Phil Lynott

Phil Lynott had no plans to take time off in the wake of Thin Lizzy's split in late 1983, as he formed his next project almost immediately afterwards, Grand Slam. While the group never got around to issuing a studio album, they certainly gigged enough -- playing steadily throughout 1984 -- before splitting up as well. This left many a subsequent Thin Lizzy fan wondering -- just what exactly did Grand Slam sound like? In the early 21st century, the indie metal label, Zoom Club, finally answered that question -- issuing several compilations of Grand Slam material, such as Live: 1984. Issued as both a single disc and an extremely limited-edition double disc (which includes a CD with concert video footage), the set contains selections from several Ireland shows during April of that year. Surprisingly, only a handful of songs that did not appear previously on either a Thin Lizzy or solo Lynott release are included ("Crime Rate," "Young Boy," etc.), as the majority of the set list is comprised of renowned Lizzy/Lynott gems ("Sarah," "Dear Miss Lonely Hearts," "Whiskey in the Jar," etc.). Live: 1984 proves that Lynott's last band could easily hold their own against the era's hard rock competition. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide