Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

Decent demos. Could make an OK album when it's done.

Quite a dour sound. Also more varied in style than I expected, but not really up my street

pero que pedazo de embole hermano 4/10

EGAD! That voice just ruins the whole thing.

Album 225. Talking With the Taxman About Poetry (https://open.spotify.com/album/0jMxhxH5JW3aUdVoeRKjWl?si=D5XIDjThR42QnONF4MswCw) — Billy Bragg (1986) It's exhausting and very long. It wouldn't be a problem if it was good, but it's garbage. 2/5 No liked songs

Good to start when it’s a bit more bluesy, but a whole album wears on as it gets to too druggy and political.

Maybe you have to be British to get this one. Not good.

So he sings, plays guitar and protests and complains and on and on and I couldn't finish it. Meh.

3/10 Second album from this guy and I think I preferred the first one, this was pretty average for me.

I have to admit that this is a great album title for a record that never quite lives up to it. The cover artwork is nice as well. Other than that, I found it largely forgettable. The songs are fairly homogeneous and lack any real standouts. The vocal delivery doesn’t do much to elevate the material either. It’s not terrible by any means, it’s just kind of there. I liked "The Passion".

Blindingly Britpoppy. The guitar sound is pretty good, if a bit brash and overproduced – slapping you in the face with a case of the 80s. But the vocals... blech. Like a narcissistic British drunkard with his mouth full of congealed pig fat. I wish there was some standard to release music such that you had to at least sound passable on your instrument of choice. Sure, vocals have a slightly higher bar to surpass, but records labels needs to have standards. Or maybe Robert Dimery (and the miscellaneous critics responsible for the 1001 Albums book) should've vetted out the poor vocalists more effectively. Because dammit, there are too many of them. Punk, post-punk, and Britpop are the main suspects. Many of the positive reviews cite funny or politically-charged lyrics. But I'm not a lyrics kind of guy. The one that got my attention the most was "Whoops, there goes another year. Whoops, there goes another pint of beer." Greetings to the New Brunette is fine, but it's not until The Marriage where we get something that sounds genuinely decent. Mostly thanks to the bright, poppy, Penny Lane-esque brass section blotting out the poor performances on other instruments. Levi Stubbs' Tears (spelled incorrectly by Bragg, but ah well) is pretty good too. I dig the synth's melodic line in the middle. Another standout is There Is Power in a Union, where we discover a potential upgrade to Bragg's vocal: harmonising! Sure, it's no Simon & Garfunkel, but it's noticeably better. I like that folky melody, too. Sounds a bit like the Smiths in places. Yeah, this guy's just a knock-off Morrissey, isn't he? Once I realised that, I started to warm up to the music. Far from perfect, but also probably better than 1 star. I wonder if part of the reason the music started to become more enjoyable is that the background noise (on my end) got louder. Most likely. 2/5 Key tracks: The Marriage, Levi Stubbs' Tears, There Is Power in a Union

Ugh... This sucked.

Oh, Billy. I had high hopes. Just a cocky album.

Sounds horrendous. The message might be amazing, but I can't focus on what he's saying because I'm hearing aaaaa oowwww knees up muvva braaahhhhn aaaaa oioi.

first album and artist so far ive never head of. felt some promise in the first track but went downhill fast.

Never heard of Billy Bragg, and probably never would have without this list. When I saw it was both categorized as "punk" and "folk", I feared the worst... and I was right. The only punk thing here is that the artist can neither sing nor play, but still enthusiastically does both (and I say this as a punk lover). I can 100 % get behind the message and political statement, so I really wanted to like it, but I just can't. Except for a couple of fun moments ("Train Train" and "There's power in a union" were not too bad), it was mostly annoying. Yet another proof that the so-called singer-songwriter genre and the "one man with a guitar" format are not for me. I'll rate it a 2* for effort and attitude, but that's as high as I can go. Nice cover art though. And we do need more socially engaged artists. 4/10

"It only takes five fingers to form a fist" Gee Billy thanks for reminding me because for a second there I forgot how to do math 🤦‍♀️

Good messaging. Annoying vocals and quite boring

A perfectly fine folk rock punk album. I certainly could have liked some more range, but still good. The union song is good, but I can’t really mark it that much bigger

2,3/5

sick album title lol. very english blue collar 80s core. cool song about the union. fun

There were a couple of moments, but overall I wasn't in the mood for this, and left 8 songs or so unlistened to. 2.5

Britain's favorite folk singer, I guess. I feel like, for music like this, being of the time and place is an important part of the musical experience. But in terms of flavors of protest music, I prefer other flavors over the folky stuff. I get why it's here, but I don't want to listen to it again.

not my cup of tea

Just got an Elvis Costello vibe and I don't see what this adds to the list. I also notice this guy has two albums on the list? British bias strikes again. 2/5.

I might be fine with one of these songs at a time, but definitely not an entire album, and certainly not a double album.

This would work better as a written book of poetry. His voice makes me think of every drunk englishman I've been around. Not in the fun way either. No great chants cause of a goal, it's after the game and everyone is sad drunk. This album sounds sad drunk. The words are great though, I liked those, but the voice and production of it removed me from the good. Why is it echoy? Why does it just sound like a man singing in a gas station bathroom? Could have been better. Go seek out the lyrics, those are great.

Is there some rule that says protest music must be sung by people with the worst voices possible? Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and now Billy Bragg. All have bad voices. Does it somehow make the music more important if the singer sounds like crap? If they played the guitar like they sang, they'd be laughed off the stage. So why is a bad voice acceptable? Anyway, the music is kind of interesting, but Bragg himself was painful to listen to.

Música y letra muy de contexto específico. Si bien el contenido es político, es lejano para mí, difícil identificarse.

