Puneet Varma (Editor)

Talking with the Taxman About Poetry

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Released
  
September 1986

Artist
  
Billy Bragg

Label
  
Elektra Records

Genre
  
Rock music

Length
  
38:06

Release date
  
September 1986

Producers
  
Kenney Jones, John Porter

Talking with the Taxman About Poetry httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenbb6Bil

Recorded
  
March–July 1986Livingston Studios, London

Talking with the Taxman About Poetry(1986)
  
Workers Playtime(1988)

Similar
  
Billy Bragg albums, Rock music albums

Talking with the Taxman About Poetry is the third album by Billy Bragg, released in 1986. With production by John Porter and Kenny Jones, Talking with the Taxman About Poetry featured more musicians than Bragg's previous works, which were generally little more than Bragg himself and a guitar. There were two singles released from the album. While "Levi Stubbs' Tears" peaked at No. 29 in the UK, the follow-up "Greetings to the New Brunette" fell short, only managing No. 58 a few months later.

Contents

The album's title is also the title of a Vladimir Mayakovsky poem, which appears as part of the liner notes.

The song "There Is Power in a Union" is based on the song "Battle Cry of Freedom".

"Levi Stubbs' Tears" refers to songwriter Barrett Strong, producer Norman Whitfield, the members of the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting and production team as well as Levi Stubbs and the Four Tops.

The original album cover has the subtitle "The Difficult Third Album".

Track listing

All tracks written by Billy Bragg, except where noted.

Disc one

  1. "Greetings to the New Brunette" – 3:29
  2. "Train Train" (Zenon De Fleur) – 2:11
  3. "The Marriage" – 2:30
  4. "Ideology" (Bragg, Bob Dylan) – 3:27
  5. "Levi Stubbs' Tears" – 3:28
  6. "Honey, I'm a Big Boy Now" – 4:05
  7. "There Is Power in a Union" (Traditional, arranged by Billy Bragg) – 2:47
  8. "Help Save the Youth of America" – 2:45
  9. "Wishing the Days Away" – 2:28
  10. "The Passion" – 2:52
  11. "The Warmest Room" – 3:55
  12. "The Home Front" – 4:09

Disc two (2006 reissue)

  1. "Sin City" (Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman) – 3:34
  2. "Deportees" (Woody Guthrie, Martin Hoffman) – 4:03
  3. "There is Power in a Union" (instrumental) (George Root) – 3:16
  4. "The Tracks of My Tears" (Smokey Robinson, Warren Moore, Marvin Tarplin) – 2:56
  5. "Wishing the Days Away" (alternate version) – 2:32
  6. "The Clashing of Ideologies" (alternate version) – 2:52
  7. "Greetings to the New Brunette" (demo version) – 3:57
  8. "A Nurse's Life is Full of Woe" – 2:48
  9. "Only Bad Signs" – 3:10
  10. "Hold the Fort" (traditional) – 1:47

Musicians

  • Billy Bragg – guitars (acoustic and electric), vocals
  • Kirsty MacColl – vocals
  • Ken Craddock – organ, piano
  • Kenny Jones – percussion
  • Johnny Marr – electric guitar
  • Simon Moreton – percussion
  • John Porter – guitar, mandolin, bass guitar, slide guitar
  • George Shilling – percussion
  • Bobby Valentino – violin
  • Dave Woodhead – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Hank Wangford – vocals and mandolin on "Sin City" and "Deportees"
  • Robert Handley – vocals on "Hold the Fort"

    • Production

  • Kenny Jones – producer
  • John Porter – producer
  • Grant Showbiz – reissue producer
  • George Shilling – technician
  • Pennie Smith – photography

    • Songs

    1Greetings to the New Brunette3:32
    2Train Train2:13
    3The Marriage2:32

    References

    Talking with the Taxman About Poetry Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


    Similar Topics