Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

Had never really explored Billy Bragg before. Pleasantly surprised

I really enjoyed the recurring theme of the album, which I assume is supposed to make you angry about the political situation of the 80's, but with a sound that's older, likely calling to some nostalgia workers may have. That being said, the music was just okay.

Aggressively British Strong political messaging

Totally cool. Our modern Woody Guthrie

Don't care

I would have loved this in high school

This is the quintessential Billy Bragg record.

Lyrically it was pretty rad, but musically I was bored. Sorry, Billy!✌️

Kinda endearing, not in a classical music sense, but in a listening to a drunk man in a bar in Leeds, England sing karaoke passionately but poorly kinda way.

literally no idea what this is going to sound like lol. the album cover looks like a modern day rap album but this is from 1986. and the title of the album is throwing me off. here we go, very folky and enjoyable

Značajno bolje nego onaj, za mene, užas s Wilcom. Tekstovi su navrat nanos ali činjenični, muzika je meh, pjevanje je kao slabiji Paul Weller; podnošljivo.

I picked up this album not long after I first heard Mermaid Avenue. I felt happy to get to know Billy Bragg better, but it didn't change my life. I hate to say that decades later I feel about the same. Solid songwriting and I couldn't agree more with his politics, but it also feels like it's missing some vital component that makes me fall in love with an album. The weird thing is that I know Bragg can do it, because I do feel that way about Mermaid Avenue and some of his other songs. So altogether even though I am happy to see my old friend Billy, I'm also a little surprised to see this album on the list.

meh

Good folk and signing about stuff that connects with the common man. I didn't have time for a deep listen but it seemed alright.

well it's alright

I like this, but I kinda expected to like this more. This was marketed to me as folk punk, but the problem is that this was kind of forging ahead before folk punk was really established, so it doesn't *feel* like folk punk. But it *is* folk punk, in the strictest sense of the word, in that it feels like a combination of singer-songwriter music and like class of '77 songwriting. And there is a lot here I like, the songs themselves are really cool, and combine these two worlds in a really unique way. My favorites here were Train Train, Levi Stubbs' Tears, There Is Power In A Union, Help Save The Youth of America, and The Home Front. These all prominently feature the combination of great songwriting and razor-sharp political lyricism that this album features at its best. I will say, my biggest problem here is the production. There is sort of an echo-y, new wave-y sheen on this album that I don't think suits it especially well. It sounds fine on some songs, my favorites tend to be the ones that wear the aesthetic well. But as a whole, it imparts a kind of strange sound, and I think I would prefer it with a more stripped down presentation. All in all, it's obvious that Billy Bragg is talented, and I like his songwriting quite a bit. It doesn't fully come together, but it's a cool listen all thr same, and I see myself coming back.

Decent album, quite raw and politically heavy 3/5

pretty good, I'd listedn to it again

Well, this marks my final album of the list. Always knew this day would come. All in all I must say that this project has made the past three years quite enjoyable, even if the list itself is moreso good than great. Way too much Elvis Costello, way too much Madchester shit, and not nearly enough global representation beyond the Anglosphere and their colonies. Still, the album a day process has really broadened my taste for weird shit. I grew to love post punk and whatever the fuck The Residents were doing, so shoutout to them. Also, Junkyard is a 10/10 album and I will die on that hill. Even though no one asked, I’m listing my personal top ten on the list as a point of record. Because after all isn’t that what this project is all about? 1. Fleetfoxes - Fleetfoxes 2. Neon Bible - Arcade Fire 3. LP1 - FKA Twigs 4. Dummy - Portishead 5. Locust Abortion Technician - Butthole Surfers 6. The Archandroid - Janelle Monae 7. Kind of Blue - Miles Davis 8. The White Album - Beatles 9. Since I Left You - The Avalanches 10. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Some Nazi, idk Oh yeah, and this Billy Bragg album is okay I guess.

I admire the hell out of Billy Bragg, I just don't love his music. This is purely a matter of taste. I'm not a huge folk guy, although when it gets into the pure protest, defiance-mode I find it moving ("There Is Power in a Union" "Help Save the Youth of America" "The Home Front"). He's a real one. I want to listen to more in the hopes it shifts my taste more toward him, he rules. Also, when I heard his song about Minnesota, "City of Heroes", I legitimately wept. You tell 'em Billy.

I enjoyed this one. Loved the political content, too.

Pas full ma tasse de thé, ça sonne un peu la marde mais j'ai aimé ça.

Britischer Folk

Better than the other one of his I had

“A nation with their freezers full Are dancing in their seats While outside another nation Is sleeping in the streets” My dad grew up in a small mining town in Derbyshire the son of a miner who voted for Margaret Thatcher in 1979. I have a very distinct memory of him and my mum purchasing “Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead” on iTunes when Thatcher died in 2013. It is then unsurprising that my awareness of Billy Bragg comes almost entirely from him. Until listening to this album I had not actually listened to any Billy Bragg at all. However, I had oddly seen him live many years ago at a small Christian performing arts festival my parents would drag my siblings and I along to every year with our church. I remember little about the performance except that my dad was excited to see it and that even to my young ears it was extremely political. As I’ve got older my political views and my taste in music, and art in general, have often intertwined. I will always remember blasting Rage Against The Machine’s “Take the Power Back” in my first year university accommodation the morning I awoke to find Donald Trump had won the 2016 Presidential Election. However, when it comes to protest music my tastes have generally leaned towards songs that express anger at the establishment and discontent with the system. That is not what you get with Billy Bragg. Bragg comes across as a man with an astonishing optimism whose music largely serves not as a cathartic expression of rage but as a call to arms for the working classes. The songs feel like jubilant reassurances that en masse the people have the power and that if we are active, take to the streets, and make our voices heard then we can effect real change. Bragg has gone on record previously saying that as a country we can reclaim the concept of being proud of our Britishness from the far-right and you can feel that pride here. The lyrics are extremely intelligent and are backed up in their sincerity by Bragg’s well documented record of political activism. Delivered with his strong accent everything about his messaging feels authentic. Musically there is nothing out of this world going on. You can hear the folk influences of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie that have not particularly been further developed. That does not necessarily matter though if you accept that the music is largely serving as a vehicle for the lyrics and more importantly the message. I am glad to have finally given Billy Bragg a proper listen and if my dad were here it is something I’m sure we would delight in sharing with each other.

Seems good, didn't listen to all of it.

The working mans poet. Enjoyed most of the tracks, but they were all very similar, can't get too excited about the album.

I've always had a soft spot for Billy Bragg ever since a professor in an "Early Modern Political Thought" class played Bragg's version of "The world turned upside down", so I was excited to get one of his albums. I guess it's pretty much what I expected, but it didn't do much for me, and while I appreciate his long-lived activist voice, the 80s production quality was a little much to bear (at least with headphones). I enjoyed the video that accompanied the somewhat vapid "Greetings to the new brunette", and there were bits and pieces throughout that were interesting especially "Train train"), but overall it felt like yet another British singer/songwriter who sings primarily about the plight of the working-class, with a bit of weirdly campy songs thrown into the mix too. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.