Starting to realize that I just don't care for folk music that much. That, and it feels like we've recently had a lot of albums that are similar in vibes, and I'm getting a bit tired of it. Bragg's lyrics are obviously thought-provoking in a good way, I just think the instrumentals are kinda boring.

How did I end up with another country album? It didn't start out that way did it? I'm not sure, but oh well. Okay it's also some kind of British Bruce Springsteen type of thing.

Stripped down electric folk? Just Billy and his instrument, no drums. Wasn't my favorite, similar sounding IMO and voice ended up annoying me.

Eh, it was alright. Billy Bragg, to me, is just a name Spotify has tried to throw my way for four or five years now as someone the algorithm is sure I'd enjoy. Wrong again, machine.

2,5 ⭐️⭐️

Ef þú fílar þessa rödd þá er kannski eitthvað hérna, en ég fíla ekki þessa rödd. Og heldur ekki þessar berstrípuðu útsetningar. Levi Stubb's tears er ágætt, hitt er meh.

I'm glad one of the reviews said this album only has 12 songs. The link brought me to a double lp on spotify. I'm too happy this is over earlier than I thought for me to give 3 stars. I dislike his voice and the music just doesn't grab me. This project has already shown me that I can't really stand singers who can't sing and Billy Bragg is one of them.

His voice is so annoying, it’s impossible to hear his political messaging.

Kind of sounds like an album of demos. I get the Woody Guthrie comparisons, but I don’t really think Bragg measures up lyrically or melodically. Some decent moments, but I wasn’t particularly impressed.

I wanted to skip too many for this to be a 3. I love Guthrie but I don’t like this guy much.

Meh. A double album of songs that all sound the same. Pretty boring.

🤷‍♂️

nah

I mean, the songs aren't bad, but some of them beat you over the head a bit, and his voice is definitely an acquired taste, and it just keeps going on and on and on.

Musicalement c'est pas dégueu, mais la voix rend ça affreux.

249/1089 this album was alright, mostly it felt like music i’ve heard before so didn’t particularly excite me i guess. i like the last 3 tracks the best, they were the sort of things i was hoping for more of 29/100

Why is it. So. Damn. Long.

I've now had two Billy Bragg albums in the last few weeks and I fell asleep listening to both. FWIW

I just can't be arsed with this one, I love his politics but his voice is just... he tilts his head back and opens his mouth wide and SINGS EVERYFINK IN THA SAAAME WAAAAY. The backing music is nothing special, the lyrics are amazing on paper. They're just not songs, they're poems bellowed tunelessly over sparce uninteresting jangly music. I just can't be arsed.

Kind of same-y as a whole, but some interesting sounds & rhythms throughout. Aggressively British.

Aðeins of hrátt, verður rosalega einhæft

Kannski hörð stjörnugjöf en það er ekkert þarna sem lætur mig vilja tékka aftur á þessu.

Wasn't a huge fan

I admire his political activism. I just really didn’t like his music.

I found it to be repetitive and not really worth another listen. Not a huge fan.

Heard some songs from this album before. And I think I'm not in a mood for protest songs today 2/5

God... I usually move past the idiotic political views when the music is good, but this wasn't the case. Boring music, it almost made it insufferable.

4/10… singer-songwriter / protest / *1986

Not for me.

Not really my type of music, but ok I guess

Billy comes across as a really good lad with really good politics, but sadly the music just isn’t that interesting

This one didn’t really do it for me, but I like the general sound.

3 stars

Probably deserves more

she had her sisters hands and eyes when you speak of her you speak in past tense weighing her parts and speaking nonsense selfconsciousness was her madness part the bread and quickly hand it stay safe and dont up the ante we were lonely and empty handed dont you waste the world weve crafted dont you waste the sins of your mothers broken as they pass when you speak of her you speak in past tense

I enjoyed the beginning of this album but got a bit bored by the end. Surprised this was a 2000s album felt very late 80s-90s British indie/britpop. Nice social themes that are especially relevant today.

strong lyricism, great cover art, but also major yawn

why another political album. why. wait a second they have a johnny marr feature. but still why. anyway this pisses me off. 2/5

it’s so long.. picks: greetings to the new brunette, levi stubbs tears

Felt like a long list of depressing and forgettable bar songs

Meh, lost a lot of respect for Billy Bragg when he voted Lib Dem in 2010 and it tarnished the message of his music as a result.

Nope

I enjoyed the first song but it went downhill from there for me.

Way more misses than hits on this one. I liked the "There is power in a union" song, because, well it's true. The second half was a bit better than the first. But it was a struggle to get through.

The first disc was painful at times. The second disc was better but still not all that enjoyable.

Very distinctive English voice. Songs are minimal with lyrics populist in nature. Despite agreeing with much of the message, I enjoyed the ones that weren’t so political much more. I’m not sure if the double disc release was the original or the deluxe but that one is a bit long with many repeated versions. Decent album overall. Just not completely my style. 2.4/5.0

Uuuh what

This album feels like a set of strong ideas delivered in a way that does not always make for an enjoyable listen. Billy Bragg’s convictions are clear from the outset, and there is no doubting his sincerity or his commitment to what he is saying. The problem is that the songs often feel secondary to the message, as if the music exists mainly as a vehicle for opinion rather than something that stands confidently on its own. The stripped-back approach suits some tracks, and there are moments where the directness works in his favour. But across a full album, the minimal arrangements and blunt delivery start to wear thin. A lot of the songs blur together, and the melodic hooks are not strong enough to carry the weight of repeated listens. It can start to feel more like a series of speeches set to chords than a collection of fully formed songs. There is no denying the importance of Billy Bragg as a figure or the relevance of what he is addressing, but as an album experience this one struggles to hold attention. It is earnest, politically engaged, and well-intentioned, but that does not automatically make it compelling. Talking with the Taxman About Poetry feels more admirable than enjoyable, and for me that keeps it firmly in the lower tier.

