Customer Reviews

Talking With The Taxman About Poetry

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

"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.

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.

Billy Bragg is a hard one to pin down. A punk-rock Phil Ochs? Maybe. Bob Dylan filtered through The Clash? Perhaps. BB came onto the scene in the early eighties with an electric guitar and many axes to grind. His songs are usually overtly left-wing, but later in his career he began incorporating more and more romatic themes (in addition to more instrumentation). TWTTAP is the perfect transition album. The usual political rants are present and accounted for ("Ideology," "There is Powere in a Union"), in addition to tender valentines ("Greetings to the New Brunette," "The Warmest Room"). Billy almost never resorts to cliches. His songs make you think and make you feel. If you like this, check out "Don't Try This at Home."

This album is brilliant, as each song explodes out of the speakers with a passion that was and still is Mr. Bragg's trademark. It represents a logical growth in his career from a troubador ala Dylan to a fully realized song writer and musical expressionist. As for the "danger" in exposing the youth of America to socialism alluded to by another reviewer, anyone who is afraid of the mere expression of ideas in this context should be disreguarded, particularly in this case where nothing Mr. Bragg sings is cloaked. His opinions, reject them or not, are out in the open (as anyone who has seen him live will surely attest), and for that, we can thank him for adding a voice to landscape that should be considered, not rejected out of hand. I suggest the reviewer should also spare himself of the "danger" of listening to Woody Guthie, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Paul Robeson, the Clash, Robert Johnson, Miles Davis and other such subversives.

Some time in the late 80's I saw him onstage. I'll never forget what it was like. Here was just one bloke, on stage, with a guitar, totally enthralling the audience. It wasn't the most beautiful voice (often slipping out a bit), nor the most inspired guitar, but this guy had an incredible stage presence. Honestly, you had to be there to experience it. This album comes closer than any other recorded Billy Bragg to capturing what it was like. In person, Billy is shy and a bit of a dag, really--the way he seems on the video of Sexuality. But put him in front of an audience, and he's just brilliant. If you love Billy's music, do yourself a favour and try to see him live somewhere.

Oh, imagine! Here we are facing the new century and someone is harboring 'socialist ideas'? The horror! Why, I am so worried about mr. bragg! How can ever show his face being a socialist?

This CD grew on me really quickly, and it feels somehow very comforting and familiar to listen to. The combination of stickin'-it-to-the-man songs and love songs makes for an unexpected but very nice combination. Wonderful lyrics, and I'm glad about the contributions of Johnny Marr (of my favorite band, The Smiths). It's a nice, easy-to-digest CD, and you will enjoy it. My favorite tracks are Greetings to the New Brunette, Help Save the Youth of America, and The Warmest Room. Buy this.

I'm not sure why the reviewer below was "worried that Billy Bragg might be a socialist." A song listed on the sleeve as "there is Power in a Union" should have given the game away. Personally I quite like this album, and I'm a conservative. I used to really be into this as a student a decade or so back, but more the love songs than the political ones. Bragg has a sure touch for awkward romance - eg 'Greetings to the New Brunette' 'The Passion' and 'Warmest Room'. The picture of a dysfunctional family in 'the Home Front' is also touching, as is the bewildered divorced man in 'Honey I'm a Big Boy Now' and the battered woman in 'Levi Stubbs Tears'. A recent relisten gave me one new insight, however - for all Bragg's considerable talents as a lyricist (and he got better than this album, which has a few howlers) he really can't sing very well. No, not as in Mick Jagger, (ie tolerable): more as in your best mates after a few beers. Vocally, a bit raw.

I finally got to see Billy Bragg last year and he was brilliant. For one man with a dodgy voice and guitar to touch so many lives, he is truly captivating. This album, for me, defines what England was like in the eighties. "Greetings to the new brunette" still sounds great and "trying the handles of parked cars' was a career! If you want a true picture of a stereotypical and dismal British family life, look no further than the "home front" Buy this and be glad you do not have to live it. Genius.