Didn't get into this--his voice is too harsh for me, but I bet he's a huge star among some Brits--you can imagine people in a pub singing along to anthem-like screeds against the establishment.

3.5/5

Solid rock pop

heard the name, maybe heard a track or two. meh, sub par for me

Decent.

It is good, but not something that I would really return to. He definitely has a unique style/voice, but personally I am not really into this genre of music, I do think it is one of the better ones though. Mid 3.

Billy Bragg’s album Talking with the Taxman About Poetry was weird. Part of me really appreciated the broken down, bare bones, one man – one guitar motif he brought on. He is definitely got some talent. The song Honey, I’m a Big Boy Now almost had a ragtime vibe, while There is Power in a Union felt very historical as well. Vocally it reminded me a lot of Morrissey, it felt very English. If I was a true Billy Bragg fan. I could see where this album would feel revolutionary. But as a standalone, I felt like there was something that I was missing. The Warmest Room was very upbeat chill, and Help Save the Youth of America was a fun anthem. Overall, I don’t know if there was anything that would bring me back but it was a good listen.

Random thoughts: * Not sure why I never checked out Billy Bragg solo since I'm so familiar with the Mermaid Avenue stuff with Wilco. Maybe because I don't really love Mermaid Avenue in the discography of Wilco leading me to think that Billy Bragg was the drag. I was definitely wrong. * Billy Bragg solo is really good! I've been sleeping on him. No wonder Wilco chose him to do the Mermaid Avenue work. * He does have a modern English version vibes of Woody Guthrie sine he sings about unions, taxes, politicians, and the such. * It was a bouncier and upbeat sound than I was expecting. * I will definitely listen to this one again as it was very enjoyable.

Best Song: Levi Stubbs' Tears. There's a nice brooding quality to the guitar and the sort of hushed vocals. Worst Song: Honey, I'm a Big Boy Now. Wasn't a fan of the ragtime piano. Overall: There is something about this kind of "shouty" folk music that I find endearing. It is politically interesting, albeit quaint, and it's delivered with an earnestness that I can't help but like.

This artist is entirely new to me. At the start, I wasn't really feeling this album, but as it went along, I enjoyed it a little more. It's not quite rising to the level of "I think I'll listen to this again" though.

80s folk-rock. Story-telling over strummy guitars.

Only exposure to Billy Bragg was with the Mermaid Avenue albums. It’s definitely an album that benefits from being able to read the lyrics along with the songs, and his voice can be an acquired taste but I think it works. Overall not bad!

I liked this album fine. I feel like there were parts of it that I enjoyed more than others. I liked how this album dove into deeper issues like politics, love, and social issues and I enjoyed the punk folk rock sound of Bragg. But most of it felt like him yelling into a mic and singing off key which brought more rawness and feeling to the album but rubbed me the wrong way a bit. Overall, I enjoyed this album but I’m not sure if I would revisit it soon.

Great fighting songs.

I like Billy Bragg and he continues the great tradition of story telling and support for causes. However, overall I prefer he music in smaller portions.

Love the message and some absolutely great songs on here, I'm off to join a union.

Really like the message, really like lots of the instrumentation, but oh my god his voice I can't handle a whole album of it

3.5 stars, if I could.

Good, apart from the country & western bits

I was into this. Good song writing and interesting lyrics. Power in the unions!

Listening to revolutionary anthems while riding your bike to and from work in a city where assholes Park in bike Lanes is not a good idea if you don't want to get into fights.

Legitimate politics but terrible fucking vocals. I guess that's a three stars? I don't understand the mindset of people who cannot sing at all and decide to become a professional singer. Just be a poet or a writer or something.

Pleasant surprise, bonus points for the guitar tone throughout the whole record.

Interesting and does sound like something I would've listened to when it was released if I had known about it. There are a couple of songs I would return to, but this will not be making its way into my daily playlist. Just a good solid three for me.

Enjoyed this more than I expected.

Billy Bragg is somewhat like a sincere version of Elvis Costello. His lyrics dont include sarcasm or irony and often there is deeper story hidden in pop song's clothing. This album has the blue print of a Billy Bragg album, indie pop married with folk and lyrics with strong fight for the working class vibe. Good stuff!

I like the themes and the rawness of the albums, but it’s a bit shouty for me. Again, I think if I listened to it more, and if I was in the right headspace, I could rate this higher. Probably 3.5 stars from me.

Aggressively British folk/punk. The voice is a bit over the top and didn’t really resonate with me, but I totally get how people could love this. For me, it’s just fine. Great messaging in the lyrics

I liked this a lot. Pro Union, Anti Thatcher , acoustic rock with a heavy English accent. Steve Earle but not as good.

Billy Bragg is a very talented singer-songwriter with a quirky Folk-Punk (or is that Punk-Folk) style. I can get past his politics which I don't always agree with, but I find that his whining vocals just grate on my nerves.

This was actually a little better than I expected as I've never really liked his voice and always found the music a bit middling. Which is a shame because I have a lot of respect for him, his political leanings and as person; I've even frequented his curated stage at Glastonbury on a number of occasions. So whilst this was a fine listen, it's just not really floating my boat in any meaningful way. I'm unlikely to return to it.

Nice songs voice is a little hard to get used to

No. 323/1001 Greetings to the New Brunette 4/5 Train Train 2/5 The Marriage 4/5 Ideology 3/5 Levi Stubbs'Tears 3/5 Honey, I'm a Big Boy Now 3/5 There is Power in a Union 3/5 Help Save the Youth of America 3/5 Wishing the Days Away 3/5 The Passion 4/5 The Warmest Room 4/5 The Home Front 4/5 Average: 3,33 Not my favorite voice tbh. But I really liked the instrumentals and songwriting on this album.

Greetings to the New Brunette // Ideology // 2.5/5

Enjoyable, but mot memorable

It was ok?? Reminded me a lot of a combo of later Beatles stuff with some of the Smiths in there, however the vocals were not my vibe and really took the album down a lot for me. Some interesting jams but not for me unfortunately.

Good message, but pretty mid all round.

Поредната британска отайка :D и въпреки, че е малко над останалите такива в класацията, не бях достатъчно пиян, когато слушах този албум

This is mostly not my thing, although I do like a few of the songs, and the general sentiment. "Greetings To the New Brunette" "The Marriage" "Levi Stubbs Tears" and "Help Save the Youth of America" were all good.

This was a nice surprise to discover; a protest-spirited English rock album. Surprisingly relevant to 2025 politics/society, from 1986.

The people who say Dylan or Morrisey can’t sing need to give this guy a go. Dear me. Musically this was fine, good in places, but his voice makes this a real slog. No idea how clever the politically charged lyrics are because I mentally tuned his voice out. Frank Turner does it better for me.