Not a fan of the vocals

I’ve a huge amount of respect for Billy Bragg the man. Someone who has done the working men’s clubs, the small scale festivals, and so with a huge degree of authenticity about the power of the collective. Billy Bragg the musician however I don’t particularly enjoy. I get that the lyrics are supposed to be the focus, and just a guitar and singing can be a powerful way of getting the messaging across but I don’t think Bragg is necessarily strong or powerful enough to convey it and it was easy to get bored and lose focus on the content of the lyrics as a result. It did strike me that this is the kind of messaging that wouldn’t go amiss with the labour movement at the moment, rather than pandering to the reform flag wavers, that this messaging of a United Kingdom might cut through instead. A very Anglo-centric inclusion though to this list. Be interested how some non-uk listeners would find it if not familiar with its politics or folk traditions.

I enjoyed many parts of this, but it was pretty uneven musically. The lyrics were mostly pretty well written. Just missed a 3.

I liked it enough, but wouldn't listen again. The instrumentals throughout were solid, but not enough to save it.

Quite repetitive to be honest, some occasional songs that do something different but on the whole was quite a drag to get through. The repetitive melody and spoken word-like singing just felt almost abit preachy at times. Wish it was more creative with its attempts to convey messages.

Not for me

I’ve always found Braggs voice annoying and I still do, but there are a few decent almost listenable songs on here. However that doesn’t mean I’d listen to it again!

Muss ich nicht hören

I'll never listen to this again, but I'm glad to have heard it once. I kept hearing other artists in the songs (some were written by others) but redone in a manner that I did not find appealing. Overall, too country leaning for me.

this happened to my friend tim once

Well.. The album name sounds boring and uninspiring. Let's give this a go. Oh boy, the first thing I hear is "Shur-lee" and I am in for another unfortunate treat.

This was completely underwhelming and made me wonder why in the hell this record was on this list, which is, more often than not, the gold standard for this list.

The heavy English accent coupled with average music just isn't that enjoyable

Definitely a little different.

♪ booa wata choosdie innit ♫

Folk is so hit or miss for me. This was a miss.

Decent album overall, but the singer’s whiny voice annoyed me from the very first track.

Started out promising, quickly devolved. As grandma used to say, he can’t carry a tune in a bucket.

morrissey für arme iwie. 2.5.

I often complain a bunch of these sound "too American", but finally have an example of an album sounding "too British". Now don't get me wrong we love punk-esque politics albums, but I dislike dreary folk music way more unfortunately.

Not really my thing.

#739. Shitty sounding pretentious twattery. 2/5: not great

All these folk and social commentary albums do not hit the mark for me. Even with the lyrics open I didn't care for it. The music and voice did nothing for me.

It started off alright but I couldn’t do that for more than an hour

Like a British woody Guthrie or bob dylan. I don’t really like to listen to woody Guthrie or bob Dylan.

5/10

I wanted to really dig this one, but felt more neutral. I didn’t dislike it at all. I liked it not at all. Neutral isn’t good.

Would’ve been a 3 if this was one disc. Maybe even a 4 if it was half a disc

maybe if it had drums..?

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Ideology This was boring. I found the whole thing uninspiring, non-impactful and ultimately something I am going to promptly forget about in a day. I also could barely tolerate how frequently Billy veered into this English-Country twang that is just blahhhh. So long Tax Man. Enjoy the poetry.

Greetings to the New Brunette - 3/5 Train Train - 3/5 The Marriage - 1/5 Ideology - 2/5 Levi Stubbs' Tears - 3/5 Honey I'm a Big Boy Now - 2/5 There Is Power in a Union - 1/5 Help Save the Youth of America - 3/5 Wishing the Days Away - 2/5 The Passion - 4/5 The Warmest Room - 3/5 The Home Front - 3/5 Average score: 2.6/5 (rounding down) yikes. that bri'ish voice made it very hard to sit through aside from that, this felt a little bare and same-y. i suppose the political messaging was all good and well, but it's hard to sit and listen to the message when the performance isn't very pleasant on the ears

meh

This actually kind of grew on me, second half is definitely better than the first. That being said should this be on this list? Probably not. Its just ok and I’d probably never listen to this again.

There’s something about this album that I don’t like. Can’t put my figure on it…JK it’s his voice. 1.75/5

Meh

sai che c'è? è lungo, se fosse stato solo un disco avrei dato un voto più alto perchè non mi è spiaciuto, ma così è un po' pesantino...

Didn't like Bragg at the time and that hasn't changed neither has this improved with age.

Weird British rock

Not for me at all

Day 49 First listen- I couldn't vibe to the music that much, I am not sure why cause normally I LOVE acoustic albums but something felt missing. I enjoyed around 3 songs. (2/5)

That voice is just bad.

😴

listened to the first one but ew british

Wow, I really didn't enjoy this. What a grating combination of voice, accent, lyrics, and music. His singing style feels intentionally annoying. His accent sounds like someone doing a dumb English accent on purpose. Sounds like this guy is some sort of activist? As I typed this sentence, Billy whined "Is there more to a seat in parliament than sitting on your arse?" Oh wow I see this song is called 'Ideology.' These sound like some very UK-specific grievances. If you want me to care about your cause, I need you to appeal to something universal, like when the Beatles did Taxman. Make it relatable, man! The Marriage had some fun horns on it, but that's the only positive thing I can say about it. I can't be the only one here who googled this guy and thinks he looks like a British Owen Wilson, right? Never thought I'd see someone else with schnozz like that!

