Cd Review: Brewing Up With Billy Bragg

So I am suffering from insomnia and saw that Elfarmy posted a cd review so I thought I would do one too.

Billy Bragg, for those of you who don't know, is an English musician who started off in the 80s playing Punk music and later in his career would diversify his sound. But Brewing Up is from solidly in his punk period.

It says here: A nice angry punk rant about media bias to kick the album off. Even though this song was written in the 80s it is still frighteningly relevant. I mean "It says here that the unions will never learn, it says here that the economy is on the upturn" Seriously, that is scary.

Love Gets Dangerous: Don't listen to this one much, it's a little dull but not terrible.

The Myth Of Trust: One of Bragg's best vocal performances. He sounds as if he is near tears during this song. There is pain in the lyrics of this song and his voice perfectly captures it.

From A Vauxhall Velox: Another one I don't listen to often, again a decent song just not one of the stand outs.

The Saturday Boy: Ah Saturday Boy. What heterosexual male cannot relate to this song. A fantastic song about teenage love with some really clever lyrics such as "In the end it took me a dictionary to find out the meaning of unrequited". Beautiful, beautiful song. Many times have I listened to this song and mourned my love life.

Island Of No Return: Ok, history lesson, in the 80s Great Britain and Argentina went to war over some islands in South America. It was a proper, major war between two strong powers. And Billy wrote this song about it and it is amazing. A perfect example of classic Bragg. One man, one guitar, politics, and ranting.

St Swithin's Day: Another great lost love song. "Thanks all the same but I can't bring myself to answer your letters, what was it all for?" Deeply, deeply moving.

Like Soldiers Do: An interesting song, also(in my opinion) about the Falklands War. The chorus(Our Fathers were all soldiers, shall we be soldiers too, fighting and falling like soldiers do) is well written and catchy. A good song.

This Guitar Says Sorry: Very, very strange song. I recently read the lyrics and found that there are only like 12 lines in the song. The refrain(The Love that we have is so important) really makes you think. Is it sarcastic or is it serious? We will never know.

Strange Things Happen: The last of the three that I rarely listen to, it's not that their so bad it's that everything else is so good.

A Lover Sings: Fantastic fantastic refrain. "Adam And Eve are finding out all about love" I mean seriously, that is clever. The song builds to the climax where Billy changes the lyrics to "Theresa and Steve are finding out all about love"

Bonus Disk Highlights

between the wars
Which side are you on
Talking Wag Club Blues
Won't Talk about it
World Turned Upside Down
Back to the old house

8/10