ALAN BYRNE – Philip Lynott: Renegade

It was with great joy that I received and opened a parcel in late December containing one of Sonicbond Publishing’s latest titles, namely this updated version of Alan Byrne’s Renegade, which is a study of (and a reflection on) the sadly missed Philip Lynott of Thin Lizzy fame.

From his childhood years growing up with his grandparents to his final, drug-riddled days and sad demise, Byrne’s well-written and vivid portrait of what is unarguably one of the greatest songwriters, lyricists, and frontmen of all time is a gripping one that manages to capture of the essence of who Lynott was. It takes a truly great author to encapsulate and embody the cultural impact and influence of a renowned figure such as Philip Lynott and what he means to legions of rock music fans all over the globe, and Byrne is that author, which means that this 191-page gem ought to be at the very top of your list of books to read in 2025.

In a concise and structured manner, the book tells the story of an inspired and inspiring artist who rose to fame but eventually lost his way and paid the ultimate price for it. His legacy continues to stir the senses and will forever resonate with us, and though he is obviously best known for his work with the mighty Thin Lizzy, his solo endeavors as well as his many collaborations and side projects make for an incredibly rewarding listen, and I am grateful to Byrne for shining a light on that particular aspect of Lynott’s life and career as it is something that is way too often overlooked or treated as a mere footnote in the wider Lizzy/Lynott chronicle. What will undoubtedly surprise and perhaps even startle the readers is the amount of unreleased material by Phil that is left in various vaults and archives; rough demos, sketches, finished tracks, outtakes, rehearsals, and so on and so forth. Trust me when I say that this particular book is nothing short of a revelation in that sense and that it served as something akin to a revelation to yours truly. I knew that Philip had been very prolific right up until his untimely death, but not to such an extreme extent. Just for fun, try looking up “Phil Lynott and Junior Giscombe The Lady Loves to Dance” on YouTube. The man literally lived and breathed music (and music as storytelling).

Byrne has done a fantastic job researching the larger-than-life figure, and Renegade is packed to the rafters with quotes and interviews from the people who knew and worked with the rocker, be they engineers, producers, band mates, friends, managers, graphic designers, or family. More importantly, the complex nature of the legend is very much at the forefront of this narrative, and I have yet to come across a more nuanced and thought-provoking perspective on Lynott than what is presented here. “Balanced” is a word that constantly popped into my head when close-reading Byrne’s text – regardless of whether he was discussing the quality and depth of the albums and compositions that Lynott had a hand in crafting or the man’s personality and the dire consequences of his lifestyle. Throughout the chapters detailing his final days, you can almost reach out and touch the hurt and guilt as well as the misplaced shame at desperately needing help and being unable to talk to those closest and asking them for it. The inability to separate the rock star persona from the shy and warm-hearted family man and how those contradictory feelings wrestled within him obviously had a devastating effect. I distinctly recall immersing myself in the original version of this book, which came out back in 2012 and sported the moniker Philip Lynott: Renegade of Thin Lizzy, and as much as I liked and appreciated that one, this revised and updated version has a slightly better flow to it and feels a little more focused and arguably also sharper compared to its original counterpart. There is next to nothing in the 2024 version that appears superfluous or meandering.

Perhaps what struck me the most was how passionate, poignant, and touching Renegade came across and how moved I was by it all. To lose a towering musical figure such as Lynott at such a young age is obviously heartbreaking, but although there is great tragedy to how Phil’s life unfolded, there is also an almost otherworldly sense of beauty coursing through his eloquent poems and emotionally charged song material that is forever, and there will never be another one like the emerald cowboy.