Meh

Bit political but ok

This record was decent. I didn't like the vocals at first, but they grew on me as the record progressed. I'm not really into the Jangle sound, so maybe that's why it didn't do it for me. Favourite Track(s): Wishing the Days Away Least Favourite Track(s): Levi Stubbs' Tears

With most albums I review, I arrive either fully informed or happily clueless. Talking with the Taxman About Poetry found me somewhere in between: already armed with its two sharpest arrows - Levi Stubbs’ Tears and Greetings to the New Brunette - and nothing else. The full record? Never bothered. I borrowed Don’t Try This At Home from the CD library in 1999, lured by the presence of Johnny Marr and Michael Stipe. Stipe and Bragg were doing a lot of activism together at the time. What’s the verb? He/she/it activises? I've always been slightly suspicious of Bragg. Not hostile. Just... unconvinced. He seems, in every interview, affable, earnest, like the sort of man who says “solidarity” and means it. A good sort. But while plenty of working-class songwriters were scribbling observational notes on "ordinary life", Bragg always sounded like he was preparing a speech or a sermon. Morrissey was more insular. Jarvis Cocker more empathetic. Bragg often writes to tell his audience - people who already think fascism is bad - that fascism is bad. And sometimes he sounds like he’s reporting them to the politburo just to be on the safe side. His 1996 album was called William Bloke. Is that humility or a play for visionary status? Possibly both. As Queen Victoria once quipped: “Beware of artists. They mix with all classes and are therefore most dangerous.” And for all his calls to arms, a songwriter is not really a working man. When Bragg goes full political - Ideology, There Is Power in a Union, Help Save the Youth of America - he often forgets he's writing songs. The tunes flatten, the chords turn obvious, and the slogans do the heavy lifting. The impulse, I think, is noble: to follow the tradition of the broadside ballad. Simple melodies, easily sung by many, outside the gates of whatever institution needs heckling. But in trying to write for the people, Bragg sometimes erases the person. These tracks feel like they could be performed by anyone with a guitar, a cause, and two cups of lukewarm tea. So determined is he, in these moments, to make songs of and for the people that he barely leaves a human print on them at all. And yet: Bragg’s skill if that isn't too generous, is for pop storytelling. Levi Stubbs’ Tears is still moves me - sharp opening line, evocative portraiture, a rare emotional depth. While the singing and melody are appropriately deadpan, the guitar tone sounds likes someone jabbing a butter knife into a wall socket. Of course, the tune lifts once he hands the bridge over to the greats of Motown. After all, it is a song about the redemptive power of pop music, though the rest of the album could use some of that self-reflection. Greetings to the New Brunette glimmers among the other spare arrangements. But it has aged awkwardly. The line “How can you lie there and think of England when you don’t even know who’s in the team?” is clever, sure - but is Bragg laughing with his character or at him? Bragg gets to be witty; the character gets to be dim. This, we are told, is solidarity. Elsewhere, he sketches male types with much less sympathy than he does the female protagonist of Levi Stubbs. Honey, I’m a Big Boy Now mocks a neglectful partner with no interest in why he is that way. Bragg, a Marxist, forgets to mention the system. Where’s your intersectionality, Billy? There’s a second joke about football fans later, and while it’s hardly dehumanising, it does feel like Bragg’s tossing scraps to the bedsit Berias - sniggers for the fey indie boys who wouldn’t be seen dead near a terrace. Of course, later he wrote Sexuality, where an uncle who “once played for Red Star Belgrade” turns out to be a progressive hero. So all is not lost. An artist doesn't have to be perfect nor consistent. When they are caught between their craft and their cause, perfection is the first casualty. But even at his worst, he’s hard to dislike: slightly exhausting, a little sanctimonious, but - crucially – well-meaning. A useful idiot of sorts, who sometimes serves the interests of pop, which are not always pure or progressive. He’s the musical equivalent of a neighbour who tells you why the bin men are on strike, but not how he plans to deal with the garbage stinking up his yard. 2.5 This all goes off somewhere in no man’s land. I can hear and feel the reverberations of Elvis Costello, The Jam and Bob Dylan, but there is no meaningful impact. Bragg hasn’t the instinct for pop or for poetry to match the influences he wears on his sleeve. I can’t even, amid the muddle of his clumsy lines and tired, over-familiar melodies, find revulsion for him. There is just a sort of pity, as for the curate, delivering a half hour sermon, who can’t escape not being the more entertaining Parish Priest that every parishioner was hoping would take to the stage in this slot. All the things (and people) that Billy Bragg wants to be are clear enough but he is none of them. Not even The Worker. ‘There is Power in a Union’ is still heard on picket lines in Britain nearly forty years on. I think that is because it feels, superficially, like a remnant of class struggle from a deeper (and wider) past than post-Scargill Britain. That would be because it is the work of a man who has never worked in a factory but has, clearly, seen a few films about it. The bosses and their lackeys? Not the Intelligentsia either. Somewhere, dully, in the middle. 1.5/5

it's like Elvis Costello did an emo record

Weird rock-folk mix, not a fan.

Right after blurs double album. This js just too long and British and political and thin. I just...dont like or care about any of these songs.

Take the stadium country assholes that sing about blue collar living while wearing $3,000 boots and touring on $15M gulfstreams, then make them English, and you’ve got this album. How many songs can you record that pander the same message over and over? Listen and find out.

2.3 / 5 The fastest way to end a union strike is to make the picketers listen to this album. The instrumentals were good but his voice and the non stop on-the-nose politics were too much

3/5

Fucking leftie tosspot. While high at Glastonbury I was coerced into seeing him live. It was a dreadful experience which I am still recovering from. Time has been kind to him musically, a million times better than Jerry Cinamon, but I just hate the overtly political nature of his lyrics.

I should have gone on strike instead of listening to this album

We get it, you like Morrissey.

