Billy Bragg

Liverpool’s Beloved Songsmith JAIMIE WEBSTER Invited Legend BILLY BRAGG For His Working Class Anthem ‘FRICKLE FRAN’

Posted on by JL

Daily noise that works faster than any stimulant

15 September 2023

Liverpool‘s singer-songwriter JAMIE WEBSTER is warming up for his 3rd longplayer
titled 10 FOR THE PEOPLE that lands on 24 February 2024. Pre-order info here.

For the 2nd single from the album, he’s joined by the
legendary songsmith and political activist Billy Bragg.

Jamie Webster about FICKLE FRAN: “’Fickle Fran’ is a song about the spirit and the defiance of the working class. I was thinking back to the days of a ‘salesman’ knocking door to door with clothes off the back of lorries. He was always both cynical and optimistic which is where the fickle idea comes from. He’d always moan about how his clothes weren’t selling the way he thought, but come the next season of weather he had the perfect product that would make up for his shortcomings. This was before online shopping and also way before websites that sell fake products. I often wonder how he’d survive in the modern world. His defiance would always prevail however, as I remember his most unforgettable sign-off quote …“’Still though mate, I’d rather this than work in Dixons any day of the week!’”


Billy Bragg

These are the kind of envigorating tunes that make your day
before it even began. Vivifying, salubrious and sickly sticking.
You’ll need the repeat button for this glorious working class
anthem.

Start up.


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JAMIE WEBSTER: Facebook – Website

Musicians Support The Striking British NHS Workers

Posted on by JL

18 December 2022

Always underrated and underpaid (not only in the UK), despite
the healing and humanitarian/talking therapy work and the unlikely
amount of labour during the Covid-19 period, NHS workers in the UK
are ignored by the unworldly Tories who spend their time with me, myself,
and I rhetoric. They do not care! They force the  NHS to strike to get
attention for their unrewarded work.

Pat Cullen, the union’s general secretary: “Hundreds of thousands
of hard-working, decent people should not be cast aside as ‘unreasonable’
for expecting better for themselves, their families and their patients.”

Claire Murdoch (NHS mental health director) Over a million people already
use NHS talking therapies every year, but we know we can help just by telling
them it’s there for them.

Several British musicians, such as Weller, Primal Scream and Billy Bragg,
do care and expressed their support on their social media.

Paul Weller

Primal Scream

Billy Bragg

Picked By TURN UP THE VOLUME – 10 Big Albums Turning 40 In 2023

Posted on by JL

Back in time

Band: ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN
Active: 1978–1993, 1996–present

Album: PORPUCINE – 3rd LP
Released: 4 February 1983
Score: #2 in the UK

Stream here…

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ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN: Bio – Discography
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Band: R.E.M.
Active: 1981-2011

Album: MURMUR – debut LP
Released: 12 April 1983
Score: #36 in the US

Stream here…

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R.E.M: Bio – Discography
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Band: MARK STEWART + THE MAFFIA
Who: One of the adventurous dub projects of
The Pop Group‘s centipede musician Mark Stewart

Album: LEARNING TO COPE WITH COWARDICE – first and last LP
Released: January 1983

Stream here…

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MARK STEWART: Bio – Discography
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Artist: TOM WAITS
Album: SWORDFISHTROMBONES – 8th LP

Released: 6 March 1983

Stream here…

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TOM WAITS: Bio – Discography
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Artist: BILLY BRAGG
Album: LIFE’S A RIOT WITH SPY Vs SPY – debut LP
Released: May 1983

Stream here…

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BILLY BRAGG: Bio – Discography
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Band: THE FALL
Active: 1976–2018

Album: PERVERTED BY LANGUAGE – 6th LP
Released: 12 December 1983

Stream here…

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THE FALL: Bio – Discography
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Band: CABARET VOLTAIRE
Active: 1973–1994, 2009–2022

Album: THE CRACKDOWN – 3rd LP
released: 18 August 1983

Stream here…

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CABARET VOLTAIRE: Bio – Discography

Band: THE THE
Matt Johnson‘s band

Album: SOUL MINING – debut LP
Released: 21 October 1983

Stream here…

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THE THE: Bio – Discography
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Band: NEW ORDER
Active: 1980–1993, 1998–2007, 2011–present

Album: POWER, CORRUPTION AND LIES
Their second LP
Released: 2 May 1983
Score: #4 in the UK

Stream here…

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NO: Bio – Discography
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Band: BIG COUNTRY
Active: 981–2000, 2007, 2010–present

Album: THE CROSSING – debut LP
Released: 29 July 1983

Stream here…

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BIG COUNTRY: Bio – Discography

Melancholic BILLY BRAGG Released 13th Album ‘THE MILLION THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED’

Posted on by JL

7 November 2021

Artist: BILLY BRAGG (Barking, Essex, England)
Active: Since 1977 / 13 studio albums (including new one)

New album: THE MILLION THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED

Bragg: “The Million Things That Never Happened isn’t about the pandemic
per se, but the highs and lows of what we’ve been through provide the backdrop
for the album, as they have done for all our lives over these past two years.”

