Billy Bragg – Don't Try This At Home (1991)

For 40 years now, I've been (mostly) at one with Billy Bragg politically and musically, and this 1991, perhaps one of my favourites, arguably marks a change from lone troubadour to band leader.

The CD has 16 songs, and was released just as we transitioned from vinyl to CD, hence the 60 minutes of music for the price of a single album boast.

And it's packed with music biz chums like REM, Kirsty MacColl, Johnny Marr and old mate Wiggy, so let's crack on.

I've long contended that the optimum length of an album is 40-45 minutes, and that many early 1990s albums suffer from a lack of editing and restraint, since the new format allowed 80 minutes on a disc "so why leave this song off?". Perhaps this is a minor example of this trap.

There's a banging start in Accident Waiting To Happen (including the classic line you're a dedicated swallower of fascism). It's slower for the heartfelt Moving The Goalposts and Everywhere, a cover of a Sid Griffin/Greg Trooper song), enhanced by Peter Buck's mandolin and followed by the big, big sound of Cindy Of A Thousand Lives, which envelops the listener, before the fantastically lively You Woke Up My Neighbourhood.

But two limp ballads follow, and the slightly brighter The Few, before the big hot single Sexuality bounces out of the CD player. After this Mother Of The Bride, is a cheery bouncy number, followed by BB's moving song dedicated to his late father, Tank Park Salute - a great fans' favourite, but not really mine. There's a solid enough version of Fred Neil's Dolphins (but not a patch on Tim Buckley's version), before we're woken back up by North Sea Bubble, another lively political observation. But after this, none of the last three songs really hit home, with final song Body Of Water probably the strongest.

So, after a deeper listen, I'm a bit more ambivalent about this album. While there's a few great BB numbers, some of the quieter songs don't do it for me. Back to my earlier point, there's definitely a fantastic 40-45 minute album in here.

Link to album tracks

3* - A decent album, which perhaps tries to cram a bit too much in