Thin Lizzy "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage"

Shades of a Blue Orphanage is the second studio album by Irish band Thin Lizzy, released in 1972. The title is a combination of the members' previous bands: Shades of Blue and Orphanage.

"Sarah" was written for Phil Lynott's grandmother who raised him when his mother, Philomena, was unable to do so. This song should not be confused with the 1979 song of the same name, for Lynott's daughter, included on Black Rose: A Rock Legend.

A new remastered and expanded version of Shades of a Blue Orphanage was released on 11 October 2010.

Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic was largely critical of the album, describing it as "disappointing", and both the opening track and the title track as "overblown and disjointed". However, he picked out "Baby Face" and "Buffalo Gal" as bright moments, and praised Lynott's "eloquent and personal" performance on "Sarah". Stuart Berman of Pitchfork stated that Thin Lizzy "weren’t lacking ambition at this stage, but rather direction", criticizing songs such as the album opener for its "early, clumsy stab at heaviosity from a band that, at this point, had a much better grasp of intimacy", but praising "Lynott’s lyrical voice" as a "sturdy anchor" to the band's output. Martin Popoff defined Shades of a Blue Orphanage "a honest work", showing hints of Lynott's folk acoustic past, "some '60s-directed progressive psychedelia and even out of context rockabilly" typical of such early 1970s rock records.

Track listings

All tracks written by Phil Lynott, except where noted.

Side one

1. "The Rise and Dear Demise of the Funky Nomadic Tribes" (Lynott, Eric Bell, Brian Downey) 7:06
2. "Buffalo Gal" 5:30
3. "I Don't Want to Forget How to Jive" 1:46
4. "Sarah" 2:59
5. "Brought Down" 4:19

Side two

1. "Baby Face" 3:27
2. "Chatting Today" 4:19
3. "Call the Police" 3:37
4. "Shades of a Blue Orphanage" 7:06