Talking With The Taxman About Poetry

Billy Bragg | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Elektra / Wea
• ASIN: B000002H40
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #247,798 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars must I also share my life, October 23, 2003

By 

W. K. Miller "kenmiller32" (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Talking With The Taxman About Poetry (Audio CD)

TALKING WITH THE TAXMAN ABOUT POETRY is my favorite of Billy Bragg's albums. All the songs are strong, especially "Greetings to the New Brunette," and Billy's passion for his subjects has never seemed so strong as it does on "Ideology" and "Help Save the Youth of America."

The lyrics are great too.

Here's a sample: "If I share my bed with you / Must I also share my life / Love is just a moment of giving / And marriage is when we admit our parents were right"

Bragg's political edge is only sharper on THE INTERNATIONALE. His personal songwriting excels on "The Marriage" and a few others, but it's no wonder why Billy lacks success on the USA pop charts. These intelligent, mature love songs and political anthems surely don't help to sell suntan lotion and diet colas, do they?

I first heard this in 1988 or 1989, most likely, and it just sounded true and authentic. It was sincere without being sappy. I realized I was listening to something great, and I became a fan of the album. Only later did I discover other albums by Billy Bragg.

If I could thank Billy Bragg for one thing, it would be TALKING WITH THE TAXMAN ABOUT POETRY. If you've enjoyed other albums by Bragg, I recommend this to you wholeheartedly.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bragg In Top Form, December 7, 2000

By 

Ziggy, the Last of the Space Cowboys (Pig Island) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Talking With The Taxman About Poetry (Audio CD)

"Taxman About Poetry" is absolutely one of Bragg's finest albums. This album also features a wider range of instruments other than just an electric guitar, though not a full backing band. Like its predecessor, "Brewing Up With Billy Bragg" (which can be found on "Back to Basics") many of the songs on this album sparsely arranged, the most prominent extra instruments being horns and percussion. Some of Bragg's best material can be found on this disc, most notably "Greetings To The New Brunette" - a beautiful acoustic love song featuring some impeccable guitar work from The Smiths' Johnny Marr, and "Levi Stubbs' Tears" - a bitter, yet catchy song about a battered woman. Some other goodies that aren't as well known include "Wishing The Days Away" - a jaunty country song, "The Warmest Room" - a mouthwateringly mellow rocker with funny lyrics, "The Passion" - a real tear-jerker of a song about a dysfunctional relationship (again featuring Marr on guitar) and "The Home Front" - a profoundly moving piece of social commentary on working-class family life in Britain. However, although there are some standouts, there is really not one bad song on the entire album.

So all in all, "Talking To The Taxman About Poetry" is an excellent album and a worthy addition to any fan of folk music, or music in general.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good Socialist Folk CD, January 22, 2003

By 

LANCE R LINDLEY "hagakure" (Yokosuka, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Talking With The Taxman About Poetry (Audio CD)

There's a rawness and honesty to avowed Socialist Billy Bragg's lyrics in this, his "difficult third album," that works well with his not-ready-for-prime-time vocals and makes songs like the haunting "Levi Stubbs Tears" and the clever "Marriage" and playful "Greetings to the New Brunette" worth listening to again and again. But those are offset somewhat by the annoyingly anthemic "There Is Power in a Union" and "Help Save the Youth of America," which render the last half of the CD far less listenable than the first. Of course, you've got to be somewhat of a Billy Bragg fan to even know this CD exists, in which case you probably already own it... but on the off chance someone just turned you on to Bragg and you've only heard some of his newer stuff, I recommend you give this CD a chance. IMHO it's his best album, with "Levi Stubb's Tears" his best song.