Set against the abundance of available THIN LIZZY material, the amount music Phil Lynott set to create when his principal band ceased to exist may be called meager, and the great late artist’s stint and output with THE THREE MUSKETEERS and, more importantly, GRAND SLAM are the least explored, in terms of releases, pages of his life, in spite of the fact that “Dedication” – one of pieces composed and performed with the latter ensemble – would lend its title to 1991 compilation of his main collective’s works. The works that are to be anthologized in a box set “Slam Anthems” on June 9th.
The whole enterprise started in 1983, when LIZZY went on a break during the “Thunder and Lightning” tour, their last ever with Philo at the fore, and Lynott took the shortened line-up of himself, John Sykes and Brian Downey on the road, in the company of MAGNUM’s keyboard player Mark Stanway and second guitarist Doishe Nagle, billed as THE THREE MUSKETEERS. After the trek was over later in the year, he brought the team into the studio, sans Sykes – who would soon join David Coverdale‘s group – but with Laurence Archer, and the quintet cut quite a few demos, although Downey decided to bow out once the newly christened GRAND SLAM went on to grace various stages in the U.K. and Ireland, performing 60 shows in 1984 – keeping familiar songs to a minimum as they preferred doing fresh numbers and Phil’s solo tracks, plus a great pairing of "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" and "Like A Rolling Stone" – yet failing to find a record contract.
Some of what the ensemble left behind was issued long ago in a couple of box sets – "The Studio Sessions" and "Live 1984" – compiled from Stanway’s archives, and there were some bootlegs, but the six discs of “Slam Anthems” present different concerts as well as original demos and 2022 remixes thereof, giving it all more context. Looks like an essential item for all the Lynott’s aficionados. Of course, a few years ago, Archer returned with his version of SLAM – but that’s another story.
Slam Anthems
CD 1 – 2022 Remixes:
1. Breakdown
2. Crazy
3. I Still Think Of You
4. Crime Rate
5. Dedication
6. Military Man
7. Look In These Eyes
8. Harlem
9. I Don’t Need This
10. Sisters Of Mercy
11. Nineteen
12. Hot N Spicy
13. Sarah
CD 2 – Orebro 1983:
1. Yellow Pearl
2. Old Town
3. Sarah
4. A Night In The Life Of A Blues Singer
5. Look In These Eyes
6. Parisienne Walkways
7. Solo In Soho
8. King’s Call
9. Baby Drives Me Crazy
10. The Boys Are Back In Town
11. Still In Love With You
CD 3 – Lifford 1984:
1. Nineteen
2. Yellow Pearl
3. Sarah
4. Parisienne Walkways
5. Crime Rate
6. Young Boy
7. Night In The Life Of A Blues Singer
8. Cold Sweat
9. Dear Miss Lonely Hearts
10. Whisky In The Jar
Slam Anthems
CD 4 – London 1984:
1. Nineteen
2. Sisters Of Mercy
3. Crime Rate
4. Military Man
5. Dedication
CD 5 – Great Yarmouth 1984:
1. Yellow Pearl
2. Nineteen
3. Harlem
4. Parisienne Walkways
5. Cold Sweat
6. Sisters Of Mercy
7. Crime Rate
8. Military Man
9. Dedication
CD 6 – Demos:
1. Nineteen
2. Crime Rate
3. Crazy
4. Sisters Of Mercy
5. Whiter Shade Of Pale / Like A Rolling Stone
6. Military Man
7. Hot N Spicy
8. I Don’t Need This
9. Harlem
10. I Still Think Of You
11. Gay Boys
12. Breakdown
13. Look In These Eyes
14. She Cries
15. Slam