Ist ok, aber etwas besonderes kann ich für mich nicht heraushören. 2/5

Liked it for the first couple of songs but then the rest of the album started to feel like the same thing over and over. Got tired of the vocals pretty fast.

Didn't love it, but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever heard.

This sounds a whole heck of a lot like a whole heck of a lot of bands I already like. I like this, but it feels… hollow? to me. Is it just bc it’s unfamiliar so I have no emotional connection with it? Idk who Billy Bragg is so I don’t have that artistic trust in him. Oh great now I’m reviewing my notes on “Trust and Sincerity in Art” by C. Thi Nguyen. Maybe I do have ADHD; I should make some doctor appointments. Wait, now it’s a bluegrass album? I don’t know, man.

Pretty good tunes for a bonfire during a summer trip

My previous exposure to Bragg is via Wilco. Here he’s not much of a singer and the chip on his shoulder gets in the way of any saving graces in the music.

Largo y me deja con sabor a poco.

Ugh, he thinks he's saying Something Important.

Very different sound, folk and punk mix well and songs are great.

Not into this. Very long - two discs! They all kind of sound the same and sound sad...

One can only endure so many songs about unions from a brambly singer songwriter before one starts wishing they’d shut up. This album is like an hour long, and to what effect? There’s very little variation. Some of the melodies are straight lifts from Dylan and Nico, which, sure, pay homage, but like with the cover on this, it made me wish I was listening to the originals.

This did not have to be a double album. There was way too much bloat on here. All the alternate takes, instrumentals, and demos should have been on some sort of deluxe anniversary edition, but that’s just the regular album!? If he had cut this to a tight 45 minutes it could’ve been okay. Even then his voice is annoying unless he’s playing a cover in which case he puts on an accent that makes him sing better for some reason. I liked the union song, and his woody Guthrie cover was solid. Everything else was not great.

I honestly wish he was talking to the taxman about poetry rather than in the studio making an album ...

There's some good stuff in here, and some not so good. It started out poorly, with a couple of repetitive and dull tracks. Then it picked up. The Marriage had some good trumpet music, likewise Honey I'm A Big Boy Now had some nice piano, and Help Save The Youth Of America had some killer guitar. There Is Power In A Union was also a good listen. Best song: Help Save The Youth Of America

Was initially pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t just Bragg and a guitar. There is actually some music production going on. It actually has some 80s sheen to the music. But he doesn’t half bang on. Glad I gave it a go. It’s good that artists like Bragg exist and indeed there will be plenty of people who love this. I’m just not one of them.

01) Greetings to the New Brunette - 6,5 02) Train Train - 7,0 03) The Marriage - 6,5 04) Ideology - 5,5 05) Levi Stubbs' Tears - 6,5 06) Honey, I'm a Big Boy Now - 5,5 07) There Is Power in a Union - 6,0 08) Help Save the Youth of America - 6,5 09) Wishing the Days Away - 5,5 10) The Passion - 5,5 11) The Warmest Room - 6,0 12) The Home Front - 5,0 TOTAL: 6,00 (60/100) Current ranking: 438/557

The songs on this album were, lyrically, very strong. I enjoyed the lyricism and the music was great. It was, however, very lengthy. It felt like some of the songs could have been cut from the album and it would have made it easier to digest. The singer(s) have very prominent English accents, which is not a bad thing, but it isn't necessarily my preference. Had the album been shorter, I don't think that would've been a big deal. It just started becoming repetitive after so long.

wasn't sure at first, but actually quite enjoyed some of it, very political

He's alright, I guess. But pretty boring, really.

didn't like this as much as I thought I would. Especially as a fan of Richard Dawson. Maybe I wasn't in the right headspace

Just a bit boring

Champagne socialist

★★½

Never heard this before. Kind of Irish worker songs. Several songs about being in a union and how great that is so that's pretty cool. The songs are catchy but I don't really see myself listening to it again. Nothing against workers rights or anything, I'm all for it.

Not bad

Meh

Some people can't sing, and thats ok. What's not ok is making me listen to a bloated album from a person who can't sing.

What is this? It sounds like a late 70's British punk-rocker who went solo and recorded an album that his 80-year old Mum would enjoy.

Boring bloke shit voice

Album too long for my taste, songs sound similar to one another. The first few songs were interesting but then blended together.

This album ruined my day

The fact that this album is on here but Cold Fact isn't is appalling. I have nothing wrong with the lyricism or the socially progressive values, I just hate Billy Bragg's singing.

It was just okay.

I just don't enjoy folksy singer/songwriter shit. Nothing wrong or offensive with this, it just doesn't speak to me at all. Most of this feels like it's designed to be a drunken crowd singalong in a pub. Nope!

-my hopes were high because I really liked Mermaid Avenue. all I can say is that this was Not what I was expecting -to be more specific I did not particularly enjoy it. idk there was something about his voice and the style that that was very grating. honestly the first few songs were pretty good though so it wasn’t all bad -Favorites are Greetings to the New Brunette and Ideology

I have listened to this album at least 4 times and every time i have just lose focus, cuz it is so boring.

dreary

I cant listen to this nowadays but I appreciate the sentiments.

*shrug* 2/5

i can’t stand british guys that sing like that

No mi onda. Supongo que no está mal, pero a mí me aburrió mucho.

Ma ne znam, ima mi par fora trenutaka, ali većinom mi je dosta ravno i dosadno. Zvuči mi ko Bob Dylan na mrmi. 2/5, 3/10.

