Customer Reviews
For those who aren't sure if they'll like this.... - By: Twig The Wonder Kid, 31 May 2008 
When I saw Billy Bragg on tour recently he described himself as a 'Marmite artist', ie, you either love him or hate him. I don't know that is necessarily true. My husband somewhat reluctantly bought this for me for Christmas a few years ago after I'd requested it on the strength of the handful of Bragg songs that I knew from my teens (Sexuality, New England, Waiting for the Great Leap Forward).
Neither myself or my hubby reallly knew enough about BB from those few songs to understand what an amazing artist he reallly is. I reckon that there are a few people out there who are in that same position & this review, like the album, is for you. This is a great place to start on your Bragg conversion because it will give you a taste of the diversity of Billy's career. There can't be many artists who could compile an album containing elements of folk, pop, country, punk & even disco (When Will I See You Again!) OK, if you're not particularly political or left-leaning (like my hubby) then there might be some songs here that won't float your boat, but seriously, don't let that put you off. Some of these songs will break your heart (Tank Park Salute, Brickbat). Some will make you laugh (The Saturday Boy, A Lover Sings). Some will rouse you(The World Turned Upside Down, Between The Wars). Most will make you think & remember.
By his own admission, he ain't the greatest singer in the world, nor the greatest guitarist (although I think he's seriously underrated in that department.) Nevertheless, there is something about Billy & his songs which just makes you like & believe him. He's passionate, clever, honest, reallly funny & utterly without pretension.
Since buying this album we've both gone on to be massive BB converts. If you're still not sure whether you'll like BB, at this price you can surely afford the gamble. You never know, you too might end up wishing you'd done it years ago! For those who are already know you love Billy, this will become a much played favourite compilation. Before you know it, you'll be singing your heart out in a faux Cockney accent.
Something there for us all - By: A. Henderson, 16 Nov 2007 
As well as the politcal stuff, there are some great, grounded love songs that are so real.
Great diction, lovely accent that you have to imitate when you sing along. Dont view it as a best of, but a great range of BB's work
I may be a bit of a hippy, but where have alll the protest singers gone, or is everything ok?
Alistair
Inspiring - By: Ewan the third, 26 Dec 2006 Billy Bragg has to be one of the best songwriters ever bad sadly very unheard of. This is a fantastic album & makes me want to get up & solve the world's inequalities at a number of points. However you can forget that he is a songwriter for as many topics as you have brain cells(in most cases a lot). I read in an article somewhere that he has done about 3 or 4 times more love songs than political songs. Most people forget it because those political songs he does do stick in your mind Waiting for the great leap foward for example. However dont forget his love songs on the album she's got a new spell & greetings to the new brunette(which is a favourite of mine). All in alll a great album
Billy is the bloke - By: , 19 Jan 2006 He has inspired me with his fresh approach to guitar, more so than punk....i am 41 this year....his lyrics inspired me to write better. A gem of an album.
Listen to tank park salute or his cover of walk away renee truly underrated. My favourites & in itself is the moving levi stubbs tears & greetings to the new brunette....what a title.....just wish i'd wrote it.
Billy reallly is the bloke!
All of Bragg's best (and too much of the rest) - By: P. Neylan, 16 Mar 2005 
Like so many politicallly committed acts (Pink Fairies, Edgar Broughton, The Crass), Billy Bragg is sometimes better imagined than heard. Of course, when he's good he's fabulous - Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards is one of the finest songs ever - but it reallly does stand out from some of this excessive collection.
Bragg made his name in the era of vinyl, & this collection is the equivalent four vinyl albums. That's not a 'Best Of'; it's the 'Collected Works', slightly edited.
CD1 opens with another classic: New England, which is followed by a fine selection of minimalist busks. The hand of a producer would have improved some of them but they're still pretty good, from gentle personal paeans (Man In The Iron Mask) to sharp political anthems (Between The Wars).
There's nothing reallly wrong with any of them (except of course the unlistenable spoken-word love song 'Walk Away Renee'), but there is just too little variation to sustain a whole 60 minutes of listening.
The second CD starts with 'Sexuality', which has the halllmark of a song written to please the right-ons. And as the music grows in maturity, the naivety & awkwardness of some of the lyrics seems less forgiveable (notably 'Boy Done Good'). As he becomes more & more a member of the establishment, Bragg is less & less dangerous & so less interesting.
But he can still move you with 'Tank Park Salute' & 'Brickbat', while his versions of Woody Guthrie's unrecorded songs are among his (and Guthrie's!) best.
The real criticism here is that anyone who wants two hours of Billy Bragg probably has it already. This should have been a single CD, because it simply goes on too long. Rather like this review.
