"Vagabonds Of The Western World: 50th Anniversary 4-LP Box Set" Edition by THIN LIZZY – Sept 1973 Album Remastered with Three Extra LPs of BBC Radio One Sessions and In Concert Shows from 1972 and 1973 – featuring Phil Lynott, Eric Bell and Brian Downey, Jr. with Gary Moore Guesting on LP4 only (November 2023 UK Universal/Decca '50th Anniversary 4-LP Box Set' Reissue with the 1973 Original Album Remastered in 2023 onto LP1 - LP2, LP3 and LP4 BBC Sessions and In Concert Series First-Time on Vinyl [Initially Released on CD in 2011] – A 60-Page Hardback Book and new 2023 Andy Pearce and Matt Wortham Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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RATING: ***** (Audio, Content and Presentation)

 

"...Gonna Creep Up On You..."

 

Back in October 2010 - Lizzy's third studio album (and final as a Trio with Eric bell on Lead Guitar) "Vagabonds Of The Western World" got the Universal '2CD Deluxe Edition' treatment - and I for one raved about its audio, presentation and extras. Time to re-rave frankly. 

 

You have to say that Universal has done the absolute dog's you-know-what by their 1973 third studio album for its 50th Anniversary Reissue here in 2023. I love these things so much that I've only gone and committed to all three big formats - the 50^th Anniversary 2-LP Purple Vinyl set with a fantastically complimentary Extras LP (which I've reviewed elsewhere) and the 50^th Anniversary 4-LP Box Set (which I'm reviewing here) that has a 60-page book to drool over with the album on LP1 and LPs 2, 3 and 4 being the 'Radio One In Concert/John Peel/Bob Harris Sessions' from 1972 and 1973 that first appeared on "At The BBC" 6CD Box Set in 2011. Those BBC Sessions are first-issue on vinyl in this 4LP Box. The 'Extras' LP on the 2-LP Purple Vinyl Set does not duplicate anything on the 4LP Box. Door number three, the 4-Disc 50^th Anniversary Super Deluxe variant will also be a thing of '3CD/1BLU RAY/DOLBY ATMOS MIXES' lust - but it's been delayed and is due 1 Dec 2023 with the ATMOS Mixes being first-time-ever for any Lizzy release. At this point in time there appears to be no 2023 single LP, single CD or 2CD sets - just the above 3 variants in the 50th Anniversary Reissues Series.

 

Back to LPs - I've bought great reissue vinyl before - David Sylvian on Virgin, Peter Gabriel on Real World and the stunning Paul Blackmore-Mastered expanded 2LP reissue of Terry Callier's 1968 Debut "The New Folk Sound Of..." on Craft Recordings in 2018 - all these sets have tickled the funny bones, touched the heart and are fabulous owns. But this 2LP set and the 4LP Box Set (reviewed elsewhere) are the business too.

 

Originally released as an album 21 September 1973 in the UK on Decca Records SKL 5170 (May 1974 in the USA on London XPS 636 with a slightly edited version of "Little Girl In Bloom") – the LP "Vagabonds Of The Western World" had huge tunes like the manic guitar-fest of "The Rocker", the slide guitar meets environmental statement song "Mama Nature Said" and the deeply touching and melodious "Little Girl In Bloom" - it was a huge song-writing step forward after "Thin Lizzy" of 1971 and "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage" in 1972. Hip British DJ of the moment (1973) - David Kid Jensen narrated the story in "The Hero And The Madman", Jan Schelhass plays Organ on "Mother Nature Said" and Fiachra Trench arranged Strings for "A Song For While I'm Away".   

 

1973's "Vagabonds... " was also the first album to feature their trademark look via Jim Fitzpatrick artwork (more of which is thrillingly used in the book and on the three sleeves) and the first LP that pointed towards a commercial Rock future – a hard-won success that would take them three more albums to arrive at via the worldwide breakthroughs of "Jailbreak" and "Johnny The Fox" - both in 1976 (their sixth and seventh studio albums). The ultimate triumph would come in 1978 with the legendary double "Live And Dangerous" which sold in cartloads. But this is where that road really started and arriving here – 50-years down the line at a 2023 four-album VINYL BOX SET of higher heroes and flaming motorcycles. To the details...