Meh

So I had no idea (and still don't) who the hell Billy Bragg is. Based on his voice, I'm left to assume that he's one of a few things: 1. The lead singer of an 80's Britpop band I probably wouldn't much like who has some solo albums 2. An English folk/folk rock singer 3. Both I don't know which, if any, he is. But I can say with certainty (at least after listening to this album) that I do not like his voice. A lot of British singers take on a more American voice when they sing. If they don't, they at least don't let all the harsh pronunciations of their uniquely British syllables shine through. I assume this used to come from the Blues-inspired British invasion bands trying to emulate their American musical heroes. But Billy Bragg seems to not even try to do that. Which, I mean, fine for him. It's his voice. But I don't like it. It's at times really hard to listen to. He even is able to rhyme words that, on paper, should not rhyme but do because of his pronunciations and accent. But ok, ok. His voice isn't the best. What about the music? Surely if the music is good enough, one can look past his voice. Look at Bob Dylan, or Neil Young, or Geddy Lee. People have very strong opinions about all those men's voices but some people love the music enough to look past it. Well, I hate to say it but the music wasn't good enough for me to look past his voice. Don't get me wrong - I actually think that in places, it's excellent. It has this unique, upbeat quality to it that is somewhat infectious. I love that. But the production is really what kills it for me. This came across to me as a folk record, or some offshoot of folk. You wanna know what really kills folk for me? The 80's production aesthetic. It works for pop, it works less well for rock, even worse for jazz. But folk? The most stripped down, simple sound? A sound that's meant to be about a musician, their instrument, and maybe a small band? The 80's production attitude is horrible for that. And for me, it tanked this album's rating. This could've received four stars if only it was recorded like a Dylan album. Maybe that's all I wanted this to be - a Dylan album. Maybe that's all I ever want a folk album to be. It's hard to say. Anyway, this gets two stars. Not because it was bad, per se. But because it could've been better. Standout Tracks: Ideology, Honey, I'm a Big Boy Now, Help Save the Youth of America, The Warmest Room

Not my thing

I wanted to like this but over 1 hour of the voice has done me in. Maybe short short bursts are better…

I respect the earnestness of this, but the preachiness and the monotony both turn me off. I’ve always been a bit skeptical when people call melodies derivative, thinking that a good melody should always be a good melody, but this album really made me get that criticism. To be fair, it all might have worked better if he didn’t sound like… that. Best song: The Warmest Room

Just ok

couldnt get into it at all but i may be depressed

Perfectly mediocre music for blue class British people.

A bit too long for me.

Literally another Brit critiquing the US, two in a row. This album was ho hum at best.

A waste of time for sure his smugness was a bit much

That was dumb. I don't want to listen to some wanker who thinks he knows better than everyone else whine about how messed up society is for over an hour. Your voice doesn't sound good enough for that. Also the random pot shots at America were not appreciated. You don't even live here why you trying to tell us how our country should be? Kinda pretentious. Thus music was good though.

I don't know anything about Billy Bragg. I'm not encouraged by the fact that it's an 80s album, but I've discovered some decent stuff from an otherwise awful decade during this project, so we'll see. Yeah, this sucks. I love a thick Bri'ish accent as much as the next American, but this just sounds like a guy down the pub wailing at an open mike with a few too many pints in him. If I had to guess (and I can't be bothered to actually look it up), I'd say this is probably catagorized as new wave/punk? The vocals are definitely punk-like, by which I mean the guy can barely hold a tune. The backing music, however, is more like singer/songwriter territory. It's like if Hootie & the Blowfish had a baby with Billy Idol. It's not for me, is what I'm saying.

Doet me niet zoveel, prima nummers af en toe, maar ook niet top

Repetitive but warmed up to it. Quite unexpected

++: Train Train, Ideology, The Home Front +: The Marriage, Levi Stubb's Tears, Honey, I'm a Big Boy Now, There Is Power in a Union, Help Save the Youth of America, Wishing the Days Away, The Warmest Room +-: Greetings to the New Brunette, The Passion 6,0/10

It’s giving British bob Dylan.

This man heard bob dylan and the smiths and thought "yeah sounds easy enough"

Sounds like a British Bob Dylan. Good songs. Someone else needs to sing them.

It’s the kind of music you’d play to clear out a party… or a building.

I’m not sure if I wasn’t in the mood for this but I didn’t love it

I had a hard time getting through this one.

2.5? Not sure if I enjoyed this. It was too long for one, and it didn’t really leave an impression

Not 2 bad - didn't listen to the whole thing but skimmed all the songs and so much variety!

This one was okay, a little droney and many of the songs sounded very similar however.

kinda shit

This one was okay. British rock/spoken word that was a tad too dry for me. Probably not worth a revisit.

Billy Bragg can fuck off, folky political bollocks

1. greetingz - 1.5 2. train - 1.5 3. marriage - 1 4. ideology - 1.5 5. tearz - 1.5 6. honey - 1 7. pouuer - 1.5 8. america - 1 9. dayz - 1.5 10. pazzion - 1 11. room - 1.5 12. home - 1 13. zin - 1.5 14. deportee - 2 15. pouuer - 1.5 16. tearz - 1.5 17. dayz - 1 18. clazhing - 1 19. brunette - 1 20. nurzez - 1.5 21. zignz - 1.5 22. fort - 1

Mostly solo electric guitar, not the best vocals with quite political sounding lyrics. Nothing special

eh

Kind of a Joe Strummer mixed with Against Me! vibe but nothing really stood out. Disc two was added during the 2006 re-issue so I only listened to disc one.

I wanted to like this but good god his voice

Umm, yeah, this was weird. Didn't dislike it, but it would also not be something I would choose.

could i write poetry to this? n

Admittedly, I only listened to the first disc. That was enough to know for sure that it just wasn't for me.

Not my type of folk rock. Not a fan of the vocals or the added country twang. Also there is no way this is "folk punk". Are you trying to tell me this and "Violent Femmes" are the same genre?

..

