Don't Try This At Home - Billy Bragg

...home"

I don't want to give the impression that this album is just full of worthy political anthems, although sometimes you might not realise it. A balance is achieved between messages and emotion. "Cindy of A Thousand Lives" with backing vocal by the still greatly missed Kirsty MacColl is a heartfelt love song as is the more upbeat 'You woke up my Neighbourhood'. This has an almost country and western feel to it the ...
...of his early music or follow the development of his later more melodic albums.

Don't try this at home is available form Amazon.co.uk for only £6.97 A BARGAIN!

Thanks for reading and rating this review!

© Mauri 2004
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Many years ago when I was at university I would happily spend my days with other likeminded people marching the street holding up banner shouting "Thatcher out!, Thatcher out!". Alternatively we were standing on street corners holding a bucket collecting money for the striking miners. To unwind after a hard day trying to change the world we might well go to see some live music at some local student venue and more often than not there would be Billy Bragg doing another miner's strike benefit gig. With songs such as 'The Milkman Of Human Kindness', A New England', and 'To Have and To Have Not' Billy Bragg provided the soundtrack for disaffected youth and thus became a hero to many.

After years of standing on stage alone, guitar in hand violently strumming along to rebellious lyrics Bragg like all of us gradually matured and for many 'Don't Do This At Home' an album released in 1991 marks a watershed in his career. The politics are still there our Billy would never betray the cause but the songs are now more elaborate...yes there are more instruments and the sentiments more thoughtful and reflective.

THE TRACK LIST

1.Accident waiting to happen
2. Moving the goalposts
3. Everywhere
4. Cindy of a thousand lives
5. You woke up my neighbourhood
6. Trust
7. God's footballer
8. The Few
9. Sexuality
10. Mother of the bride
11. Tank park salute
11. Dolphins
12. North Sea bubble
13. Rumours of war
14. Wish you were her
15. Body of water

I've never believed that you shouldn't mix politics and music, I grant you in the 80's when some likeminded artists and well meaning musicians including Bragg and Paul Weller tried to spread the left wing message through Red Wedge it was a bit of a failure but it was still worth doing. In this album almost a decade since those halcyon days Bragg is still angry but he's a little more eloquent in his lyrics and his music.

His targets haven't changed much and it is depressing that those targets are still around even now. Right wing extremism, racism, lying politicians, unjust war, and prejudice are all covered by this wonderful collection of songs but there are also some beautiful bitter sweet love songs to soften the edges.

From the very start you are under no illusion that this is still a Billy Bragg album. 'Accident Waiting to Happen' has got the trademark thrashy guitar chords and screamed lyrics, but if listen carefully you might hear the sound is a bit fuller…is there a backing band in the background?

"Goodbye and goodluck
To all the promises you've broken
Goodbye and goodluck
To all the rubbish that you've spoken"

"You're a dedicated follower of Fascism"

This is Billy at his angry and loveable best but the next song "Moving the goalpost" is a surprise, this is a melancholic ballad, there's a cello and a flugelhorn in the background, Billy is singing quietly with emotion

" Let's blow out the candles and kiss in the dark"

'Everywhere' is unashamedly and anti war song, we have to remember that at the time it was written the first gulf war was in everyone's mind and although the song is about two young friends one Japanese one American who are torn apart by theWW2 the themes are applicable to any war. This is a very sad song given a quirky tuneful tempo by the use of a mandolin played by Peter Buck of REM to accompany the lyrics.

"Crouching in this hole with a mouth full of sand
What comes first the country or the man"

" Over here, over there, it's the same everywhere
A boy cries out for his mama before he dies for his home"

I don't want to give the impression that this album is just full of worthy political anthems, although sometimes you might not realise it. A balance is achieved between messages and emotion. "Cindy of A Thousand Lives" with backing vocal by the still greatly missed Kirsty MacColl is a heartfelt love song as is the more upbeat 'You woke up my Neighbourhood'. This has an almost country and western feel to it the fiddle being prominent throughout. This track was co-written with Peter Buck and it's not surprising to hear Michael Stipe of REM on backing vocals. The song is a bouncy tale of love lost.

"Somersaults across the lawn
Singing dancing up till dawn
Every now and then we'd have a row
You woke up my neighbourhood
Things are pretty quiet round here now"

Billy Bragg has always been proud to be English and in his music that has always come out, one of the things he objects to most is the idea that expressing Englishness these days is taken to mean a xenophobic racist attitude things which he certainly is not. He 'The Few' he takes a swipe at the bigots who have usurped the cross of St George and the image of England for their own racist ideal where it be on the football terraces or in right wing parties.

As always his lyrics are incisive and at the same time witty.

"From the stands of the Empire Stadium
Come the heralds to the new Dark Age
With the simplicities of bigotry
And to whom all the world's a stage
These little John Bullshits know the press
Will glorify their feats
So that the general public will fear them
And the authorities will give 'em all seats
And the wasted seed of the bulldog breed
Is chanting here we go
What do they know of England who only England know"

That sums up the problem pretty well!

This album also contains a very rare thing for Billy Bragg a chart hit!

'Sexuality' is I imagine his biggest hit so far. It has all the ingredients of a perfectly crafted pop record. A catchy tune, good lyrics, a hook on the chorus and perfect delivery. Of course while it may sound lightweight since it is Billy Bragg he doesn't waste this opportunity of adding a strong message or tolerance as well.

" I've had relations with girls from many nations
I've made passes at women from all classes
And just because you're gay I won't turn you away
If you stick around I'm sure we can find some common ground"

And the best line

"Safe sex doesn’t mean no sex it just means use your imagination"

The arrangement on this is flawless and musically it really works when you realise that Johnny Marr (ex Smiths) is on guitar you know why.

It is a testament to the respect that musicians from varied musical backgrounds have for Billy Bragg that he has managed to include so many on this album. Danny Thompson plays base on other tracks 'Dolphins' and "Wish You Were Her".

True to his socialist word Bragg also provides the listener with great value for money 16 tracks are included on the CD for you to jump around to, smooch to and cry to. There are no fillers on this record every song as a point and has a right to be there.

Bragg has never 'sold out' he has matured as an artist and settling down and raising a family has shifted his focus but he still remains passionate about many things. This is truly a exceptional album combining what is best about 'protest' music with what is required to get any message across ...good songs. To sum up you can describe 'Don't Try This At Home' as melodic, witty, intelligent, emotional, committed, and passionate and thought provoking, how many other albums can you say that about?

Recently he has gone back to more folksy roots by collaborating with US band Wilco in recording some lost songs by Woody Guthrie but he has always brought out hi own new material at regular intervals and he still tours. If you've never heard of Billy Bragg this album is a very good starting point. It is very accessible to anyone who likes intelligent pop music and from here you can go back to explore the rawness of his early music or follow the development of his later more melodic albums.

Don't try this at home is available form Amazon.co.uk for only £6.97 A BARGAIN!

Thanks for reading and rating this review!

© Mauri 2004
 

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