Cowboy Song by Graeme Thomson
Philip Lynott packed a vast amount into his 36 years. An instantly identifiable singer, charismatic stage performer and supremely gifted songwriter, the guiding spirit of Thin Lizzy combined the instincts of a wild man with the soul of a poet.
The first biography written with the cooperation of the Lynott Estate, Cowboy Song explores the fascinating contradictions between Lynott's unbridled rock star excesses and the shy, sensitive "orphan" raised in working-class Dublin. The mixed-race child of a Catholic teenager and a Guyanese stowaway, Lynott rose above daunting obstacles and wounding abandonments.
Cowboy Song analyzes his unsettled childhood; musical apprenticeship; key alliances with the poets, painters and folkies of 1960s Dublin; stardom with Thin Lizzy and drug-induced decline. It examines the unique blend of cultural influences which informed Lynott's writing, connecting Ireland's rich reserves of music, myth and poetry to hard rock, progressive folk, punk, soul and new wave. The results--including the hits "Whiskey in the Jar," "The Boys Are Back in Town," and "Dancing in the Moonlight," and classic albums Jailbreak and Live and Dangerous--are now part of the rock canon.
Including an afterword by Lynott's former wife Caroline Taraskevics, Cowboy Song is the definitive authorized account of an extraordinary life and career. Drawing on scores of exclusive interviews with family, friends, bandmates and collaborators, it is both the ultimate depiction of a multifaceted rock icon and an intimate portrait of a much-loved father, son and husband.
The first biography written with the cooperation of the Lynott Estate, Cowboy Song explores the fascinating contradictions between Lynott's unbridled rock star excesses and the shy, sensitive "orphan" raised in working-class Dublin. The mixed-race child of a Catholic teenager and a Guyanese stowaway, Lynott rose above daunting obstacles and wounding abandonments.
Cowboy Song analyzes his unsettled childhood; musical apprenticeship; key alliances with the poets, painters and folkies of 1960s Dublin; stardom with Thin Lizzy and drug-induced decline. It examines the unique blend of cultural influences which informed Lynott's writing, connecting Ireland's rich reserves of music, myth and poetry to hard rock, progressive folk, punk, soul and new wave. The results--including the hits "Whiskey in the Jar," "The Boys Are Back in Town," and "Dancing in the Moonlight," and classic albums Jailbreak and Live and Dangerous--are now part of the rock canon.
Including an afterword by Lynott's former wife Caroline Taraskevics, Cowboy Song is the definitive authorized account of an extraordinary life and career. Drawing on scores of exclusive interviews with family, friends, bandmates and collaborators, it is both the ultimate depiction of a multifaceted rock icon and an intimate portrait of a much-loved father, son and husband.
Graeme Thomson has contributed to the Guardian, Uncut, the Herald, and The Arts Desk, and has written for the Observer, New Statesman, Oxford American, Telegraph, Time Out, MOJO, and Rolling Stone. He has written a number of books.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781613739198 |
| ISBN 10 | 1613739192 |
| Title | Cowboy Song |
| Author | Graeme Thomson |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Chicago Review Press |
| Year published | 2017-05-01 |
| Number of pages | 368 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |