This year marks the 50th anniversary of what is widely regarded as Thin Lizzy’s breakthrough album: “Vagabonds Of The Western World”, featuring their first U.K. Top 10 single “Whiskey In The Jar”, along with “The Rocker”, which would go on to be one of the band’s signature tunes — and the last song they performed at their final show in 1983.
To celebrate the album’s golden anniversary, deluxe CD and LP sets featuring rarities, radio sessions, unreleased music, rare photos, extensive sleevenotes by Mark Blake, and memorabilia will be released on November 17th. The reissue suite also includes the album remixed in Dolby Atmos, a first for any Thin Lizzy record.
“Vagabonds Of The Western World” was Thin Lizzy’s third studio album and was initially released on the September 21st 1973. It was the first to feature artwork by Jim Fitzpatrick, the creator of the famous red and black portrait of Che Guevara, who would go on to work with the band on classic albums such as “Nightlife”, “Jailbreak”, “Johnny The Fox”, “Black Rose” and Chinatown. The album was the band’s last roll of the dice, as they had been working for two years with limited success. After the band moved to London from Dublin, they played every gig they could to keep themselves afloat. While messing around in their rehearsal studio, Phil Lynott started busking the old Irish folk song “Whiskey In The Jar”, which dates back to the 1700s.
Their then-manager remarked upon it and insisted that the band recorded, against their gut instincts. The single was released in November 1972 and rose to No. 6 on the U.K. singles chart. However, the song didn’t sit well with the band, and despite its success, they left it off their forthcoming album.
Since then, the song, in arrangements influenced by the Lizzy version, has gone on to be covered by artists such as U2, Metallica, Belle & Sebastian, The Pogues, Pulp, Bryan Adams, Gary Moore and Simple Minds.
After a two-year struggle for recognition, Thin Lizzy had finally scored a breakthrough hit. It paved the way for the “Vagabonds Of The Western World” album, but it would be their last with original guitarist Eric Bell. After an unsuccessful New Year’s Eve show in Belfast, Bell was no longer in the band, which left the door open for Lynott’s latest idea: Twin lead guitarists. After a short spell with very young Gary Moore filling in, Phil and Brian recruited American Scott Gorham and 18-year-old Glaswegian Brian Robertson, and a new adventure started.
The 50th anniversary of “Vagabonds Of The Western World” is the sound of nascent Lizzy finally finding their feet and starting on their journey to be one of the greatest rock bands of the ’70s — and for Lynott to be recognised as one of the best songwriters of his generation.
To celebrate the album’s golden anniversary, deluxe CD and LP sets featuring rarities, radio sessions, unreleased music, rare photos, extensive sleeve notes, and memorabilia will be released on 17th November. The reissue suite also includes the album remixed in Dolby Atmos, a first for any Thin Lizzy record.
Thin Lizzy are a hard rock band formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist and lead vocalist Phil Lynott, met while still in school. Lynott led the group throughout their recording career of twelve studio albums, writing most of the material. The singles “Whiskey in the Jar” (a traditional Irish ballad), “Jailbreak”, and “The Boys Are Back in Town” were major international hits. After Lynott’s death in 1986, various incarnations of the band emerged over the years based initially around guitarists Scott Gorham and John Sykes, though Sykes left the band in 2009. Gorham later continued with a new line-up including Downey.
Thin Lizzy’s campaign celebrating 50 years of “Vagabonds of the Western World” kicks off with 2LP and 4LP vinyl editions. The 2LP version has the original album plus a selection of live bonus tracks from the 4LP edition. Next Friday, November 24th, a Blu-ray will arrive with Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround mixes, and on December 15, the 3CD box (equivalent to the 4LP set, with studio bonuses in addition to the live cuts) hits stores.
The Fat Angel Sings 