Thin Lizzy left their undeniable mark on rock music throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. "Vagabonds of the Western World" is the third studio album by the Irish rockers, and easily one of the best albums of the early 1970s. Let's examine this classic album and see what it makes it so great.
The album opens with the bluesy "Mother Nature Said". The song sounds like a lazy bar jam; and the always present punchy bass of Lizzy leader/bassist/chief songwriter Phil Lynott really dominates the song. The song is enjoyable; but a fairly standard slide guitar bluesy number. Next, "The Hero and the Madman" opens with a spoken word introduction. The song contains some influence from soul music; and the song contains liberal use of flange effects on guitars to produce a guitar sound not unlike Curtis Mayfield. The song contains a lengthy outro that feels a tad unnecessary, but contains some very nice guitar work by then guitarist Eric Bell. "Slow Blues" is just that; a slower, bluesy track that also incorporates funk and soul influences. The song takes a much harder turn near the end; heading into Led Zeppelin territory through the use of a thunderous drum beat and moaning blues guitar atop Lynott's painful growl. Good track, but not exactly a classic. "The Rocker" is one of the strongest tracks in the Lizzy catalog; and the song fully exposes the sound that Thin Lizzy is probably best remembered for; balls to the wall maximum rock 'n' roll. The song contains lyrical references to the danger and indecency of being a "Rocker", a great anthem for those who subscribe to the temple of rock. The solo is way too long; but really when rock 'n' roll is this fun and pure; who cares?
On side two the action really heats up. "Vagabond of the Western World" could be a possible candidate for the first Celtic Rock/Metal track. The song makes use of traditional Irish music as well as language. "Vagabond" really shows that above all else, Lynott was a poet and a storyteller. The song is heavily influenced by traditional Irish stories about roving from place to place; and may have been influenced by Lynott's own vagabond father. "Little Girl In Bloom" tells the story about a young girl who is pregnant in a situation of what can assume to be wedlock. The song is intensely poetic and touching. Musically, the song is very soft, based off a very simple bass/drum rhythm track accompanied by out of tune guitar interjections. Great track. "Gonna Creep Up On You" shows the clear influence of the ghost of Jimi Hendrix on Thin Lizzy's sound. The extremely sexual lyrics show an almost predator of a man who is "setting his sights" on a sexual target. The song is obviously about sexual conquest; a theme revisited many times over Lynott's brief career. The song reminds one of Hendrix's "Foxey Lady", released a scant six years prior in 1967. Again, the solo to too long; but the overall song is quite sexually charged and invigorating. The album closes with "A Song For While I'm Away", a sweet and sentimental expression of absolute love. The song is somewhat reminiscent of "Beth" by Kiss in the sense that it appears to be a song for a loved one written by an often absent touring musician. The song contains orchestral strings to increase the sappy factor, and the song was a little too slow and sentimental for me. However, the song is very sweet and mushy and a nice closer for the album.
"Vagabonds" is not the best album in the Thin Lizzy discography. However, it shows the first real brushstrokes of artistic genius from Lynott and company and acts as a precursor to the much grander efforts that would come later from the chameleon like band. A must buy for any fans of the band as well as classic rock lovers. For everyone else; get "Jailbreak" instead.
Rating-8.5/10
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