Billy Bragg (person)

A British musician, the stereotypical "one angry man and a guitar," with the twist that his music is at once passionately delivered and intellectually challenging. Back to Basics is a collection of some of his earliest songs, though it is probably the earliest thing you can get on CD. This compilation combines three earlier works: the first album, "Life's a Riot with Spy vs. Spy"; an EP entitled "Between the Wars"; and a second album called "Brewing Up With Billy Bragg." I am a big fan of this material, which can be described as "one angry, angry man with a guitar." He speaks about two topics here: socialism and failed romances.

Later works include:

• Talking with the Taxman About Poetry, which contains the excellent tracks "Greetings to the New Brunette," "The Marriage," and "Levi Stubbs' Tears."
• Worker's Playtime, my favorite later work, which features the essential "Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards."
• The Internationale, a great collection of old trade-unionist standards
• Don't Try This at Home, a somewhat weaker later effort
• William Bloke, a very touching album wherein Billy seems to overcome many of his demons.

BTW, the recent "lost tracks" collection Reaching to the Converted is a definite buy in my book, if for nothing else than the monologuish "Walk Away Renee."

If you think you can get into a style that takes equal elements from punk and folk, combines them with a left-leaning social consciousness, and spits them out as well-written gems, then Billy Bragg is your man. Calling him a poet simply doesn't do him justice.

Song lyrics I've found/posted here on E2:

• Between the Wars
• Blake's Jerusalem
• The Busy Girl Buys Beauty
• King James Version
• Levi Stubbs' Tears
• Little Time Bomb
• The Man in the Iron Mask
• The Milkman of Human Kindness
• A New England
• The Red Flag
• There Is Power in a Union
• The Saturday Boy
• Sexuality
• The Space Race Is Over
• Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards
• Walk Away Renee
• The World Turned Upside Down