As a fan of quirky/unique voices (see: Geddy Lee and Claudio Sanchez), I've always found an appeal to Billy Bragg's voice. I'm also aware enough to sympathize with those that don't haha. I only heard a handful of his music, but I can appreciate this effort. I was hopeful of a bit of tone change, but at times it plateaus too long. There's certainly a meld of different genres, but doesn't necessarily from 'protest-folk.'

OK

3/5

I really enjoyed this album. It’s got plenty of sharp lyrical observations wrapped in a really interesting package of music.

Soft post-punk/indie rock. I like the distinctive vocals. More folk/country by the end? Some Spanish horns in The Marriage. Lyrics are quite on the nose. Honky tonk style in Honey... Other country on Sin City Best track - Greetings to the new Brunette, Help Save the Youth of America 3 stars, almost 2

The review that said this was modern-day Woody Guthrie was spot-on, for better or worse. I didn't hate this, tbh.

Meh

Surprisingly really good. Modern folksy. Never heard of Billy, but enjoyed.

3.5

I came to this Billy Bragg album - number 100, hooray - knowing only the basics: English, guitar, politics. All true, as it turns out. What makes this record distinctive is its setup — varied instrumentation but no drums. That absence defines the sound: Bragg’s clean electric guitar dominates everything, ringing and chiming for nearly forty minutes without much relief. It’s a sharp, jangled tone that starts out bracing but grows fatiguing. His voice is just as defining — nasal, raw, and steeped in a thick Essex accent. At first I thought of Paul Weller, but Weller sings with far more finesse. Bragg’s delivery feels more like a statement than a performance, and after a while it grates. The album opens well. “Greetings to the New Brunette,” featuring Johnny Marr, is bright and melodic, and “Train Train” carries the manic rhythm its title promises. But after that, the energy fades. The brass flourishes in “Levi Stubbs’ Tears” and “The Marriage” give things a peculiarly English (Purcell) flavor, though they never quite work for me. “There Is Power in a Union” feels like The Pogues stripped of their spirit — more protest chant than song. But the real misstep is “Honey I’m a Big Boy Now,” a painfully off-key piano piece that seems to mistake awkwardness for authenticity. It’s not a bad album, exactly — more an earnest one that wears itself out. I started with a six, but after a few listens, I’m dropping it to a five.

Interesting but I won't add it to my library

Indie ragtime ok

This grew on me. At first wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it through a full album. His voice is sooooo….British. But like that certain British accent that can be a little harsh and obnoxious. But I ended up liking it. Really enjoyed the guitar tone on some of the songs like Levi Stubb’s Tears. 3.25

Mari ütles, et see album kõlab täpselt nii nagu ta arvas, et kõlab. Siuke ühe mehe indie, folgi projekt. Polliitilise alatooniga

I kinda get it, I don't think it has legs for a whole album, especially not the extended run, but it's the kind of music you hear and think "yeah, this is one of the things music can do".

Okay

Decent album with a nice collection of songs. New Brunette and Power in a Union stand out, the rest just exist, in a mostly positive way.

Ok, enjoyable

I have no opinion. Nothing about this stuck out or was memorable. At the same time, it wasn’t the most awful thing I’ve heard so I suppose a 3 is fine. It’s just okay. The way Billy’s voice is, particularly in the first song was incredibly annoying though. It sounded like a scene kid style of singing, so obnoxious, kind of like “Tonight will be the night that I will fall for you” kind of annoying.

I listened to this on a flight home, which was probably to its discredit, because it was hard to focus on the lyrics. While it didn’t click with me right away, the punk/folk pedigree is cool and noticeable. I’ve heard “Deportee” before, and it felt like a jarring shift in style from the rest - I had to double-check that I was still listening to the right album! 3?

Decent

Charming and British. Maybe not my cup o' tea but I'm glad it exists.

Took a break so it's actually possible for me to like new music again. I remember struggling trying to get through this before I took my hiatus and I can understand why, however, my new and improved self honestly quite liked it. It kinda started to just become background music as it went on so not a must-listen for me, but genuinely pleasant. Favourites were Greetings to the New Brunette, The Marriage, Levi Stubbs' Tears, The Warmest Room, and The Tracks of My Tears. You can tell I kind of lost interest by disc 2. Just another 3

Ever since Mermaid Avenue came out, I’ve wanted to love Billy Bragg, but I just don’t. I never really feel the urge to listen through an entire album. He’s good, just not for me.

Stripped down modern folk with Braggs distinctive vocals and social political messaging. I happen to be a Billy Bragg fan so I enjoyed this record having not listened to it in many years. It’s not his best record though.

I want to like this more then I did. I've tried a couple of different Bragg albums and they don't click with me. This wasn't bad but it's still not my thing.

I kinds of dug this a little. Not my favorite, but it's not bad.

He's a man to hugely admire, Bragg. Probably more than he is someone to really, truly enjoy listening to. I love the forcefulness of his delivery and guitar playing, and the rawness of the lyrics are, of course, fantastic. On the other hand, he's not much of an actual vocalist, and the accent is a bit much to listen to for long periods of time. Power in the Union is absolutely anthemic though, and overall, the world needs way more Billy Braggs making art, so fair play to him.

Talking With the Taxman About Poetry is an album that did have some pretty good ideas and for the most part, executed them rather well. This album mainly combines folk music with some more punk rock elements and a fair few of the songs put that on full display. I would also say that Bragg's songwriting is definitely quite a standout aspect about this album as these songs could tell some rather interesting stories. I also felt that this album went on for a good length by not being too long or too short. Some of the songs here do blend in with each other a bit which makes them hardly stand out but i still thought that there was no outright bad part about this album. Best Song: Train Train Worst Song: Honey, I'm a Big Boy Now

Ballads

It's pretty good for folk but it's not really my cup of tea. This isn't a very fair review, but oh well. 2.5/5.0: Mixed

i wasnt sure what to expect going into this album. i first heard of billy bragg when lars frederiksen covered "to have and to have not" back in the early 2000s. i always enjoyed that track but never really explored his discography. then i got the billy bragg/wilco album on here which I did not enjoy. this one was closer to what i was hoping for from him but still left me with a lot to be desired. the genre on wikipedia is folk punk which i think does fit a few of the songs but i think folk is more accurate. for the most part it felt like listening to the uk bob dylan.

The folky Bob Dylan-esque feel is hard to escape. It really isn’t in my wheelhouse but there are moments of brilliance. I can see the appeal.

Starts with a pretty upbeat folk-rock song and sort of relaxes itself after that, I'm more into that first track myself, but the rest is still pleasant, his voice goes well with the lighter, airier guitar

The political songs feel pretty timeless and still hit hard. The jilted love songs haven't aged well imo.