Maso

I like the instrumentation on some songs, but I dislike the vocals on all of them. Just couldn't get into it. 2.1

Blank voice, okish melody, unnecessary overall

no, it's brit-pop

Tidvis leverte da, kanskje eg like da bedre om eg gir da et par nye sjansa

You know this list feels guilty about an entry when they don't tell you the country of origin. Of course, they forgot to delete the part that says this charted at #29 in the UK. You can run but you can't hide. Welp, I listened and it's exactly as I thought it would be which is disappointing. These are the days, however, that I'm grateful we switched to an album every single day because there is always tomorrow and we are so close to the end.

Sorry, really not my thing. Reminds me of a less fun Beans on Toast. I can imagine being in a packed but very still & quiet crowd at Glasto as my friends have dragged me to see him and I'm bored stiffless. Can see why others might be into but just not for me.

Music is good, voice is unbearable

For as impactful and important as some of the lyrics may be here, the vehicle in which they’re delivered is mostly forgettable and at times, just rough to get into.

I haven't listened to Billy Bragg before but I'm immediately charmed by the first song on this album. I really enjoy being able to hear working class British accents in music, it feels 'real' and has great character. The short song lengths make me feel like I'm listening to an anthology of poems. I probably won't listen again as the genre doesn't do much for me. I can appreciate folk but it doesn't move me.

I feel that I’d normally enjoy an album like this. Found it a bit of a yawn fest yesterday, couldn’t get myself invested in the lyrics, which were clearly the driving force of this album.

some interesting lyrics, pleasant to listen to, but nothing special really. 2.5 stars, rounded down.

At certain points, this was rough, but others it was actually enjoyable. Pretty mixed in general on this. 2.5/5

Wow, that was extremely boring. I tried to get into it as I usually enjoy albums in this style, but couldn't get invested at all. His voice is pleasant enough but that's about it. 2.5 stars

Not my cup of tea, but alright.

The full band stuff sounds good when there's a more complex and layered platform for his voice that balances out his strident earnest singing. The jangly opening single New Brunette is a poppy gem of a love song; the bluegrass tinged Wishing the Days Away is a classic bittersweet ode to wasting time; the simply arranged The Passion has whistful interplay between Marr's pretty arpegio's and Bragg's tragic vocal in a cool hommage to British folk tradition; the bugle on Home Front add a powerful melodic counterpoint and a solemn timber that establishes the mood. But the more sparse arrangements with just acoustic guitar or piano sound focus too much attention on his voice which I find to be quite grating and flat. It's a lyrics driven album, but I don't have the attention to focus in closely on his verses. His political songs are engaging with their moment but that means they end up sounding quite dated and limited, or overly broad and generic. The romantic songs have a longer lasting appeal and manifest the tender humanism that's the actual emotional core and ideological center of his politics.

This man has the absolute most British voice I've ever heard. That's not why I rated it a 2 though, I just didn't like it.

Remember that guy you bought weed from a few times in college? He was a political science major, or philosophy or some shit, and when you bought your bag from him, he'd expect you to break off the first nug and smoke it with him, and once he'd had a couple long draws off the pipe and pass it to you, he'd start in on some shit he saw as a great indignity visited upon The People and he'd go on and on and you'd take a hit off the pipe and buckle up to be preached at for what seemed like hours and you'd nod politely and add a point here or there, but he wasn't listening to anyone but himself and you'd slowly become aware that music had been playing all along and it's another whining twat who also never seemed to shut up. That's Billy Bragg.

this album was so boring to me. shame cause the album cover looks so cool. i get that this is a political album so its meant to have this satirical tone, but i really did not care for this at all; felt so cheesy listening to this that i just wanted this album to end quicker. i had to take a long break between side a and b, and even dreaded having to listen to side b. i wouldnt say that this is a 1 because its not like bad bad, just really boring. 2 personal favs:

I did not enjoy listening to this. Sounded like a british man rambling on for over an hour. Way too long, and not engaging.

His voice is miserable to listen to. Didn’t find the instrumentation and lyrics very compelling either

Not an essential album for me but it wasn’t bad

Couldn't finish.

Punk comportado ou pop a querer trilhar o punk?

não aguentei ouvir até o fim. TERRÍVEL

Music was all over the map.

While I certainly agree with his messages and politics, I could not get past the whiny gratingness of Billy’s voice. I found the almost whimsical tone of some backing tracks to be quite jarring. The best cuts are those that have plucky guitar riffs and more complex percussion. I don’t think this is bad, but it isn’t for me. Listened to: on a plane from Puerto Rico to New York. Favorite tracks: There is Power in a Union

Two albums in a row for me that are in between a 2 and a 3. Nothing necessarily wrong, just a bit forgettable.

Not terrible but oh my god idc.

Every song sounds exactly the same. I thought it was decently good at first but really gets old fast. 2.5

Interesting political tones and voice. Love folk and punk but not so much together.

It's just not my kinda jam.

calm

Not a fan of his voice. Too many protest songs. Reminds me of Dylan but not as good. 2/5

This is like the 5th album I've gotten on this list of an old brit warbling over a poorly produced guitar. It's not ground breaking or enjoyable.

Unremarkable

Britisk lejrbålsmusik ..

Totally unremarkable. It was relatively short. No need to revisit.

Verbose

Not for me.

Not my jam

Not for me. It's fine, but my tastes like outside of this work.

OK, not bad. Electric guitar.

2 I put this album on, and the only way I was able to tell when a song ended was when a Spotify ad popped in. Otherwise, these songs all sounded to similar and forgetful that for a great majority of them, I genuinely could not tell where one started and one ended. While listening, the songs were palatable, but they instantly went into the back of my mind because I just didn't find anything at all interesting to focus on. Nothing terrible, there was some pretty nice guitar playing, but aside from that there was just nothing at all even worth paying attention to.

