Thursday 10 June 2010

Musical Odyssey: next stop - Billy Bragg

Billy divides opinion. Some think he's a honking bore trapped in the 80s, others think he's a deft wordsmith representing the thoughtful side of punk and folk.

I'm on the latter side. He does have a challenging voice (nasal cockney, basically) and he does sing about politics a lot, though not as much as you'd think. He's hugely enthusiastic about other musicians, he's an engaging live performer, he's funny and can occasionally shock you with a gorgeous tune.

I've only got the anthology Must I Paint You A Picture? and his collaboration with Wilco using Woody Guthrie lyrics which didn't yet have tunes - Mermaid Avenue -  on digital media - but I'd recommend it, and his album Workers Playtime (I'll forgive him for that missed apostrophe) as ideal introductions to the quirky world of Bragg. Don't Try This At Home is his catchiest album. He's testimony to the idea that all you need to make a difference is a ready wit, a guitar and a pair of Doctor Martens. He's not cool, in that he's not glossy, styled, marketed and airbrushed, but he's definitely someone to admire.

Look out for him too on the triumphant The Imagined Village folk/rock/world albums, which fizz with joy.







Here's Kirsty MacColl singing Bragg's 'A New England' with him - she had a solo hit covering it:

2 comments:

Benjamin Judge said...

Talking With The Taxman is one of my all time sing-along-in-a-loud-and -tuneless-voice-with-a-big-ol-grin albums.

You can't beat a bit of Bragg. Excellent choice.

Graham Quirk said...

Indeed. - "in the end it took me a dictionary to find out the meaning of unrequited". Genius. Whenever i think i might be getting old and right wing, i stick 'diggers' and 'which side are you on' on. It always sorts me out.