Friday Music Day

FMD – Billy Bragg

21 Comments

So Billy Bragg is in town for a 3 night stay at the Fine Line with a career-spanning set last night, his first 3 albums tonight, and albums 4-6 Saturday. In addition, he had a book reading at Magers and Quinn Wednesday and showed up at Driftwood Bar a couple times this week for a few songs. Quite the Minneapolis residency!

I’m going tonight and Saturday and I’m especially looking forward to tonight’s show as those first few albums were really important to me in my early 20’s. Punky urban folk that about politics, sexual relations, unions, war... all the stuff that makes an idealistic 23 year old tick. I saw him in 1986 at the 930 Club in DC and after the show he invited anyone who was interested backstage to talk about U.S. policy toward Nicaragua. Heady stuff.

Those first albums are on a collection called Back to the Basics and I would strongly urge you to take a listen. Great music that still resonates 35 years later.

Also drop ‘em if you got ‘em.

21 thoughts on “FMD – Billy Bragg”

      1. I have two volumes of this, but not the third: The Complete Sessions.

        free - Would've loved to take you up on the extra tix, but my brother is getting (receiving ... taking...?) his confirmation tomorrow evening as part of the RCIA process at the Basilica.

        Digression SelectShow

    2. That's from Talking to the Taxman about Poetry and will probably be played tonight (album #3)

      1. The guitar sound on the recording is rich and very well done. I think my recording is from a different album (better vocal sound and backup singers) maybe remastered?

        1. That guitarist is Johhny Marr of Smiths fame and Kirsty MacColl on back up vocals! There's a demo version of the song on a reissue but that seems like it would not have better vocal sound.

  2. "Great Leap Forward" is among my favorite songs. I have no idea where that falls into his catalog though.

  3. That photo is my own from I think 2013. He was in town in support of some union activity and decided to set up shop on the stairs of Northrop Auditorium one nice afternoon and play for about 30 minutes.

    Also his book Roots, Radicals, and Rockers: How Skiffle Changed the World if you are at all interested in proto-rock and roll is quite good.

    Also, there is this poem I wrote about that photo, signed by Billy Bragg.

  4. 01. "Master Of None" – Beach House – Beach House
    02. "Always Right" – Ramona Falls – Intuit
    03. "I Remember Yesterday (Reprise)" – Donna Summer – I Remember Yesterday
    04. "Save Me From What I Want" – St. Vincent – Actor
    05. "Evil" – PHOX – Unblushing
    06. "Very Loud" – Shout Out Louds – 100° EP
    07. "Wait A Minute" – Eddie Ray – Eccentric Soul Vol. 7: The Prix Label
    08 "No Awareness" – Dr. Octagon – Dr. Octagonecologyst
    09. "Blue In Green" – Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue
    10. "You're Gonna Miss Me" – 13th Floor Elevators – The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

    1. Just ordered the new* Ramona Falls album Coils - digital download with a CD on the way. I downloaded to my phone and can't figure out how to listen to every song uninterrupted; have to select 'start' for each track which is ... not ideal. However, there are some neat tunes in there. Nothing near as exciting as my favorite track of his, but enjoyable.

      *Sept. 2017

  5. My co-worker went last night and saw him at Magers and Quinn. Bragg said he was in a coffee shop on Wednesday and turned to the customer behind him in line and jokingly asked if he knew about the Man City-Tottenham game (expecting the man to be oblivious). The man said, "I'm recording it and heading home. Please don't spoiler it!" Bragg was so excited, he got the man on the guest list last night and found him in the crowd.

    1. I'm pretty sure he's a big West Ham fan, wondering who he was rooting for in that CL match.

      1. Yup, he told my coworker that supporting West Ham is ideal because "you don't have to worry about relegation or the Europa League screwing things up more than once a decade or so"

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