What we have here is a fascinating look into the life of Eric Bell, who will always be remembered for being a founder member of Thin Lizzy. In some ways the writing style is reminiscent of Bill Bruford’s excellent ‘The Autobiography’ in that it doesn’t always follow a linear pattern and feels more like a collection of memories as opposed to attempting to follow a direct path, and also like Keith Emerson’s ‘Pictures of An Exhibitionist’ in that there is a heavy concentration on one period of his career and not nearly enough on the rest. When he provides the detail then it is absolutely fascinating, and we learn a lot about the Irish showbands and the difference between them and groups and the way Eric moved from one to the other. We learn a lot about the music scene in the country at the time and of course plenty of detail on how he met Phil Lynott and Brian Downey and what happened then. It is also interesting to realise that some of the music which people now associate “Whiskey In The Jar” with as being fully traditional was actually composed by Eric. One factoid which stuck in my mind with a smile was Eric first saw Phil and Brian when they were playing in Orphanage, while he had been in a band called Shades of Blue, and it was the combination of these two names which gave them the name of their 1972 second album, ‘Shades of a Blue Orphanage’. I have followed Thin Lizzy for more than 45 years and that was new to me.

Eric does not shy away from discussing why he left bands, including Lizzy, and the issues he has had with alcohol, but the downside for me is we just did not get enough information as to what he has been doing since he left Lizzy nearly 50 years ago. He touches on his work with Noel Redding, but there is not nearly as much detail in the years since his time with Phil and Brian, which is a real shame. It is obvious he has led an incredibly varied career, has seen both highs and lows, and I would have liked to have heard more about the recent years, but I guess this is aimed mostly at Thin Lizzy fans which is why there is so much concentration on that period. However, if like me you are indeed a Lizzy fan then this is a fascinating insight into the music scene from back then and what led to the formation of one of our most important hard rock outfits.

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/EricBellOfficial/
https://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/