Tag Archives: Billy Bragg

Billy Bragg: Don’t Try This At Home

Leave a comment

On September 16, 1991, “GO! Discs” label released “Don’t Try This at Home”, the sixth Billy Bragg album. It was recorded October 1990 – July 1991, at “Pavilion Studios” and “Sonet Studio”, “Cathouse Studios” in London, “Clear” in Manchester, “John Keane Studios” and “Jester House” in Athens, Georgia, and was produced by Grant Showbiz and Johnny Marr.

Personnel:

  • Billy Bragg – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, keyboards
  • Wiggy (Philip Wigg) – acoustic and electric guitar, bass, mandolin
  • Peter Buck – mandolin, acoustic guitar
  • John Keane – pedal steel guitar, bass
  • Cara Tivey – piano, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Amanda Vincent – keyboards, piano
  • Danny Thompson – double bass 
  • James Eller – bass
  • Andy Hobson – bass
  • J. F. T. Hood – drums, percussion
  • Jody Linscott – percussion
  • Dave Woodhead – flugelhorn, trumpet
  • Caroline Hall – trombone
  • Elliet Mackrell – violin
  • Mary Ramsey – viola, violin
  • Julia Palmer – cello
  • Steven Lewis – backing vocals
  • Kirsty MacColl – backing vocals
  • Lorraine Bowen – backing vocals
  • Victoria Taylor Roberts – backing vocals
  • Michael Stipe – backing vocals
  • Andy Szabo – backing vocals
  • Victor Van Vugt – engineer
  • John Keane – engineer
  • Owen Morris – engineer, mixing engineer
  • Tim Young – mastering
  • Caramel Crunch – design

Track listing:

All tracks by Billy Bragg, except where noted.

  1. Accident Waiting to Happen
  2. Moving the Goalposts
  3. Everywhere – Greg Trooper, Sid Griffin
  4. Cindy of a Thousand Lives
  5. You Woke Up My Neighborhood – Billy Bragg, Peter Buck
  6. Trust
  7. God’s Footballer
  8. The Few
  9. Sexuality – Billy Bragg, Johnny Marr
  10. Mother of the Bride
  11. Tank Park Salute
  12. Dolphins – Fred Neil
  13. North Sea Bubble
  14. Rumors of War
  15. Wish You Were Her
  16. Body of Water – Billiy Bragg, Philip Wigg

Billy Bragg & Joe Henry: Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad

Leave a comment

On September 23, 2016, “Cooking Viny;” label released “Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad”, an album of field recordings made by Billy Bragg and Joe Henry, as they performed in waiting rooms and trackside at railway stations on a journey between Chicago and Los Angeles in March 2016. The album was produced by Billy Brag and Joe Henry.

Personnel:

  • Billy Bragg – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar
  • Joe Henry – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, harmonica
  • Ryan Freeland – engineer, mixing

Track listing:

  1. Rock Island Line – traditional, arranged by Billy Bragg, Joe Henry
  2. The L&N Don’t Stop Here Any More – Jean Ritchie
  3. Midnight Special – Huddie Ledbetter
  4. Railroad Bill – traditional, arranged by Billy Bragg, Joe Henry
  5. Lonesome Whistle – Hank Williams; Jimmie Davis
  6. KC Moan – Tewee Blackman
  7. Waiting for a Train – Jimmie Rodgers
  8. In the Pines – traditional, arranged by Billy Bragg, Joe Henry
  9. Gentle on My Mind – John Hartford
  10. Hobo’s Lullaby – Goebel Reeves
  11. Railroading on the Great Divide – Sara Carter
  12. John Henry – traditional, arranged by Billy Bragg, Joe Henry
  13. Early Morning Rain – Gordon Lightfoot

Billie Joe Armstrong: No Fun Mondays

Leave a comment

On November 27, 2020, “Reprise” label released “No Fun Mondays”, the second Billie Joe Armstrong studio album. It was recorded March – September 2020, at “Jingletown Studios” in Oakland, California, and was produced by Billy Joe Armstrong.

Personnel:

  • Billie Joe Armstrong – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, drums, engineer, drum mixing
  • Jason White – guitar
  • Bill Schneider – bass guitar
  • Chris Dugan – drums, engineer, mixing, mastering

Track listing:

  1. I Think We’re Alone Now – Ritchie Cordell
  2. War Stories – Liam L’Estrange, John Martin, Terence Sharpe
  3. Manic Monday – Prince
  4. Corpus Christi – Penelope Houston, Bradley Grant Kent, Daniel J. O’Brien, James Calvin Wilsey
  5. That Thing You Do – Adam Schlesinger
  6. Amico – Don Backy, Giulio “Mogol” Rapetti, Burt Bacharach, Bob Hilliard
  7. You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory – Johnny Thunders
  8. Kids in America – Marty Wilde, Ricky Wilde
  9. Not That Way Anymore – Stephen Bator, Frank Secich
  10. That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll – Eric Carmen
  11. Gimme Some Truth – John Lennon
  12. Whole Wild World – Eric Goulden
  13. Police on My Back – Edmond Grant
  14. A New England – Billy Bragg

Billy Bragg: Brewing Up with Billy Bragg

Leave a comment

In November 1984, “Go! Discs” label released “Brewing Up with Billy Bragg”, the second Billy Bragg album. It was recorded July 1984, at “Berry Street Studio” in London, and was produced by Edward de Bono. In 2000  “Q” magazine ranked the album at number 87 in its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”.

