Ah, sweet nostalgia
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Artist:
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Album:
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Track:
From the first uttrance of "Shirley!" in that unmistakeable accent, I'm transported.
My skin feels dry and crusty from dried-on sea salt, the side effect of another Sunday spent surfing. It's late on a Sunday night in 1987, and I'm hastily finishing my homework half-heartedly while paying most of my attention to the living room television. 120 Minutes is on, but not so loud as to wake up Mom. I've come for the favorites: Depeche Mode, The Cure, Love and Rockets, but I'm sticking around to hear something new.
I'd heard the stories of the man who started by busking with a portable guitar/drum setup, but to hear the music ... well, I'd be lying to say I was immediately a fan, but it grew on me.
Perhaps it's appropriate to listen to Billy in these times of economic and political upheaval. Maybe we should have listened more intently before, you know?
This marks proof #639 that Erin's truly family. Thanks dear!
Comments (19)
I was just talking to Amber about Mr. Bragg...
Saturday Boy...St. Swithin's Day...Milkman Of Human Kindness...
I am more partial to the "unrequited love Billy" then the "worker's of the world unite Billy".
But still, his playing, his accent, his pathos...good stuff, I've been listening to him a lot lately.
ahhh ... I love that in sharing a memory it starts a domino effect. :) The connections to music run deep for this mogging crew ...
You know my take on it, it's always appropriate to listen to Bragg -- but his socio/political ideology is as apropos as ever. It's interesting that lyrics written twenty years ago still sound as though they could have been written about what's going on today.
"Oi LOOOOVE yeouw... Oi am the Milkmeeeenn... of Yooman Koindness..."
Yep, he's cool.
Excuse me while I do a quick embed from Annie's Billy Bragg post.
Funny how great minds think alike: Annie and Amber, then Erin, and I get to swim in their wake. Very nice indeed.
I first heard of Billy Bragg via a review I read some where. This was way back...late early nineties, maybe. I put the album on my To Buy list and then forgot to do so. Then came the Mermaid Ave releases. By then I was a fan of Jeff Tweedy, and so bought em, discovering the Billy I had earlier read about. That's as far as it went. I now see I need to pick put the rest of Mr Bragg's catalogue--thanks. But...where do I begin?? ST Swithin's Day is pretty good--is Back To Basics the album? Help me make some new memories I will write ab out later.
Two posts in a row dale, two that hit me and made me go get an album to listen to as I typed away tonight. I have seen this man so many times in concert, timeless as it gets
Klyde, definitely start with Back To Basics. "St. Swithin's Day", "Milk of Human Kindness", "A New England" ... that disc is loaded.
Then again, I may not be the best person to ask. I only have Back to Basics, and Talking with the Taxman About Poetry. And I've never seen him in concert (so jel Kev).
Anyone else care to chime in?
Dale, if you have time go out tomorrow and get Workers Playtime. It was the disc that got me into Billy Bragg, and one of my favorites by him.
Same song 17 years ago, love the difference in lyrics
Great. Thanks for the tip. Tomorrow.
late to the party...I need to start opening those invitations in my in-box.
Billy Bragg...I'm with Annie on the prefering the unrequited love songs but all is good when you spin an album entire.
a little Billy Bragg moment to share:
St Swithins Day has been my favorite Bragg song for some time. And the Thursday before the bulk of our crew arrived in Denver for Monolith, Lizzie and I, with Erin and her husband, were sitting in the living room of their beautiful home, me with a full glass of red in hand. Erin's husband had gotten out his guitar and was playing various songs with a heavy rotation of Billy and the 3-4 minutes he played St Swithins Day, as I sat, verrrrry quietly singing along, with 2 of the best women I've ever had the opportunity to call sister and friend...easily one of the most special 3-4 minutes EVER.
So, yeah..in my long drawn out way...I concur. Billy Bragg is cool.
Greg was playing Billy?!? Gaaaah, I missed all the good stuff!
Except the barvecue.
And Cut Copy.
And APTBS.
But still ... sheesh!
That's OK, Dale, I missed all the good stuff, too.
Cheers for the post. Never too late to listen more intently. :)
Don't be silly, you were there for everything. We even had pictures of you @ the Snowden show and the record-shopping trip the next day. Sure, you were in doll form, but still ... ;)
Oh my , I just saw those! Bloody hysterical!
Amber does good work, doesn't she? :)
The one where I'm watching Snowden almost killed me....
Yeah, we're real sorry to have left you in Erin's bag through the Saturday show, because I'm quite certain you'd have been pogoing like crazy to Cut Copy as well. :D
Hehe it's alright, you pogo-ed enough for the both of us ;)
{that video made me smile widely!}