 

UK released Friday, 17 November 2023 - "Vagabonds Of The Western World" by THIN LIZZY on Universal/Decca 5587518 (Barcode 602455875181) is a Limited Edition '50^th Anniversary 4-LP Box Set' with the 8-Track Album on LP1 and LPs 2, 3 and 4 being first time issued on Vinyl of Tracks that first appeared on the 6CD-only Box Set "At The BBC" in 2011. This new 2023 LP-Sized 12" x 12" Box Set also comes a 60-Page Hardback Book with New Sleeve Notes by MARK BLAKE (Rare Memorabilia etc) and Unpublished Artwork by JIM FITZPATRICK – an artist intrinsically linked with the band. It plays out as follows:

 

LP1 "Vagabonds Of The Western World"

Side One

1. Mama Nature Said

2. The Hero And The Madman 

3. Slow Blues

4. The Rocker

Side Two

1. Vagabond Of Western World

2. Little Girl In Bloom

3. Gonna Creep Up On You

4. A Song For While I'm Away

 

LP2 "John Peel Sessions 1972 and 1973"

Side Three (Recorded: 14 Nov 1972, Broadcast 28 Nov 1972)

1. Whisky In The Jar (5:50 minutes)

2. Suicide (4:00 minutes)

3. Black Boys On The Corner (3:07 minutes)

Produced by TONY WILSON

Side Four (Recorded 31 July 1973, Broadcast 7 Aug 1973)

1. Vagabond Of The Western World (4:23 minutes)

2. Little Girl In Bloom (4:45 minutes)

3. Gonna Creep Up On You (3:13 minutes)

Produced by JOHN WALTERS

 

LP3 "John Peel and Bob Harris Sessions 1973"

Side Five (John Peel, Recorded 6 August 1973, Broadcast 16 Aug 1973)

1. Randolph's Tango (3:45 minutes)

2. The Rocker (5:10 minutes)

3. Slow Blues (5:31 minutes)

Produced by BERNIE WINTERS

Side Six (Bob Harris, Recorded 28 Aug 1973, Broadcast 17 Sep 1973)

1. Randolph's Tango (3:40 minutes)

2. Little Girl In Bloom (4:41 minutes)

3. The Rocker (5:12 minutes)

Produced by JEFF GRIFFIN

 

THIN LIZZY for LP2 and LP3 was:

PHILIP LYNOTT – Bass and Vocals

ERIC BELL – Guitars

BRIAN DOWNEY, JR. - Drums

 

LP4 "Radio One In Concert 1973"

Side Seven (Recorded 26 July 1973, Paris Theatre, London)

1. The Rocker (6:00 minutes)

2. Thing's Ain't Working Out Down At The Farm (7:52 minutes)

Side Eight (as per Side Seven)

1. Slow Blues (5:03 minutes)

2. Gonna Creep Up On You (3:47 minutes)

3. Suicide (4:50 minutes)

Produced by JEFF GRIFFIN

 

THIN LIZZY for LP4 was:

PHILIP LYNOTT – Bass & Vocals

GARY MOORE – Guitars

BRIAN DOWNEY, JR. – Drums

 

NOTE re LP4:

The 'BBC Radio 1 In Concert' set that appeared on the October 2010 2CD Deluxe Edition of "Vagabonds Of The Western World" is a different gig. Recorded 31 July 1973 at Golders Green Hippodrome in London - it had the same five songs (and in the same order) - but the 31 July 1973 version of "Suicide" did not feature Gary Moore (26 July 1973 only) - but instead introduced the two lead guitarists of the new four-piece Thin Lizzy line-up – Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson.

 

First things first – those who own the October 2010 2CD Deluxe Edition of "Vagabonds Of The Western World" will need to keep it if they only buy the two vinyl sets of the 50^th Anniversary issues. The 2010 digital-only twofer contains Paschal Byrne Remastering and loads of extras and unreleased that isn't on these issues. The 3CD/BLU RAY Box Set of "Vagabonds Of The Western World" due 1 Dec 2023 didn't have them either – worth noting for completists. To the gorgeous packaging for the 4LP Box...

 

LP1 loses its lyrics/pictures insert (transferred to Pages 51 to 56 of the book), the rest of its artwork exactly the same and all LPs have the famous Blue Boxed Decca Logo labels (a nice touch). The artwork on the front of LPs 2, 3 and 4 are of course new – outtakes from Jim Fitzpatrick's archives (no inserts) with the recording dates on the rear sleeves of the BBC Sessions (I've pictured all the LPs and page-samples of the book).