This is probably fire if you’re British

I don't know. I want to like BB, but I just can't connect. Politically, I'm with him. I dig his spirit and his accent. But his songs just don't work for me. I've tried.

Back when he was everyone's darling, he wasn't mine. Then my good friend slipped Mermaid Avenue in my CD player and I changed my tune. Now after a 2-disc listen...I'm changing back. I can only take so much of that Essex accent in singing. (Nik - am I right that it's an Essex accent?)

Meh. Rating: 2.5

I know he is a UK National treasure but it all sounds the same to me!

he soñado que le poníais todos 5 estrellas :(

# 185 : meh! Nothing in here does it for me and it's way too long. Rather ordinary and not very spectacular, maybe even a bit boring complete with mono-toned vocals. It’s a snooze fest!

Lot of whining

Mhhhh.... kann man mal höhren, ich weiss nur nicht wann und zu welchem Anlass.

Meh. A little too "working class Brit" for my tastes.

I feel Billy's music/voice isn't for me but appreciate he has something to say. I don't normally listen to close to lyrics but did for this one

Turned this off pretty early, we didn’t dig his voice

Production is too low-fi for me. Not a fan of his voice. It was hard to actually hear the melody of the songs in some cases. I get the sense that he's a strong guitar player, but it all just sounds muddy and tinny and distractingly shrill. Not a fan.

Three songs in and I’m sick of it. Don’t see how anyone outside of the UK can connect with this. Folkie rally songs. Lame. Hate to do it but I have to give a 2.

I don't mind politically minded records, but I generally enjoy them most when they are either expressing righteous fury or are subtler but musically interesting. This is pretty uninteresting folk and I find Bragg's oi oi cockney singing voice very grating. Rating: 1.5/5 Playlist track: Levi Stubbs' Tears Date listened: 14/02/24

Skip the 2006 reissue and save yourself 30 minutes.

If you told me this album was recorded in 1996 or 1976 or 2016 I wouldn’t disagree. Guy with guitar sings some overwrought songs about social issues and girls. Probably worked on these songs by singing them in coffee houses and pubs and on the street. I like some of these songs, but a lot of them are forgettable. Maybe they would’ve meant more to me if I was born 20 years earlier and was in my 20s in 1986. But, man, I was way more into the movie RAD and hair metal back then.

Niet helemaal mijn ding

De titel van het album is wel mooi. En muzikaal is het hier en daar wel origineel / creatief. Het stemgeluid van Bragg staat me echter best wel tegen.

it was fineee but also weird and idk got boring after a while

Instrumentals are good, but I just hate this guy's voice. It sounds like Garth Marenghi from Darkplace, which isn't a good thing. Boring

1.5 - Oh my God, he is SO British. I found his voice to be really, really annoying and I just couldn't get past it. Maybe I'd like this music more if there were a different vocalist, but not by much. I was glad to be done with it.

Decent lyrics. Not my style of music, though. 80's folk misses for me.

Folk punk is not my jam, and I’m not likely to listen to this again. That said, this is like The Clash and Woodie Guthrie collaborated on a side project. The guitar melodies are very nice, but, oh my, his voice is just irritating. Decent, but just not good enough to be a 3.

I quite like Billy Bragg - this was a decent enough album. Don’t feel the need to hear it again for a few years.

Not for me, too folksy

Liked the music and lyrics, but really hated his voice and accent.

Interesting album. Found myself trying to mimick his accent instead of focusing on the message and music. Noticed the album was a folk album on electric guitar with unique use of synths and other instruments. Might listen again. 2.5

Too spare, too strident, and - I never thought I’d say this - too British. I like the lefty fuck your Seeger thing. But yeesh it gets old real quality.

This guy sounds like someone making fun of annoying British singing. The instrumentals are pretty decent on the whole but I won't be listening again. At least it's not boring.

I like the effort, but his voice is really limited, and there isn't much diversity of sound. It's not offensive, but it's not good, either.

My first impression is "Painfully British" Not a fan of this album or style. It is really simple stuff, but I just can't stand this guy's voice. A high 2 out of 5

More like Billy Drag hehe xd No, really. It feels much longer than it is.

yet another album that leaves me wondering why it's on the list

It kind of reminds me of those really old union songs that workers would sing whilst working, and I think that's neat with modern production, but it is also overwhelmingly British, in an annoying eay like many Britpop artists, and that makes it so the album ranges from actually decent to incredibly annoying. By the end, it doesn't really leave any sort of an impact. I think more to the production or even less to the production would help, because it doesn't sound bombastic like the instruments try to make it sometimes, and it isn't personal like the lyrics suggest.

This was just kind of a funny album. Honestly, some of the songs sounded like when in a movie, a character singing and it’s clearly bad. This album was just weird to me because to be brutally honest I didn’t really hear any talent L O L.

The dude is later known for being a second hand collaborator to Wilco had an established discography beforehand. He wasn't in a famous band, always being a solo artist. And this album is nothing more than a dude telling cute melancholic stories in a folk format with minimalist production beyond sparse guest musicians and his guitar's chorus setting cranked to max. His voice is a typical New Wave style, modeled after the likes of Elvis Costello, which got annoying really quickly. Got increasingly boring as it went on. Favorites: Greeting to the New Brunette, The Marriage, Levi Stubbs' Tears

It’s so over the top British it seems like satire.

I think this is fully new to me. I might be the first to notice, but there are very subtle political messages slipped in to some of these lyrics. Fine album, but obviously represents a moment and a place that I have no connection to, so its impact on me was fairly limited.

4/10. Love it when I finally hear a good song but it's a cover and wasn't even on the original album. Loses a point for being painfully Bri'ish, gains it back for being Pro-Union.

Fucking abysmal. 3/10

I'm sure this guy has an audience, but that audience isn't me.