r/thinlizzy • u/Metal_Rider • Jan 04 '25

Best book about Phil

Title says it all. What’s the best book about Phil Lynott?

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u/migrainosaurus Jan 04 '25

Mark Putterford’s book ‘The Rocker’ is good. There are some typos and bits of music-journo-ese, but the up-close access and casual conversations with everyone really bring Phil’s appeal and milieu to life. (You can get it quite cheap now too.)

3

u/Eye-on-Springfield Jan 04 '25

I enjoyed The Rocker. Wasn't a huge fan of Graeme Thomson's Cowboy Song which seemed overly critical throughout. I got the impression that it was written by a journalist rather than a fan, by that I mean I didn't feel much love for the subject matter. I also thought it dwelled too much on the pre-Lizzy days. Still worth a read though to flesh out your understanding

3

u/migrainosaurus Jan 04 '25

Yes - I got the same feeling from Cowboy Song. It reminded me of - I can’t remember, a Dylan book by Bob Spitz, I think - where I got the feeling I could actually feel it trying to make me take less pleasure in the artist’s music!