I can see why this album and, specifically, Billy Bragg's voice would annoy some people but it didn't have that effect on me. I enjoyed it, overall, but probably won't spend too much time listening to it going forward.

meh

mais um pra série: "tava esperando lixo completo e recebi um álbum bem ok das ideia"

ah eh de boa até achei que seria bem pior

I liked this more than I thought I would.

My first introduction to Billy Bragg back when variety in my music was probably at its peak. .

very british but very catchy and fun

3.5

3.5

Would be better if it was Talking With Jeremy Paxman About Toe Trees or summat. Opener Greetings To The New Brunette is actually a bit of a surprise gem, mainly because it has Kirsty MacColl and Johnny Marr on it and therefore the materials to be halfway lush. Unfortunately the rest of the album does not have these materials and tends be to more on the tedious and craggy all-Billy Bragg side. Needs someone like Billy Joel or Billy Paul to bring justice to these songs.

This was ok, I have a soft spot for politics in music so that helped this a bit. Some solid writing throughout and I can imagine the voice is tough for some but I didn’t dislike it. More interesting than a 2 but not reaching the level of 4 so at a 3 this sits. Probably won’t revisit much but glad I listened.

One of the most obnoxious album titles we’ve had. Don’t love the odd Marxist lectures peppered throughout the album, but on the whole this guys sound and style are unique. There’s a cockiness you need to put out a double album of mostly just you singing poorly over not much more than very basic strumming patterns - but he does pull it off for the most part with a certain rough charm. Apparently he’s known for his lyrics but I can barely understand what he’s saying for the most part. Still, a nice find. I’d probably go 4 stars, but I’m detracting one because he violates one of my core tenets which is that I can’t fucking stand when Brits opine on American culture. Based on his song about the youth of America and his extremely, almost comically on the nose political songs, Bragg seems like the kind of guy who’d love John Oliver and share his inane rants on Facebook. If he wasnt a solid songwriter (at least in his love songs) I’d probably hate this guy.

Ooo man. Some good folksy rock here. Usually the double album is an immediate turn off, but it only drags on slightly here. The entire album I was thinking about Frank Turner 😂 Turns out they’ve collaborated a lot together. Giving it a 3 for now, but definitely going back this weekend for another round

***An ok album, easy listening

Ok, but often the sound is one man and one guitar (only). Dominant lyrics.

An interesting album that felt like it was worth a listen. Very loose and casual style. Felt more like listening to some guy play his set at the local pub than a polished album you would expect to be considered one of the best of all time. Clearly a good songwriter - though im sure a lot of the political references were lost on me (in part because most are about 1980's England). Happy I listened to this and have a better understanding of who Billy Bragg is - but falls short for me from having the type of cultural impact I think many people give it.

I’ve put on a few of Billy Bragg’s songs in the past thinking I must like him because I love the idea of a folk punk artist and I’m a huge fan of his work with Wilco on the Mermaid Avenue project to put music to some unheard Woody Guthrie lyrics, but I’ve never been able to get past his voice/accent. I understand that it’s very much part of his persona and is a way to connect with the working class, but it just isn’t really for me. That said, I actually ended up enjoying this album quite a bit when I got into it with songs like Train Train, Levi Stubbs’ Tears, Honey I’m a Big Boy Now, There is Power in a Union, Wishing the Days Away being highlights for me.

6/10 - not bad, good lyrics, but gets a bit samesy

Very good.

I’ve only seen Billy Bragg live once (as a support act for Paul Heaton). It was a great set singing along with a big crowd of people, especially when the big guns like There Is Power In A Union came out. But I’ve found the best way of hearing his songs is not by seeing him live, or by listening to his albums, but by finding them woven into the fabric of life: a recent funeral I attended where everyone sang along to The Red Flag, or at countless protests and rallies where his songs naturally become a glue that holds people together. That’s where the power of his music is found.

2.5/5

You hear what Wilco heard

Billy’s voice and vocal delivery remind me of Elvis Costello. Has a modern folk rock/alternative sound that I appreciate. Some of the songs are political commentary in nature, but the lyrics are a little too on the nose to be inspirational - they come across as a little trite. The album also contains covers of old folk songs. Notable songs include Greetings to the New Brunette, Levi Stubbs’ Tears, Sin City, Deportees, The Tracks of My Tears, A Nurse’s Life is Full of Woe.

This one grew on me as I listened to it. At first I found Bragg's voice whiney, but as I settled into it I liked it a lot more. I enjoyed the guitar on the album, and thought the lyrics were good and heartfelt, straightforward as well which is nice sometimes. Standouts: There is Power in a Union Rating: 3.25/5

A lot better than I thought it would be. More interesting production and musical arrangements than I suspected. Still underpinned by the social activism for sure, but very listenable and enjoyable despite that!

Most definitely on the strong side of 3/5. Just a little one note for me aside from some notable exceptions. My favorite being Levi Stubbs’ Tears, what a song.

Enjoyed this more than I thought, although his accent does start to grate after a while.

Billy Bragg is one of those artists I can only take in small doses. One or two songs? Great! This album? Tedious as hell!

I came around to his voice but I really didn’t find much enjoyment here. Good melodies, good parts, I agree with what he’s singin bout, but I just don’t really vibe with the songs. Won’t be coming back to it but pretty good album. I really didn’t like the divorce song.

eh this was fine. I kinda liked his voice, but the album was too long. There were some nice sounding parts, but I definitely won't be returning. Fine 3

Like, don't love it. I feel like I've just listened to Bragg preach for an hour. Most of this album kinda went by and I didn't notice too much of it. I find myself usually liking a little bit of this kind of music, but never really get into it. Straight down the road 3/5.

pretty good

Arranqué odiando este album en la primer listen, pero después de darle otra oportunidad, la verdad las canciones son buenas y bastante distintas entre sí. Y pegadizas también. Shirleyyyyyy (Greetings to the New Brunette). Al principio me chocaba muchísimo el acento tan marcado de Billy y el hecho de que las canciones son poco más que Billy y una guitarra y que usa progresiones simples (aparte no soy fan del folk). Me dio la impresión de que era todo medio igual, pero esto cambió cuanto más lo escuché. Hay varios buenos temas en este album, como el que mencioné antes, Train Train, The Marriage (pegadiza), There Is Power in a Union (política y bastante powerful), Wishing the Days Away, The Passion (super interesante, habla sobre una madre raising a child con un padre no muy interesado). En general habla de política y relaciones amorosas. buen album al final

British folk music is not something I thought I'd ever listen to. Cool riffs, relatable lyrics, and good album cohesion.

It's a good one-off listen. Not my taste so probably won't revisit.

had no idea going into this what it would sound like. Now i do. It's not bad. same bucket as Paul Weller et all. that accent tho.

2,75

Knew the name, but not the music. To me, it sounded like a stripped-down and more politically or socially oriented version of Squeeze or The Jam. I can hear NIck Lowe’s influence, Difford & Tillbrook coming through. Not sure I’d go back, but pleasant enough.

