Weekly Last FM Chart
“Who will pay the price if injustice such as this, turns our protectors to oppressors, and angry men to terrorists, oh freedom, what liberties are taken in thy name”
Finally Billy Bragg’s new album is here, his first since 2002’s ‘England, Half English’. ‘Mr Love & Justice’ is an album about relationships with a bit of politics subtly mixed in. Only three or four songs are overtly political, tackling subjects like rendition, marketing/corporate-malpractice and PTSD. He’s taken the unusual step of pleasing everyone by releasing the record as both a full-band album and as a stripped-down acoustic recording. My votes with the solo version, I’m of the opinion that too much instrumentation often dulls the power of Billy’s songs.
Billy Bragg – I Keep Faith (Solo Version) mp3
If you liked that, click here to buy ‘Mr Love & Justice’ from HMV.
If you’ve never heard Billy Bragg before (Wow you’ve been missing out!) then here are my favourite tracks from each of his other eight albums:
A New England mp3 (His calling card and a hit for Kirsty MacColl)
It Says Here mp3 (The media doesn’t change in twenty odd years)
Levi Stubbs’ Tears mp3 (Guitars like arrows piercing your heart)
The Price I Pay mp3 (Just a great love song, through and through)
Blake’s Jerusalem mp3 (A passionate reading of the WI anthem)
Everywhere mp3 (About the Pacific conflict and maybe his best song)
From Red To Blue mp3 (New Labour seen through old Labour eyes)
Distant Shore mp3 (A beautiful, compassionate song about refugees)
WHEN you love those, click here to buy all eight albums in two handy deluxe boxsets.
Click here to read Billy’s blog, with a downloadable audio documentary.
Click here to download a new interview where Billy discusses the new album over a cup of tea.
Click here to watch a charming clip of Billy and Kate Nash performing together.
Click here to get three free mp3s from Billy Bragg’s official Website.
Stop Me If You Think You\'ve Heard This One Before 