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Reaching To The Converted [CD on Demand]
 
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Reaching To The Converted [CD on Demand]

Billy Bragg
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews) | More about this product
Price: $13.98 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Customers buy this album with Mermaid Avenue ~ Billy Bragg

Reaching To The Converted [CD on Demand] + Mermaid Avenue
Price For Both: $26.97

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  • This item: Reaching To The Converted [CD on Demand] ~ Billy Bragg

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    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
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  • Mermaid Avenue ~ Billy Bragg

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Product Details

  • Audio CD (August 31, 1999)
  • Original Release Date: August 31, 1999
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Rhino / Wea
  • ASIN: B00000JZAK
  • Also Available in: MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #83,743 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #68 in  Music > Alternative Rock > New Wave & Post-Punk > Urban Folk

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Editorial Reviews

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Consider this something of a garage sale for Billy Bragg. On the heels of one of his career highs, Mermaid Avenue, the plugged-in folkie has dived into the hodgepodge he hoarded between 1985 and 1997 and compiled a surprisingly beguiling and cohesive collection of B-sides and bonus tracks. With nine selections from the '80s and eight from the '90s, Reaching offers considerable expanse while making a strong case for Bragg as one of the most productive and consistent post-punk performers to come out of Britain. Highlights here include a previously unreleased version of "Shirley," with the Smiths' Johnny Marr providing the instrumental backing, and a slew of savvy covers that includes the McGarrigles' "Heart Like a Wheel," the Left Banke's "Walk Away Renee," the Beatles' "She's Leaving Home," and Ry Cooder's "Tattler." Reaching to the Converted holds considerable appeal for Bragg partisans, but it's appealing enough to win over nonconverts, too. --Steven Stolder

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Customer Reviews

17 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Essential CD for Bragg fans, November 24, 1999
By David K. (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
Billy's version of Walk Away Renee (accompanied by Johnny Marr) alone makes this CD worth the cost. After seeing this song performed live in 1988 I've been searching through second hand record stores for years trying to find this track. I love the line "I told her I'm the most illegible bachelor in town, and she said yeah that's why I never understood any of those silly letters you keep sending". Cracks me up every time! Another highlight is a very beautiful rendition of She's Leaving Home with backup vocals from Cara Tivy. Very memorable. There are many other gems amongst this collection of B-sides. Essential CD for all Bragg fans.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Glad we've got that cleared up...., October 6, 2000
By Rob Hosking (Wellington, na New Zealand) - See all my reviews
Good to hear the new version of 'Greetings to the New Brunette' - retitled 'Shirley' here, it's got a heavier sound than the original, and both are, in their different ways, excellent. Even better to get a lyric sheet for the song, where Bragg sings "I'm more impressionable when my _cement_ is wet". I always thought that instead of 'cement' he sang about something more...uhh...biological...Well, it certainly makes a lot more sense than 'cement'.

Best of all though is his version of 'Walk Away Renee'. The tune itself is always a heartbreaker, and on this recording guitarist Johnny Marr picks it out while Bragg talks about a funny/pathetic failed love affair ("The first time she spoke to me, my nose started to bleed. She guessed the rest"). Used to have this on the B side of one of his singles, now sadly long lost. At the time it seemed painfully accurate, presumably because I was going through a funny/pathetic failed love affair...It's a classic. Worth the price of admission alone.

The rest - there's some new stuff (to me, anyway) like 'Sulk' which is excellent; and a ballad version of 'Wishing the Days Away' which isn't bad though not up to the original. I'm not all that keen on Bragg's political rants, and this is not just political bias speaking. Unfortunately, when he gets on his soapbox he loses his delicacy of touch, not to mention his humour (when he keeps both, as on the 'Workers Playtime' album, he is great).

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Compilation, September 14, 2000
Billy Bragg is undoubtedly the exponent of modern British folk music. Spanning Billy's 17 year carreer, this collection of B-sides and rarities is an awesome addition to any Bragg fan's collection. The songs, coming from different stages in Bragg's carrer, are pretty diverse musically, ranging from just guitar and vocals to the more produced, full-band sound of his recent work.

Whereras most other artists record B-sides just for the sake of backing up a single, Billy seemed to put as much effort into a B-side as any of his singles or album tracks. There are so many excellent tracks here that I don't know where to begin. There are some biting political rants in the good-ole Bragg tradition - the superb "Think Again" and "Days Like These"; some beautifully sparse love songs - "Ontario, Quebec and Me" and my personal favourite "Scholarship Is The Enemy Of Romance"; some poppy full-band tunes - the sublime "Sulk" and "Bad Penny"; and some inspired covers - "Jeanne" [The Smiths], "She's Leaving Home" [The Beatles], "The Tatler" [Ry Cooder] and "Heart Like A Wheel [Kate and Anna McGarrigle]. A few other songs worth mentioning are "Shirly", a remake of "Greetings To The New Brunette" on which Johnny Marr plays all the instruments; "Walk Away Renee", a love poem read by Billy accompanied again by Johnny Marr; and a nice sleepy folk song, "Rule Nor Reason".

If you are a die-hard Bragg fan this is a must have, but if you are unfamiliar with Bragg or are just getting into him, don't start here - instead start with "Back To Basics" - it's a marvellous introduction to this much overlooked talent that is Billy Bragg.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars This cd's grown on me to become a personal favorite
This is an album that's grown on me very much in the two years that I've owned it. The first Billy Bragg cd I owned and heard was "Back to Basics", and I loved it from the start... Read more
Published 18 months ago by M. Bellefeuille

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Billy.
Irreverent, creative, and exploding with energy, Reaching to the Converted is one of my favorite Billy Bragg CDs. Read more
Published on March 25, 2007 by Bernard Chapin

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty darned coherent for the most illegible bachelor in town...
Billy Bragg's socialist politics, expressed both in his image and some of his more laborious music, have done a lot to obscure just how sublime a pop singer he can be. Read more
Published on August 1, 2005 by A guy from Philly

5.0 out of 5 stars Great career-spanning CD
... as a fan of Billy's since the release of 'Talking with the Taxman...', I bought this thinking it was exactly as titled, something for us 'Billy' fans, and it did NOT... Read more
Published on February 8, 2004 by Tim Klassen

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for a sample of Billy Bragg's varying styles
Billy Bragg is not only a political activist, but the guy can sing a good ballad too.
There is a sampling of both here; from the beautiful heart-wrenching cover "A Heart... Read more
Published on January 25, 2003 by C. Wainwright

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Intro to Billy
I must confess to not knowing Billy till Mermaid ave.(which i love along with mermaid 2)But after purchasing this cd i definately plan on buying more from him. Read more
Published on August 2, 2000 by Goodja

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Quite Converted
This is the third Billy Bragg album that I've listened to and it is by far the best. It doesn't have much politics in it and more songs about love and relationships. Read more
Published on March 8, 2000 by Dan Adler

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!
As a young fella who's only been into Billy Bragg for a few of years and missed the chance to get his singles on vinyl, it's brilliant to finally be able to hear stuff like... Read more
Published on September 28, 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, catch him in concert if you can
I just bought this album the other day and saw Billy in concert that night. He plays too many Woody Guthrie songs in my opinion, but the man has to play what makes him happy, and... Read more
Published on September 15, 1999

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice-one Bill
An uneven album of B-sides and rarities, nevertheless essential for a few golden nuggets which all Bragg fans should have in their play-list. Read more
Published on September 10, 1999

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