NME says: “On his 13 studio album ‘The Million Things That Never Happened’,
Billy Bragg readily admits that, as a 63-year-old white man entering his fifth
decade as one of the country’s foremost political singer-songwriters, the so
called ‘culture wars’ can get confusing… Yet it is also album that leaves plenty
of room for nuanced, compassionate songwriting that never loses grip of its
sense of empathy. On the title track, Bragg sings about the things we’ve all lost
over the last two years: “A hug for the crying, a kiss for the dying”. It’s all but
impossible not to relate. In an age of division, ‘The Million Things That Never
Happened’ is a gentle embrace of what unites us all.” Score: 3/5.

Turn Up The Volume: Bragg looks back at the past
while thinking today about tomorrow’s future. As
relevant as ever, still a sharp observer and entrancing
songsmith. Another record that happened.

Singles: Mid-Century Modern / I Will Be Your Shield /
Then Thousand Photos That Can’t Be Explained

– TEN MYSTERIOUS PHOTOS THAT CAN’T BE EXPLAINED –

– MID-CENTURY MODERN –

– I WILL BE YOUR SHIELD –

Stream/buy album here…


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BILLY BRAGG: Facebook

BILLY BRAGG Released His Standout Sixth Longplayer ‘DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME’ 30 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

Back in time

17 September 2021

Artist: BILLY BRAGG
Who: English singer-songwriter legend and outspoken, left-wing activist
Active since 1977 / 10 studio albums so far including his new upcoming
one The Million Things That Never Happened, out on October 8th

Anniversary album: DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME – sixth LP
Released: 17 September 2021 – 30 years ago today

AllMusic said: “After dipping his toes in the notion of using backing musicians on
‘Talking With the Taxman About Poetry’, Billy Bragg finally dove in headfirst with ‘Worker’s Playtime’, but ‘Don’t Try This at Home’ was where Bragg first began to sound completely comfortable with the notion of a full band. With Johnny Marr, Peter Buck, Michael Stipe,
and Kirsty MacColl on hand to give the sessions a taste of star power, ‘Don’t Try This at Home’ sounds full but uncluttered; the arrangements flesh out Bragg’s melodies, giving them greater strength in the process, and Billy’s craggy vocals wrap around the melodies with significantly more flexibility than on previous recordings.” Full review here. Score: 4.5/5.

Turn Up The Volume: A legendary voice on and off record. A rare, human being
caring singer-songwriter icon who, fortunately, still is going strong with vital force.

Single/video: Sexuality (an anti-homophobia song, co-written with Johnny Marr,
who also plays guitar on the track / the video clip features the late Kirsty MacColl)…

Full album…

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BILLY BRAGG: Facebook – All Albums

BILLY BRAGG Back In Town – New Album New Single

Posted on by JL

New, daily sonic impulses

15 July 2021

Artist: BILLY BRAGG (Barking, Essex, England)
Active: Since 1977 / 14 studio albums, so far

New LP: THE MILLION THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED
Out: 8th October 2021

Bragg: “The Million Things That Never Happened isn’t about the pandemic
per se, but the highs and lows of what we’ve been through provide the backdrop
for the album, as they have done for all our lives over these past two years.”

Album trailer…

New single: I WILL BE YOUR SHIELD

Bragg: “To me, this is the heart and soul of the album. I’ve come to the conclusion
that empathy is the currency of music — that our job as songwriters is to help people
come to terms with their feelings by offering them examples of how others may have
dealt with a situation similar to that in which listeners find themselves. After what we’ve
ll been through, the idea of being a shield, physically, emotionally, psychologically, really resonates.”

I Will Be Your Shield is an appealing, heart-to-heart,
and soul-stirring piano ballad (think Nick Cave).

Tender and touching…

BILLY BRAGG: Facebook