Personnel:

  • Billy Bragg– vocals, guitar
  • Johnny Marr– guitar, vocals, tambourine
  • Kenny Craddock– organ
  • Dave Woodhead – trumpet
  • Kenny Jones – engineer
  • Heeps Willard- cover illustration

Track listing:

All tracks by Billy Bragg.

  1. It Says Here
  2. Love Gets Dangerous
  3. The Myth of Trust
  4. From a Vauxhall Velox
  5. The Saturday Boy
  6. Island of No Return
  7. St Swithin’s Day
  8. Like Soldiers Do
  9. This Guitar Says Sorry
  10. Strange Things Happen
  11. A Lover Sings

Billy Brag: The Internationale

Leave a comment

In May 1990, “Utility Records” label released “The Internationale”, the fifth Billy Brag studio album (seven tracks EP). It was recorded January–March 1990, at “Gateway Studios”, “Cathouse Studio” and “Pier House Studio”, and was produced by Grant Showbiz, Kenny Jones and Wiggy.

Personnel:

  • Billy Bragg – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar
  • Cara Tivey– vocals, piano, shakuhachi
  • Lorraine Bowen– clarinet, soprano recorder, piano, accordion, organ
  • Wiggy – vocals, bass guitar
  • Charlie Llewellin – drum,cymbal
  • Jim Sutherland –bodhran, percussion
  • Dick Gaughan– vocals
  • Côr Cochion Caerdydd – vocals
  • Grant Showbiz– vocals
  • The Christie Tyler Cory Band –brass
  • Marc Duff –whistles
  • David Bedford– arrangements, conducting
  • Charlie Llewellin –engineer
  • Derek Bolland – engineer
  • Peter Haigh – engineer
  • Step Parikian – engineer

Track listing:

  1. The Internationale – Pierre De Geyter, Billy Bragg
  2. I Dreamed I SawPhil Ochs Last Night – Earl Robinson, Billy Bragg
  3. The Marching Song of the Covert Battalions – Billy Bragg
  4. Blake’sJerusalem – William Blake, Hubert Parry
  5. Nicaragua Nicaraguita – Carlos Mejía Godoy
  6. The Red Flag – Jim Connell, traditional
  7. My Youngest Son Came Home Today – Eric Bogle

Billy Brag and Wilco: Mermaid Avenue Vol. II

Leave a comment

On May 30, 2000, “Elektra” label released “Mermaid Avenue Vol. II”, album by Billy Brag and Wilco album. The album contains previously unheard lyrics written by Woody Guthrie.

Personnel:

  • Billy Bragg- vocal, guitar, resonator guitar
  • Jeff Tweedy– vocal, guitar, slide and 12 string guitar, clapping, Mellotron, cabasa, mandolin, Wurlitzer
  • Jay Bennett- guitar, slide and 12 string guitar, B3 organ, Leslie pedals, Farfisa organ, mandolin, piano, tambourine, electric sitar, soloing, nylon string guitar, banjo, harmonica, shaker, saw drums, upright bass, Delaya phone, bells, backing vocals
  • Natalie Merchant- lead vocal
  • Corey Harris- lead vocal, acoustic guitar
  • Leroy Bach– piano
  • John Stirratt- bass, claps, upright bass, baritone guitar, backing vocals
  • Ken Coomer – drums, tape box, tambourine, percussion, hollering, kick drum, backing vocals
  • Eliza Carthy– violin
  • Mike Henry – backing vocal

Track listing:

All lyrics by Woody Guthrie, music as noted.

  1. Airline to Heaven – Jay Bennettand, Jeff Tweedy
  2. My Flying Saucer – Billy Bragg
  3. Feed of Man – Jeff Tweedy
  4. Hot Rod Hotel – Billy Bragg
  5. I Was Born – Billy Bragg
  6. Secret of the Sea – Jay Bennett, Jeff Tweedy .
  7. Stetson Kennedy – Billy Bragg
  8. Remember the Mountain Bed – Jeff Tweedy, Jay Bennett
  9. Blood of the Lamb – Jeff Tweedy, Jay Bennett
  10. Aginst th’ Law – Billy Bragg
  11. All You Fascists – Billy Bragg
  12. Joe DiMaggio Done It Again – Billy Bragg
  13. Meanest Man – Billy Bragg
  14. Black Wind Blowing – Billy Bragg
  15. Someday Some Morning Sometime – Jeff Tweedy

Woody Guthrie

Leave a comment

On October 3, 1967, Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie died aged 55. He was musician (guitar), singer-songwriter, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional, children’s songs, along with ballads and improvised works. He performed with the slogan “This machine kills fascists” displayed on his guitar. His song “This Land Is Your Land” has become one of the most popular music pieces in the history of the American popular music, and is regularly sung in American schools Big number of famous musicians and authors have acknowledged Guthrie as their major influence, including:Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Harry Chapin, John Mellencamp, Pete Seeger,  Joe Strummer, Billy Bragg, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Jeff Tweedy, and Tom Paxton.