Toronto rocker Danko Jones recently wrote an article for Germany's Rock Hard magazine celebrating rock legends Thin Lizzy. An excerpt from the original transcript can be viewed below.

"Being lured at an early age to Rock N’ Roll through bands like Kiss, Motley Crue and Wasp, I was initially won over by their stage theatrics, wild make-up and scowling faces. When we all eventually acclimated to their presentation, I found out, unlike my other friends, that I genuinely loved the music and stayed, enduring unending teasing by “cool” people who thought Rock music to be silly.

As much as I understood the music lacked depth, I revelled in it. I loved the too-catchy choruses, ridiculous guitar solos and the puerile lyrics. Still, I wished there was a band that could bridge the gap and prove that this Rock N’ Roll thing had substance without losing any of its sheen and bite.

Cue Thin Lizzy.

Thin Lizzy, hailing from Dublin, Ireland, upon first glance, were seemingly encased with every Rock N’ Roll trapping one could find. These were conclusions made by those who only made cursory glimpses. When one looked longer and deeper, what they found was astounding - a band of immeasurable depth and emotion wading in this supposed shallow trough of Rock music.

The crown jewel, of course, was lead singer/bassist, and principal songwriter, Phil Lynott. Lynott, being of mixed race, didn’t look like the quintessential Rock Star, a long way from a Steven Tyler or David Lee Roth, but he harnessed an equal amount of magnetism. His songwriting went deeper than the standard 'chicks and drinks' crowd could understand. Songs like 'Angel Of Death', 'Got To Give It Up', 'Black Boys On The Corner' and 'Genocide' broached subjects that most Rock bands didn’t think about twice.

The music itself was beyond the usual 'hack and slash' thump of their peers. Melody was paramount in every song but cleverly didn’t fall prey to hackneyed pop drivel. A good heaping influence of their Irish heritage in song helped eschew these trappings as well as what became their signature dual guitar interplay between whichever pair was at the helm (Robertson/Gorham, Gorham/Moore, Gorham/White, Gorham/Sykes)."

Click here for the complete article.