When Phil Lynott died in 1986, he was a mere 36 years of age. Lynott founded and fronted one of the most underrated rock bands of the ‘70s, Thin Lizzy, and was the most popular rock singer to emerge from Dublin (prior to the Bono era). When the band broke up in the early ’80s amid struggles with substance abuse, Lynott started working with Magnum keyboardist Mark Stanway as part of Lynott’s live solo band in 1983. By 1984 he would eventually solidify a line-up that included guitarist Laurence Archer, rhythm guitarist Doish Nagle, and drummer Robbie Brennan and change their name to Grand Slam. Although the group never issued an official studio album, they played numerous shows around Europe and cut a series of demos that proved Lynott still had incredible songs in him and a brilliant career ahead.
Now those songs and live performances have been remastered and packaged in a deluxe 6-CD box set, released on June 9, 2023. Slam Anthems, via Cleopatra Records, is a treasure trove of new mixes of Grand Slam songs as well as concert recordings that feature songs from throughout Lynott’s stellar career, including many Thin Lizzy favorites.
