Sun Goes Down"
Videos and DVDs	Live and Dangerous Thin Lizzy Live at Sydney Harbour '78 One Night in Dublin: A Tribute to Phil Lynott
Other articles	Thin Lizzy band members Discography Funky Junction Grand Slam Black Star Riders

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