One Night Only

by Greg Prato Throughout the '90s, several ex-Thin Lizzy members would regroup from time to time to play tribute shows for their fallen leader, Phil Lynott. Eventually, guitarists Scott Gorham and John Sykes (the latter of whom also supplied lead vocals) decided to form a full-time, new version of Lizzy, supplemented by Darren Wharton (who was also a member of Lizzy towards the end), as well as hard rock studio vets Marco Mendoza (bass) and Tommy Aldridge (drums). 2000 saw the modern-day Lizzy lineup issue a live set for the CMC International label, One Night Only. Recorded a year previously, the album focuses primarily on songs from Lizzy's prime years (1975 through 1979), as only a pair of post-1980 songs are included. Although the group is expectedly proficient at handing in dead-on renditions of such classics as "Jailbreak," "Don't Believe a Word," "Bad Reputation," "Cowboy Song," and "The Boys Are Back in Town," it soon becomes apparent that an essential ingredient is missing -- Lynott -- which leads to a sense that you're listening to a Lizzy cover band. That said, one positive thing about One Night Only is that it shows that the guitar talents of Sykes and Gorham still remain intact all these years later, as evidenced by the slow-burning ballad "Still in Love With You" and the album-closing six-string showcase, "Black Rose." With Lizzy having already handed in their definitive in-concert statement long ago (1978's stellar Live and Dangerous), the whole point of One Night Only is somewhat unclear.