TCCDM Pulls One Out: "Vagabonds Of The Western World" - Thin Lizzy (1973)
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"Vagabonds Of The Western World" - Thin Lizzy (1973)
My gateway album for Thin Lizzy was "Vagabonds of the Western World." It's the one I heard first. And listened to a lot. I loved it then and still love it. It doesn't have the familiar twin-guitar Lizzy sound that later studio albums would possess, and where the band did their real banking. But "Vagabonds...", their last album as a trio, is an incredible album in its own right.
Phil Lynott's songwriting is wonderful, as are his warm vocals and his bass playing, which is always a good time. Phil Lynott, with co-writers Eric Bell and Brian Downey, delivers the definitive macho jammer, "The Rocker," then turns around and kills us with his kindest of ballads, "Little Girl in Bloom," a song that offers so much hope. It's a beautiful ballad…and his best. Longtime drummer Brian Downey is on time as ever. And the often underappreciated guitarist Eric Bell really shines on this album. His riffing, sliding, and burning is tasteful and creative. Banging one minute, reaching for his paintbrush the next. The album is filled with tasty rockers, of course. Ballads. Nasty-good blues rock. And surprises. Again, this variety of sound is welcome and never jarring, if you know what I mean. No sore thumb.
And yet better albums were still to come; "Jailbreak" and "Johnny the Fox," with their full, rich twin-guitar spankage, quickly come to mind, but "Vagabonds of the Western World" will always be my favorite. Gateway albums have a way of doing that sometimes. Of the 12 studio albums Thin Lizzy released, I would put "Vagabonds..." in my top five. To me, it's that good. Phil Lynott, Brian Downey, and Eric Bell left behind an album that begs to be revisited.
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"Vagabonds Of The Western World" - Thin Lizzy (back)
Favorites include:
"The Rocker"
"Gonna Creep Up On You"
"Little Girl In Bloom"
"Vagabond Of The Western World"
This is a beautiful original 1974 US copy with just a wee bit of ringwear, pressed by Horace V. Waddell, as indicated by the "W" in the deadwax. The word "STERLING " is also stamped on both sides and indicates the Mastering studio, which has a highly regarded reputation. "Vagabonds..." was the band's third studio album and the last album with original guitarist Eric Bell, who left for personal reasons. It was also the last Thin Lizzy album made as a trio. Jan Russell Schelhaas, who helped out on a couple of tracks, was also a keyboardist for the bands Caravan and Camel. Here is The College Crowd Digs Me interview with Eric Bell not to be missed.
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London Records label
Cat #
XPS 636
SIDE A DEADWAX
ZAL 12520-W STERLING
SIDE B DEADWAX
ZAL 12521-W STERLING
"Little Girl In Bloom" - Thin Lizzy / "Vagabond Of The Western World" (1973)
TRACKS:
A1 "Mama Nature Said" 4:52
A2 "The Hero and the Madman" 6:08
A3 "Slow Blues" 5:14
A4 "The Rocker" 5:12
B1 "Vagabond Of The Western World" 4:44
B2 "Little Girl In Bloom" 5:12
B3 "Gonna Creep Up On You" 3:27
B4 "A Song For While I'm Away" 5:10
PERSONNEL:
Philip Lynott - vocals, bass, associate producer
Eric Bell - guitars, vocals
Brian Downey - drums, percussion
ADDITIONAL:
Kid Jensen - voice (A2)
Jan Schelhaas - organ (A1, A2)
Fiachra Trench - string arrangement (B4)
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