Enjoyed the first few songs, felt unique and different. And to its credit, it’s definitely got a lot of variety in instrumentation between songs. But man, 22 songs of his voice really starts to wear on you about halfway through. Decent enough but in limited doses.

Dit is zeker niet voor iedereen, maar ik hou wel van een lekker politiek links protest albumpje in de stijl van Guthrie & Dylan (Ideology is zelfs een herinterpretatie van een Dylan track). Kan Billy Bragg echt zingen? Nee, niet echt. Voor menig luisteraar zal dit een struikelblok zijn, ik hou daar wel van, lekkere rauwe emotie. 'Levi Stubbs' Tears' & 'There Is Power in a Union' zijn wat mij betreft de absolute hoogtepunten, al zijn ze beide misschien wat on the nose. On the nose is sowieso iets wat de heer Bragg niet bang is om te zijn en dat bewonder ik ergens wel. Echter, uiteindelijk bekruipt tijdens het luisteren van deze plaat me steeds het gevoel dat ik ergens een mondharmonica mis (of toch de superieure songwriting van de eerder genoemde influences). Al met al best vermakelijk en ik zal het in de toekomst nog wel een keer aanzetten om te kijken of ik het wat meer kan loskoppelen van andere artiesten.

Better week, mowed the lawn, and asked Abby about her day

I wanted to like this more than I did. Frankly, there was just too many songs and they all kind of sounded the same. I love his voice though, and love the vibes.

lyrics were interesting, but the music isn't really my thing. Not enough drums.

Billy Bragg goes a little jangly and remains political and the political side is still as relevant today as ever.

Accidentally listened to the bonus tracks on Apple Music and was thinking that disc 2 was finally taking this album to a place it should've started from. Turns out I wasn't supposed to hear that. bummer. for disc 1? 3/5

Alot of political messages sometimes felt too on the nose. Alot of the songs sounded too similar

Pretty good, not totally into every track. I like the overall sound.

Is this a Communist lecture? What depressing about old folk songs is how they are still pretty accurate 40 years later. But it still kinda feels like reading an old magazine. A less catchy Midnight Oil, we were real determined to be bummed out in 80s. I can’t imagine why you would want to put this record on. It’s not bad but it’s not fun.

New to me. Pretty much know Billy Bragg from the Mermaid Avenue Sessions (Wilco/Tweedy fan). Sort of knew he was a relevant figure in British Folk, but not much beyond that. I immediately hear the influences of the '80s and the UK in both political referencing & sound production. His vocal delivery sounds similar to The Smiths. I also hear Elvis Costello. But his verse & melody construction is often more simplistic and approachable than either of those two - a la the traditional protest folk he was inspired by. It just doesn't feel as compelling as Guthrie, Baez, or other folk ballad singers, and certainly not as compelling as The Smiths or Costello. I don't strongly dislike the album, but I can't find anything I truly love either. Considering this was inspired by a political poem with plenty of wit, I would love to have felt more singular creativity - musically or lyrically. Whether or not it's fair to compare, I liked his covers from the 2006 reissue substantially more than his original work. Of the initial release, 'Ideology' & 'Levi Stubbs' Tears' were my favorites. I can see enjoying those after future listens, so I'll likely revisit the whole album and see how I feel the 2nd time.

It's a good album by a singer-songwriter. Billy Bragg has his heart in the right place. But the ballad style doesn't hold up over an album. He named The Clash as an influence and you can hear that. But this album sounds like you'd just Joe Strummer playing acoustic sets of Clash songs: Good, but not great.

Calm and nice.

A lot of this sounds the same to me, but there’s an earnestness that I appreciate and lyrics like this blow me away And the cities of Europe have burned before And they may yet burn again And if they do I hope you understand That Washington will burn with them

I don't like folk rock. There are some good parts here, but overall the music is just too slow and not very exciting. Not really my thing. I prefer music to be more present, and this just falls into the background and fails to engage me much. That being said, the music itself is not bad by any means.

Billy Bragg is always worth listening to. Nothing as immediate as 'Between the Wars' or 'A New England', and his voice does grate a bit after a while (!).

Solid lyrically- And while I really didn't enjoy his voice at first it did grow on me enough to be tolerable. The fact that I agree more often than not on the message sways it to a 3

Really enjoy the production on this. Raw low-fi folky country vibes with a hint of punk. Guitar work is cool and simple. Album didn’t grip me, may need some more listens. Plenty of political themes

Not too bad at all - not sure its double album 22 songs worth of good tho.

3/5. Once you get past the heavy accent, and some people might not and that is valid, there is some pretty introspective and progressive lyrics here. The production is full and crisp, allowing me to understand most of the lyrics despite the accent. And there is an innocent charm to the vocals, but also not sure it's for me all the time. I enjoyed it but it's not something I would necessarily recommend. Folk Punk is a good genre classification, but I guess I would have liked a little more Punk. Best Song: Ideology, There Is Power In A Union, Levi Stubbs' Tears

I don’t dislike Mr Bragg but his work can be a little samey

Disk 1 giver lidt Morrissey vibes, fed stemme, der er et bar gode sange. Disk 2 giver mere folk, lidt mere stille og rolig også valid.

the most british thing i’ve ever heard oh my god, this is just if morrissey was like unheard of, i quite enjoyed it, rip joe casey you would’ve loved billy bragg, overall it’s alright just very long and samey, the last song ate

I do enjoy but giving tea for the tillerman . It was very folky and I wnjoyed it a lot . Cba to listen to all but I skipped through some songs and I liked the majority just pretty decent

bragg-ing about Bragg: ist in England eine grosse folknummer, und mir bisher unbekannt. gitarre und engagement, zum glück mit gastmusikern, damit es was hermacht. gut so - roaring eighties.

I dig Billy Bragg. I think is debut is a better record - but this is solid.

116/1089 - This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but his accent is very thick. A problem with a lot of singer-songwriter types is they focus so much on words/story that their actual melodies aren't memorable or musical. While there definitely was some English folk influence (and a rip of "Rudie Can't Fail" on "Help Save the Youth of America") in the melodies, nothing was catchy to my ear.

Dad- 5 Mom- 3 Mike- NA Lori- 5.5 Michael- 7 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 5.13

2.5 stars

nice guitar album. i cant decide whether i like his voice or not

This sure is a English album. I'd probably enjoy Mr. Bragg's songs more on a tribute album of covers of his greatest works. Seems to be a decent song-writer, but his singin's middlin'.

Don’t mind it mate. Probably not going to listen again or search any more out though. Simpsons: No

Alright, some really good stuff and some less good

Enjoyed this more than I expected to, would listen again

I actually didn't mind this album. It's pretty stripped down, mostly a dude singing ditties w/ a guitar.

I really wanted to like this. In theory, folk punk is very cool. But, it's just kind of boring. I can't get into it, sorry.

Hmmm. I think Billy Bragg doesn't do it for me.

