Bad Reputation

Following the ambitious concept album Johnny the Fox and the world tour that followed its release, Thin Lizzy decamped to Canada to write and record Bad Reputation. The band appears as a trio on the album cover, as lead guitarist Brian Robertson was incapacitated for most of the sessions due to a hand injury sustained in a barroom brawl. Ironically, Robertson’s leave of absence enabled second guitarist Scott Gorham to craft some of the finest examples of Lizzy’s gilded dual-guitar harmonies, especially on “Solider of Fortune” and the sublime “South Bound.” Phil Lynott also led the band into some new musical territory, including the Motown strut of “Dancing in the Moonlight” and the swift acoustic heartbreak of “That Woman’s Gonna Break Your Heart.” Though Lynott’s sensitive side was in full force, Bad Reputation is best remembered as Lizzy’s leanest, toughest effort. Bands like Guns N’ Roses would hear the seething title song and use it to formulate their own brand of untamed hard rock.