 

The 60-Page Hardback Book will make most Lizzy fans literally weak at the knees – it is a thing of whole-page beauty. Sided by a full-page Black and White outtake artwork of the LP cover by Jim Fitzpatrick – MARK BLAKE begins his seriously indepth study of Thin Lizzy history from Crumlin schoolyards in 1968 to stints with Gary Moore in Skid Row and a contract with Decca for the 'quite green' Irish Rock Trio to record the self-titled debut in January 1971. It weaves its merry way to Page 31 plastered as it goes with badges, posters, singles, memorabilia and all of it given room to shine on big fat glossy black pages.

 

The inner gatefold has the original album artwork from 1973 on the left side (counters the new 'outtake' Jim Fitzpatrick artwork on the front cover of this double) while the right-side flap has a The Picture Pages and Montage are so good - rare pic sleeve 45s like "The Rocker" from Japan, Germany and Denmark with "Whisky In The Jar" from Denmark and loads more. You get promo pictures of the band from Decca (dig the Guinness stage logo behind the band on Page 58) – messages from the band in October 1973 apologising to Irish fans for delays with physical copies of the album arriving in Irish shops due to production hiccups in England - a full page advert for the LP with quotes from British DJs/Fans John Peel and Kid Jensen along with cartoon adverts for "Whisky In The Jar" and "Randolph's Tango" and oodles more space-hopping and motorcycle roaring.

 

The roll call of reissue credits on Page 57 reads like a who's who for Lizzy – Band Managers Ted Carroll of Ace Records and Chris O'Donnell of Morrison O'Donnell Limited (both he and Chris Morrison were closely associated with the band) with contributions from the Belfast Guitarist ERIC BELL and mainman for Lizzy – the Drummer and schoolboy pal of Phil Lynott – BRIAN DOWNEY. Websites are named and the Jim Fitzpatrick artwork outtakes strewn with fantastic punch throughout will make even diehard old farts like me (and many others too) weepy – rekindling our love for this fabulous Rock band. In fact – if this is the 50^th Anniversary effort for 1973 – then we could hope for "Night Life" in 2024, "Fighting" in 2025 and the big boys - "Jailbreak" and "Johnny The Fox" in 2026 - mouth-watering stuff to look forward to.

 

It's all beautifully done and if that isn't enough, the whole shebang is mastered from original tapes by two fave Audio Engineers - ANDY PEARCE and MATT WORTHAM. This dynamic duo have handled huge swathes of Universal's Rock and Pop catalogue - Rory Gallagher, Budgie, Free, Spooky Tooth and the DE editions of Thin Lizzy too. The new Remasters are fabulous and GARY MOORE fans will love a chance at getting the 26 July 1973 Radio One In Concert show on vinyl – five songs of that amazing axeman with his childhood friends – all three in blistering form and hammering out material that would leave many a band of the time gasping in awe. The original recording work of great BBC names like Jeff Griffin, Tony Wilson, Bernie Andrews and John Walters ensured that storming singles "Black Boys On The Corner" and "The Rocker" allow stunning warbling guitar solos from Eric Bell while Phil and his Bass sound precise on "Little Girl In Bloom" and confidant on the massively extended EP track "Thing's Ain't Working Out Down At The Farm" stretched out in a live environment to nearly eight minutes. For sure, there is repetition, but bluntly – if the Trio of Thin Lizzy is playing any of this stuff fresh and new – I want it all - again and again.

 

A gorgeous reissue then – cool artwork on LPs 2, 3 and 4 and that book finally affording our heroes the respect and affection they have always warranted and engendered. The single "Whisky In The Jar" from 1972 and the third LP "Vagabonds Of The Western World" from 1973 started the success for real – and this 50^th Anniversary 4LP Box Set Reissue is surely one the best in 2023. I'm going to be canning this on my turntable for months on end.

 

I know this 4LP Box Set is pricey at just over £110 – so those who want "Vagabonds..." without incurring the wrath of the better half and sundry children might opt for the Double Album Reissue Variant on Purple Vinyl which clocks in about £40 or less (see separate review).

 

But then, as this is Thin Lizzy and as an Irishman and Dubliner who once saw Phil Lynott busking on Grafton Street when I was a kid before the first LP was even out – I am a goner. A beautiful thing with great mastering and presentation – buy, treasure and miss our hero/heroes one more time...