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SHOPPING > Music > Rock & Pop > Don't Try This At Home - Billy Bragg > Reviews

Don't Try This At Home - Billy Bragg

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Don't Try This At Home - Billy Bragg

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BILLY BRAGG - One to bragg about

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5 Oct 18th, 2000 

3 Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful

Advantages:
Fuller, band sound; great tunes

Disadvantages:
None

Recommendable Yes:

Detailed rating:

Originality

Lyrics

Quality and consistency of tracks

How does it compare to the artist's other releases

Value for Money

rsmith

rsmith

About me:

Just noticed that I'm almost at the 100-review mark - whew! You might have come across me (as ...

Member since:12.10.2000

Reviews:100

Members who trust:12

His earlier albums were sparse affairs - one man and a guitar. This is altogether different. Songs like "Accident waiting to happen" and "Sexuality" have a real 'band' sound. They are also extremely catchy, both musically and lyrically, with many puns and clever lines. How about "you're a dedicated swallower of fashion"? Or "my sins are so unoriginal?"
There are gentler songs too: "Moving the goalposts", "Rumours of war", and "Everywhere" (with REM's Peter Buck on mandolin). Michael Stipe also makes an appearance on "You woke up my neighbourhood", which is almost a country song, with its fiddle.
My very favourite song (and I think my favourite Bragg song ever) is "Cindy of a thousand lives", it's just perfect - Johnny Marr's guitar and Kirsty McColl's wonderfully haunting backing vocals play their part, but Bragg's vocals are equally wonderful, very emotive. Bragg's voice is, I know, a difficulty for some - the undisguised Barking accent, and the shouting style - but I've always loved it. On "Wish you were her", though, he sings 'properly' - and it's not bad either, a tender Motown style love song, and manages all the notes.
Bragg is often referred to as a political songwriter, but very few of the songs on his albums are in fact 'political', and this one is no exception. You've got the uptempo "North Sea Bubble" (closing line "War! What is it good for? It's good for business").

There are 16 songs here (an hour's worth), and although I'll admit that I find "God's footballer" a bit dull, the rest of them are corkers.
 

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Comments about this review »

Lalsey 17.05.2005 01:47

Agree God's Footballer is the only week track on this. Not sure Mr Bragg would appreciate this kind of website in full anti-capitalist mode, but he did once change the words to 'waiting to the great leap forward' to "if you've got a website I want to be on it"

EnglishPatient 08.02.2001 15:05

Top-notch review. I love this album, and Cindy.. is indeed the finest song he's ever done. You've inspired me to seek out this CD from my filing cabinet, I haven't listened to it in years!

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More reviews »

Don't Try This At Home - Billy Bragg - review by Mauri

Advantages: Great music, great lyrics,
Disadvantages: Not enough people know this

Don't Try This At Home - Billy Bragg - review by Mauri Mauri 01.04.2004 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Don't Try This At Home - Billy Bragg



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