Song War 11: Emerald Vs Black Dog

Riddle101

Been a while since I made a song war thread. Anyway for this thread I've pick Emerald by Thin Lizzy and Black Dog by Led Zeppelin. Why I chose them you ask? Both songs are just really groovy old school songs that are fine tunes to listen to. Black Dog is the first song on Led Zeppelin's 4th album released in 1971. Emerald is the last song on Thin Lizzy's 6th album Jailbreak, on the B side in 1976.

My pick goes to Emerald, from start to finish this songs is just pure awesome. Not saying Black Dog isn't awesome either, but Emerald just has everything right in it. The guitar riff, Phil Lynott's vocals and the drum pattern is pretty kick ass as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyW5g9DtuU0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2M6yV6mueg

Kess73

No contest for me.

Is there anybody here with any Irish in them? Is there any of the girls who’d like a little more Irish in them?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2c8ffYGDw0

The late great Gary Moore paying tribute to the late great Phil Lynott

slavetothegrind

black dog is a classic and great tune but emerald makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up

put on the live and dangerous version at top volume and see what i mean

gary moore had so much left to do, imagine him and bonassama on the same stage

BlaasForRafa

Emerald.

I reckon this could be a landslide.

nyarlothothep

WTF?! Emerald ahead by 6 votes? What? I prefer Blackdog because the riff has so much attitude it has no rival, the guitar solo is equisite and the stop start nature of the song gives it unparalled swagger and bombast. I like Emerald but I dislike Irish trad and it's based on that. The cool thing about Emerald are the solos and the fact that it makes the trad element palatable by rocking it up. I give it points for being a little bit more different than Black Dog which is a straight ahead blues rock number but I generally don't like Irish music. This is why Blackdog gets my vote.

Somnus

Definitely Emerald for me. It's just such a powerful song. Musically much more interesting than Black Dog IMO. I prefer the great sense of melody in Emerald. And as Kess73 pointed out, the Live and Dangerous version is just unreal.

I'm a Zeppelin fan too, but where I see Emerald as an epic, Black Dog is just a rock song to me

lord lucan

Emerald for me. Never been much of a Zeppelin fan and Black Dog doesn't do much for me to be honest,Emerald well and truly kicks its arse.

TheStickyBandit

black dog for me, killer drums!

old gregg

Black Dog. First Zepp song I ever heard when I was 12 and just fell in love with it.

Maybe as a foreigner I never connected with Lizzy the way most of the folks I know did while growing up.

Max Power1

Much as I love the 'Lizzy and all... this one should be a landslide for black dog.

One of my favourite LZ songs against one of the lesser TL songs.

Catari Jaguar

Emerald gives me goosebumps. No contest.