Search - Billy Bragg :: Workers Playtime

Billy Bragg at his best

Mike Smith | Albuquerque, NM | 10/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I would never have thought politics and love could go so well together. On this album, every song is political, yet every song is a love song, and the politics and love seem completely inseperable. The words are always great--Billy Bragg's best--and the music always serves to make the words even more powerful. You can hate Billy Bragg's politics, but if you've ever been in love or wanted to be, you still find something for yourself here. "Worker's Playtime" was recorded in the 1980s, yet it still sounds fresh and timeless. It's better than anything Billy Bragg's done in the last ten years (though that's not saying that much) and possibly better than any of his other albums.

"She's Got A New Spell" rocks out jangling, with citar, even. "Must I Paint You A Picture?" uses a female vocalist to tell about a decaying relationship, and then declares, "This would never happen, if we lived by the sea." "The Price I Pay" is one of the best piano love songs ever, full of regret and sad hope. And "Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards" is about as good as songs get, building into an anthem, a collectivist anthem embraceable by anyone who's ever hoped for change. "Here comes the future / And you can't run from it / If you've got a blacklist / I want to be on it!"

This is a great album. It will always remind me of my older brother who first introduced me to (good) popular music, and it will always remind me of what Billy Bragg is capable of. (Now if someone would just remind Billy....)"

Another great album from Billy Bragg

Geoffrey N. Stark | York, PA | 03/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is simply another example of Billy Bragg's ability to combine great songs about lost love, relationships, and politics onto one album and make it seamless. The second CD has some great demos as well.



Little Time Bomb, Rotting on Remand, and Great Leap Forwards are my favorites.



I hope you enjoy it as much as I do."