Cava nog, wijze stem sowieso. Levi Stubbs Tears is echt een nice nummer. De rest blijft niet echt hangen. 2.5

Really enjoyable set of stripped down songs. The style is rooted in folk, but a few of these songs would be punk if the sound was a little more fleshed out and the band was bigger. Cool to hear the connection between folk and punk like that. I love his voice too. He’s got a great accent, and he’s very emotive.

This was a pretty enjoyable listen. I really dug how the first track doesn't ever have drums yet it sounds like a full band orchestration- they make all of the acoustic guitars work really well in a nice spatial + rhythmic sense that I never felt like I needed a percussion element. Which is surprising because to me personally when I hear this kind of sound I usually feel like I'm listening to a bit of a cacophony of acoustic guitarists sitting around a campfire. Yea there's some wonderful minimalism going on here- like "Levi Stubbs' Tears" is really cool with the majority of it being a single electric guitar and voice. Also noticing this far into the album that it's not just the first song that is without a drumset, as I'm not hearing it anywhere else. Cool listen, I enjoyed!

2.5

This is, what, punk folk with a hints of pop? From the first sentence you can get where the guy is from and you can guess what these songs will be talking about. It might be a bit too long though, and some songs are a little bit overproduced; it sounds better when it's rougher.

I'd never heard of this guy. Pretty interesting album, both in lyrical content and in terms of the guitar work. Definitely sounds punkish in the sound of his voice, and then folkish in his kind of cadence and subject matter. Like electric folk punk. This is probably one I'll go back to at some point. 3.4/ 5 4.5

always down for some folk punk. good listen.

Aight

Its just whatever

It was aight, lotta features on the album but it was a little all over the place, but definitely nothing that I didn’t like on it, honestly would revisit it again if I had nothing to listen to

solid and good variety of tunes. Had different genres or elemnts at least but to me his voice is not that much enjoyable. Felt a bit long too but the lyrics and the concept works and is good. (2.5/5.0)

Those songs deserved fuller instrumentation. Does Bragg have something against drummers?? 3.2

This album doesn't feel quite finished to me. Like it could be a good demo or a sort of proof of concept type thing but it's not a fully fleshed out record. I like the style and where it's heading but it needs more. I think it's because there are no drums and little bass. I mean you can certainly make a record without those things but this was not a successful attempt. It ends up sounding thin and unpolished and empty. I found myself sort of tuning it out a bit. It's a shame because I feel like the lyrics are actually really good and the music has a lot of potential, it just wasn't executed properly. 2.5/5 and I'll round up because I think this could have been a great album.

It’s pretty alright

I don’t like how this is a double LP. It easily could’ve been just a normal LP, the entire second disc is stuff you would expect to hear on a deluxe extended version of an album and not stuff I felt I needed to hear at all. I mostly just feel let down after listening to this album because going into this I was quite excited it being an alt folk album from a guy I’d heard of before and it turned out to be not that good. Also I did not expect a country song to have pro immigration lyrics. How the genre has changed… The leftism of this whole album is really quite shocking in general, Billy is very blunt and in your face about it. Edit: (2->3) I’m so glad I’ve since turned around on Billy, I think he just took some getting used to but this album is by no means bad.

Драматичное и громкое бряцанье на электрогитаре и левацкие песенки.

I feel that I should like this more than I do. I'm a sucker for politically charged lyrics and singer songwriters. Yet there's something here that leaves me cold. I'm not sure quite what it is though.

Dude - shut up and play that big guitar. The music, writing and vocals are much less interesting.

More upbeat than a lot of the stuff so far. Goes between indie rock and music you might here in a lil pub. Lyrics are fun, sometimes a bit preachy. A couple ballads here and there. Harps a lot on the failure and injustice of government and politicians. Vocal style is kinda droopy with a heavy British accent, has the affect of making you feel sorry for the guy singing.

Good songs

This is a solid album. You know how, sometimes, you listen to albums, and it's like, "Yeah, this is solid"? Well, yeah, this is solid. Plus the cover art rules.

I kinda liked this overall. Folky and varied, but not something I'd come back to a lot.

Clever album title.

I love the message of the music even while not fully vibing with it overall. It’s a fine album.

Early on listening to this, I was all set to give this one star, but as I continued to listen, I didn’t mind it as much. Even so, this one gets a generous two stars. Just some real weird sh*t.

One of your proofs that music doesn’t change the world. Billy disappeared up his own fundament for a while believing I think he was the new improved Fidel or Lenin or Pol Pot. He just couldn’t bring down the Thatcher government. This is fine and worth one listen. 2.5. Rounded up in the spirit of socialism.

C: 6.5/10 pretty good, enjoyable, liked the one about marriage. I don't have tons to say about it.

So I had never heard of Billy Bragg before, and honestly I had mixed opinions. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of variety on this album. There’s some rock, country, slower ballads, etc. my only real complaint is that his accent is so distracting. Genuinely I had to listen to this album twice cause I felt like the first listen I was being unfairly harsh cause I was so distracted by how thick his British accent is. But on a second listen I started to enjoy it more. Really the star of this album is how great the guitar and piano playing is. I think if you are looking for something alittle different and slightly challenging, this is the album for you. Very interesting album.

It's okay.

Pretty good stuff here.

He seems a lovely left leaning chap but I find his voice so tiresome. A modern Woody Guthrie. He was dull too.

Ok, but not for me

Decent.

I always thought Billy Bragg would sound like a fisherman. I guess he does, but it’s a different type of fisherman than I expected. Overall, I’m just not sure how I feel about this quite yet.

Bit preachy but liked it

i would’ve much rather talked with the poet man about taxes. probably would’ve made for a better album. extra star for the song about being a cuck.

Cheeky lyrics, but the music doesn't grab me. Fun enough, though.

Somewhat enjoyable

maneirim maneirim

Talking with the Taxman About Poetry pulled me in early with a few standout tracks and Bragg’s raw, unpolished vocals—definitely an acquired taste, but one I’m into for the honesty and conviction. By the end, though, it felt like I’d heard the same sermon twice. Still, his mix of passion and kitchen-sink storytelling makes it clear why he’s a touchstone for socially conscious songwriters. Essential listening though? I'm not convinced.

Better production than most Billy Bragg stuff

Great activist songs, albeit quite long.

Right wing? Wrong wing!

British social protesting folk style

I think what happened to me here was I was listening and rather liking this album... but after a while the words began blending and I was feeling as if it were a bit redundant. Yeah, it's OK. But I think Billy Bragg is MUCH more likely to shine in smaller doses, like getting a song played on the radio now and then. That way we get the stories, we get the "unique" voice and melodies... but a whole album? I don't know. For me personally, I got kind of bored after a while. Overall he can go deep lyrically and has some mad piano... I see him as kind of folk... but not quite personal enough maybe?

