Back to Basics by Billy Bragg

I’ve always had this bias towards Billy Bragg. I can’t put my finger on why, maybe it’s his voice or that you can still hear his English accent when he sings. Every once in awhile I have an irrational dislike for something and I have a hard time setting that aside, just ask Mark B. my feelings on Jethro Tull before I listened to them. I am trying to get over this not judging thing and not let it get in the way of my reviews, and after listening to a CD a few hundred times it usually works. It worked with this one too. I listened to it on the plane here to Idaho and I was surprised by how much I didn't mind listening to it. A ringing endorsement.
The CD is a compilation of Billy Bragg's first two CDs plus an EP he released. On the CD it is pretty much him and his guitar. Every once in awhile there is another instrument but not often. I saw somewhere Billy Bragg being described as England's loudest socialist folkie. I guess that kind of describes what his music sounds like. He does always seem like he is singing a little too loud. His song topics are also very politically focused.
My favorite songs are "Milkman of Human Kindness," "A New England," and "A Lover Sings." I cheated a little on this CD as I already knew the second song. I liked that one before I had heard the rest of the CD. I think what I appreciate most about Billy Bragg are his lyrics. These three songs are great examples of it. In the song "Milkman of Human Kindness," Billy is trying to make the person feel better.
"If you're lonely, i will call -
If you're poorly, i will send poetry
I love you
I am the milkman of human kindness
I will leave an extra pint"
I like the idea of someone leaving me a pint of human kindness when I am feeling crappy. "A New England" is about this guy who is just looking for someone to love him.
"I don't want to change the world
I'm not looking for a new england
I'm just looking for another girl"
The last song is a story about a relationship that goes awry.

"There is no real substitute
For a ball struck squarely and firmly
And you're the kind of girl who wants to
Open up the bottle of pop
Too early in the journey
Our love went flat just like that"

I like the part about the love going flat because they "opened up the bottle of pop too early." Kind of cool symbolism there. When I look back at the songs I had chosen, I noticed they all had a common theme, love, not always happy endings, but definitely about love.
Ross loved Billy Bragg. I could never understand it because I had such a hard time getting past his annoying voice. Listening to this CD helped me get over that a little bit. Now, after listening to the songs more closely, I think part of the reason he liked him so much was because his songs were so full of meaning. I could especially see that with "Milkman of Human Kindness." I have thought long and hard about whether to keep this or not. I like it but I just don't know that I can listen to it just for fun. Maybe there is someone out there who could.

A Lover Sings - Billy Bragg