Vagabonds of the Western World is the third studio album by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy, released in 1973. It was the band's last album with original guitarist Eric Bell and the first to feature the artwork of Jim Fitzpatrick, whose work would appear on many subsequent albums by the band.
Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic described the album as "brimming with attitude and dangerous swagger", and Thin Lizzy's "first sonically satisfying album", with "The Rocker" their "first bona fide classic". He described "Little Girl in Bloom" as "absolutely flawless", but criticised "The Hero and the Madman" and "Slow Blues" as "overblown" and "tepid" respectively.[1]Pitchfork reviewer Stuart Berman remarked how Thin Lizzy were "starting to kick out the jams with greater confidence and consistency" on this album, with Lynott producing "the sound of a spiritually adrift musician ecstatically discovering his true calling."[3] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff remarked the album's "crusty sound quality and style-searching waywardness", mixing influences ranging from American blues, to Motown, to early metal. He rated Vagabonds of the Western World the lowest of all Thin Lizzy's albums for four tracks which "seem either simple and out-of-character or dated", "bearing scant few traces of the high class Lizzy imprint."[2]
When the album was repackaged for CD in 1991, it included the respective A and B-sides of the two singles released at around the same time. "Whiskey in the Jar" was Lizzy's first hit.
On 11 October 2010 Vagabonds of the Western World was reissued as a 2CD deluxe edition. This version was remastered with bonus tracks. The original album and bonus material is featured on disc 1, while disc 2 features bonus material.
Disc one bonus tracks
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
9.
"Randolph's Tango"
3:49
10.
"Broken Dreams"
4:26
11.
"The Rocker" (single version)
2:41
12.
"Here I Go Again" (B-side of the single "The Rocker")
Lynott
4:41
13.
"Cruising in the Lizzymobile" (originally "A Ride in the Lizzy Mobile", B-side of the German single "The Rocker")
Bell
4:07
14.
"Little Darling"
Lynott
2:55
15.
"Sitamoia"
Downey
3:20
16.
"Slow Blues" (1977 overdubbed and remixed version)
Gary Moore - lead guitar and acoustic guitar on "Sitamoia" and "Little Darling"
Strings: Tony Harris – viola; Ian MacKinnon – violin; Don McVay – viola; Alan Merrick – violin; Paul Mosby – cor anglais, oboe; Peter Oxar – violin; Peter Poole – violin; Godfrey Salmon – violin; Alan Sloan – violin; Quentin Williams – cello