Billy Bragg is a wonderful British Singer-Songwriter with a long history behind him of providing some amazing music and being an outspoken voice of a progressive theory. Heavily influenced by both British folk and some of the American luminaries, he also combines a punk aesthetic - one which has combined with some impressive performances over the years. Choosing six songs from various points was a bit of a challenge.
The first two tracks comprise a historical and worker ethics song and a general lack of real promises fufilled, one a very stripped down guy with his guitar and the other a little more 'traditional' rock song. The third was performed life in the USSR on one of his many trips during the eighties. We move onto a song from the early nineties that made it onto the UK singles chart. The fifth though is from Mermaid Avenue - the one place most Americans who have heard him would know him from. Woodie Guthrie's daughter approached Bragg about bringing some of her father's unpublished songs to the public with a more modern relevant tone. He then approached Wilco to provide the band behind him, as well as doing a few numbers with Natalie Merchant who he had collaborated before. The final is with a new 'allstar' backing band The Blokes off his 2002 release. I've avoided his newest couple CDs, if you are interested you can see where he has gone from there.
- Billy Bragg - The World Turned Upside Down
- Billy Bragg - Waiting for the Great Leap Forward
- Billy Bragg - Help Save The Youth of America
- Billy Bragg - Sexuality
- Billy Bragg & Natalie Merchant with Wilco - Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key
- Billy Bragg and the Blokes - Take Down the Union Jack
2 comments:
Downloaded the pack and gave it a listen. Really liked "Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key".
it's strange to realize i've never listened to a billy bragg record. i've heard him here and there, of course, but just never really sought anything out.
i wasn't crazy about the last two songs, but the first two more than made up for it. i'll have to look into this... thanks for the blog!
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