There are moments, particularly early on, where we rise above the looming britpop slog that this record predates. Growing pains and angst can be felt throughout the first few tracks, whether it’s the jealous tone of the opening track, or the coming-of-age realizations in “The Marriage.” I personally love the surfer blues guitar riff and vocal melody on “Levi Stubbs Tears.” And that horn solo at the end? OOH! Love it. “Wishing The Days Away” is an equally wishful but gloomy singalong that I really enjoyed. “Deportees” is a highlight of disc 2, which is making a conscious effort to highlight social immigration and humanity issues at Americas southern border - it’s practically a protest song done in the Eagles lonesome western style. Then, “The Clashing Of Ideaoligies” is making me wonder if someone isn’t pulling the switches on what albums we get on specific days for this list. The song is a scathing set of jabs about corruption in parliament and government in general. One day after our own inauguration? Hmmm. Anyways. The good is really good, but this could probably be consolidated into one album to make it great. Instead, you’ve gotta take the good with the meh. Strong 3/5.

sko, mér finnast lögin ekkert spes en held þetta gæti vaxið, 3.5.

alright

Exactly how I expected a billy Bragg album to sound. Cor blimey guvnor, unions. Wasn't expecting the Huggies pull ups advert though. Mummy wow I'm a big girl now. Quite liked it though. Definitely has a style.

Interesting listen. Decent lyrics if not overwhelming. I'd listen to another album of it.

Interesting

It is music that exists.

Only guy who can get away with using the word “ideology” in songs

Sing songy British folk punk. Not my kinda shite.

I can see how this might be important music to some. Its political, cool. As the album title though its more like poetry. The music itself doesn't grab me much. A couple of times there was a pretty nice sonic palette like on The Marriage, and I also quite liked Levi Stubbs' Tears. 3.2/5

it was quite alright

These guys are punk AF, which I'm down for. But I don't like the lead vocals, he gets kind of whiny.

Приятный сингер-сонграйтер альбом. Лучшая песня - Greetings to the New Brunette.

I’ve just never got Billy Bragg. He does what he does well but I’ve rarely heard one of Bragg’s songs and wanted to replay it. “Greetings to the New Brunette” and “Levi Stubb’s Tears” come as close as any.

Not enough of a Billy Bragg aficionado to know what his best album is, but most of what I considered to be his biggest, signature songs seem to be on his debut album, not this one. Still, I could be wrong, and maybe this is the pick of the bunch. The first 5 tracks are great and really distill what’s good about his songwriting, I think. After that I found it a bit hit and miss, though I’m still generally a fan, or at least a firm ‘well-wisher’ of his style. 3.5

Billy Bragg always seems like someone I’d be into on paper, but it just doesn’t work that way in execution. The songwriting feels a bit generic and the themes a little too forced. Average.

Was gonna write this off as too British for me but then I got to “There’s Power In a Union” and I have to give it up to the man purely out of respect and solidarity. ✊

I always feel like Billy Bragg is yell-singing.

Vagrant music

There are a lot of Billie’s in the music world. Billy Joel, Billy Strings, Billy woods, Billy Idol, Billie Jean. And Billy Bragg, I guess? I still really don’t know who this gentleman is, but the last time I spoke about him, I was covering his collaboration with Wilco. And I didn’t give it the most positive score. I thought the album was okay at best. I remember finding the songs where Billy was not the main focus to be the best. I did not find his voice very appealing. And so I wasn’t totally ecstatic to learn he had another album on the list. Now it has been almost a year since I first heard that record, so maybe if I revisited it, I would enjoy it more. But you know what? This solo record from Billy isn’t half bad. I think allowing his style in particular to shine actually makes for a better experience. And his very unique style of poeticism through the lyrics comes through way clearer. I found myself focusing more on what he was saying than the music itself at times. It’s what makes something like Honey, I’m a Big Boy Now. Aside from the first song, which is the best thing this has to offer by a good amount, the instrumentation is rather sparse. But it’s really the juxtaposition of what Billy is singing about against the music that makes this for me. It’s often very melancholic and sometimes even saddening, especially with his delivery. But the music does not reflect this. It’s much more upbeat. Many of these songs do fall into this weird 80s singer-songwriter thing, and that’s where I don’t connect as much. But I still think this is better than Mermaid Avenue. Rating: 6/10

Not my cup of tea.

the stripped down raw sound & lyrics had a street busker vibe. was an interesting listen, just way too long.

En stark trea. Någon låt för långt och liiiiite liite för mycket pubkänsla. Annars en fyra. Albumet avslutar starkt vilket känns lite ovanligt.

I am not familiar with Billy Bragg outside of the Mermaid Avenue records he did with Wilco. I have always been curious about listening to his country punk protest records. This seems like a great start, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The vibe, the urgency, beautiful songs.

oh he is the new england guy i like him!

Decent Folk Music

It's fine, nothing mind-blowing. Decent lyrics but I doubt anything will get stuck in my head

Better than I expected

A great step forward for Billy Bragg, adding deft instrumentation to a strong set of songs. That foghorn of a voice though ....

Det var en trevlig lyssning. Har hört lite Billy Bragg förut. Gillade det bättre för många år sen men kul att han dök upp på den här listan.

Börjar bra (första låten är bäst) och alltid uppfriskande med lite kamp. Medryckande och bitvis träffar han rätt, men över en hel skiva blir det lite för repetitivt och enkelspårigt för att kunna bli mer än en trea. Han skulle behöva haft en bättre röst för att lyfta till nästa nivå.

Ok, There Is Power in a Union and Help Save the Youth of American really need to go viral right about now.

I thought this was fine, but nothing outstanding, pretty typical Billy Bragg.

Neat I guess. As I reach the end I appreciate simple albums. Still doesn't do much for me but I'm happy it exists.

Album 591 of 1001 Billy Bragg - Talking With the Taxman About Poetry (1986) Rating : 3 / 5 Not everyone will like this. I like Billy Bragg, accent and all. Listed as Rock/Folk/Punk. It does hit a bit on each.

Despite being a British album, strangely appropriate for today's US Presidential Election. Pretty good overall, but a little long. The songs were starting to sound a bit samesy by the end. I liked the vibe though, and will be checking out more of Billy Bragg's stuff!

Folk Punk on kyllä toimiva combo. Brittiläistä musiikkia, mutta tässä on vahva jenkkituoksu kun ei aksenttia kuuntele. Mukavan lämmin fiilis kappaleissa. Parhaat: Greetings to the New Brunette, Levi Stubbs Tears, The Passion, Sin City (Bonus kappale)

I liked this one. He's from the UK and a Few union guy

Don’t know if I agree entirely with all of Billy Bragg’s political statements, but it’s clear he has got a lot to say, and he generally get his points across well. This is definitely better than the album he did with Wilco, ‘Mermaid Avenue’, which is also in the 1001 albums book/list. Some genuinely good stuff on here.

