Billy Bragg

b 20 Dec 1957

The music of Billy Bragg was the accompaniment to my arrival in London, along with my leaning towards Marxist politics and protesting against Thatcher. The deconstructivist course I was taking meant that I could no longer allow myself the luxury of capitalistic escapist music so Bragg (via Liz Green and John Peel) filled the gap - he was real, political, approachable and witty. I saw him playing loads around East London.

Billy (well, Stephen) Bragg is very much my contemporary, having been born in Barking, East London just three days after I emerged into the world in Enfield, North London. Sadly me and my approximate twin drifted apart in the nineties as my priorities changed and it wasn't until Wood record shop in Islington reintroduced us that I had a brief reacquaintance (much to the consternation of cetain people who thought I was "above that sort of thing".)

Sadly, or not, I don't know, I didn't really take Billy beyond the Millennium and the albums below are the limit of my listenership.

Albums


Life's A Riot With Spy vs Spy (1983)
	The Milkman Of Human Kindness To Have And To Have Not Richard A New England The Man In The Iron Mask The Busy Girl Buys Beauty Lovers Town Revisited Between The Wars Which Side Are You On? World Turned Upside Down It Says Here


Brewing Up With Billy Bragg (1984)
	It Says Here Love Gets Dangerous The Myth Of Trust From A Vauxhall Velox The Saturday Boy Island Of No Return St. Swithin's Day Like Soldiers Do This Guitar Says Sorry Strange Things Happen A Lover Sings


Talking With The Taxman About Poetry (1986)
	Greetings To The New Brunette Train Train The Marriage Ideology Levi Stubbs' 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 Passion The Warmest Room The Home Front


Workers Playtime (1988)
	She's Got A New Spell Must I Paint You A Picture Tender Comrade The Price I Pay Little Time Bomb Rotting On Remand Valentine's Day Is Over Life With The Lions The Only One The Short Answer Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards


The Internationale (1990)
	The Internationale I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night The Marching Song On The Covert Battalions Blake's Jerusalem Nicaragua Nicarauguita The Red Flag My Youngest Son Came Home Today


Don't Try This At Home (1991)
	Accident Waiting To Happen Moving The Goalposts Everywhere CIndy Of A Thousand Lives You Woke Up My Neighbourhood Trust God's Footballer The Few Sexuality Mother Of The Bride Tank Park Salute Dolphins North Sea Bubble Rumours Of War Wish You Were Her Body Of Water


William Bloke (1996)
	From Red To Blue Upfield Everybody Loves You Babe Sugardaddy A Pict Song Brickbat The Space Race Is Over Northern Industrial Town The Fourteenth Of February King James Version Goalhanger


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