Was alright

This was an interesting listen. It's like someone mashed together country, folk and british punk rock into a single sound, but it's actually impeccably performed. The piano, guitar, mandolin, and BGVs were especially amazing. The melodies and accompaniment were sometimes pretty simplistic and derivative (There is Power in a Union sounded particularly reminiscent of some 60's folk song that I can't quite place), and Bragg's accent was particularly salty and grates on my nerves after a while, but I didn't hate it overall. Wouldn't listen again, but I appreciate it for what it is, three stars.

I always liked Billy Bragg and own a few albums (not this one). However I also have to admit I don't put them on. So do I WANT to like him more than I actually do? Like other albums, I love the songs but an entire album tends to be a bit much. Likes: excellent melodic songs with some punk influences which I like, a socially engaged artist. Dislikes: given that the lyrics are so important, they are not that poetic - it's all a bit straightforward (non layered). His voice I find hard for an entire album. It's not very musical and a bit shouty (fits the lyrics though). It doesn't help that it's produced quite echo'y as if it was recorded live in a tube station. Which again, fits the content of the songs, but it's just a but much for an entire album. So I'm only giving it a 3* but they are the best 3* ever! Would be 4* or 5* if I just enjoyed listening to it more.

Some of the songs made me tear up a bit because I thought about them too much but equally i was glad when this album was over

Its decent! very dad rock IIRC.

3+ power in the union

Woke lefty nonsense (I had a good time)

Can an accent be too strong?

I'm bad at listening to lyrics, but the music is good and the guys seem really into it.

Est-ce la voix, est-ce l'accent? Cet album m'a ennuyée et un peu irritée, en dépit de certains arrangements intéressants (cuivres, notamment). J'ai aussi un peu l'impression qu'il parle à travers son chapeau dans les pièces d'inspiration folk américain.

Talking with the Taxman About Poetry is the third album by Billy Bragg, originally released in September 1986. This is an interesting take on folk rock. There is minimal percussion throughout this album and it's pretty much just him and an electric guitar with tons of reverb. The lyrics are mostly centered around political themes, which is to be expected from a folk-adjacent album. The production sounds pretty 80s but in a Smiths type of way. There is a distinct new wave flare to this, maybe it's Bragg's voice. Pretty good album.

+1 for Kristy MacColl +1 for Johnny Marr

Odd, but I kind of liked it, but also didn’t.

Kind of endless

Very political

Not my vibe but... nice.

I had no idea who Billy Bragg was or what to expect with this album. I enjoyed a lot of this. It's mostly electric guitar folk (with some acoustic and country-ish songs) that has a lot in common with The Clash — melodically catchy, political, cheeky lyrics. This is what I wanted Elvis Costello to be. Damn, the lyrics of "Ideology" hit hard. It's a song that's almost 40 years old and even more relevant today than when it was written (it also borrows heavily from Bob Dylan's Chimes of Freedom). Ditto "There Is Power in a Union." "Levi Stubbs' Tears" is a great storytelling song. Unfortunately, the choice to make this a double album wasn't a great one. It starts to overstay its welcome, especially since the latter part of the first album and a lot of the second one have several slow acoustic songs that begin to blend together. I'd probably give it a 4 if it was pared down to one album of the best songs. As is, I have to round down to a 3.5. Highlights: “”Ideology,” Levi Stubbs' Tears,” “Help Save the Youth of America”

Very strong lyrically. Instrumentally it's a bit samey and basic but I do enjoy the guitar tones he uses.

Some great tunes I recognise! I'd listen again.

Non memorabile, ma nemmeno malvagio

Pretty decent

Honestly, not a bad ride at all. I know we're oversaturated with UK albums, but we don't get muck UK folk, do we? I love American folk music, and to hear it from the UK is interesting. As a whole the album didn't grab me too much, but I appreciated a few songs here and there and the thematic writing for the working man was cool. Compared to all the copy-paste UK rock albums we get, this one's worth a listen. Favorite tracks: Deportees, There is Power in a Union, Greetings to the New Brunette, The Warmest Room. Album art: A sort of lo-res image from what I would guess is a political cartoon, looks like a big stump or something guzzling cash. The white and blue striped overlay makes this seems sterile, like a museum exhibit, we've had a couple like that before. Not sure if that was a reissue touch or what. 3/5

A handful of stand out tracks, but it becomes very repetitive very quickly.

It's like someone gave your left-wing art teacher a guitar and a record deal.

The humble Bragg folksily fuses personal and political, exploring matters of heart, mind, and society with his distinctive voice and songcraft.

I appreciate Billy Bragg's commitment to the bit. Not surprised to see it on this list. Has an amateurish feel that's slightly off-putting, what with the gigantic themes. He's like that dude who's always right and wants to bend your ear in a loud voice about how Reagan and Thatcher set us on the course to societal ruin, and you just came for the beer and the band. Guitar sounds like this dude in my town that is busking by the train station sometimes. Not a great player, but has a very STRONG approach, a bit too shouty. This album could (should?) just be poems, but that doesn't pay as well or get as many girls nowadays, does it? And by nowadays I mean the 20th century. Maybe it was the opposite in the 1800's? Some records take a lot more effort than others.

2.75

I like Billy's accent & I want to go to the pub

I like it, typically political statements with sparse music make me cringe, but this one somewhat feels right. And all the fuzz about his singing, hey, did you ever listen to Mr. Dylan?

A lot of working class conscious protest songs interspliced with very typical dragging rusty raspy folk songs that feel as dated as their political counterparts are poignant.

I am partial to Billy Bragg and enjoyed this largely. However, it is long and his style can get a bit tiring. Some good tracks though: Ideology There is power in a union Help save the youth of America A nurses life is full of woe Hope there is more on the list. 3.5

This is quite interesting - Didn't realise the 2nd disk was from a reissue and think it would have worked better as more of a mix of the two - the initial album has its moments but the delivery starts to grate.

This could have been a single disc great album but instead it's a decent at best double album.

I was pretty annoyed with the singers voice at first but it definitely grew on me.

Not his best but ok. 2.5

Only knowing Billy Bragg from his reputation as a pivotal punk-inspired singer-songwriter in a time where Tories were ruling the UK with an iron fist, squashing the hopes of the working class. So it was pleasant to get introduced to his music in a proper manner here. Browsing through his other early albums, it feels like this selection splits the difference between his early barebones LPs and his subsequent records where the production is a little more sophisticated (alas, sometimes giving in to the trends of the day in a couple of cuts here and there). So I guess *Talking With the Taxman About Poetry* is an ideal entry point. Billy's vocals are admittedly rough around the edges, but the artistry still shines, whether it's for the political songs or the more narrative cuts about doomed romance. Some of the violin or fiddle arrangements are stellar. Oh. And "Train Train" was a nice surprise, all moody and cinematic as an early rock'n'roll pastiche. 3/5 for the purposes of this list. 8/10 for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: 134 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 372 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 221 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 278

Power to the union!