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After `Don't Try this at Home' failed to propel Billy Bragg to superstardom he was struck down with appendicitis which forced him off the road. After re-grouping he found he had obtained the rights to every note of his back catalogue due to Go Discs requiring his advance back. This gave Billy some financial stability as he could now licence it out and allowed him to work and record at a more leisurely pace. This gave him time to marry and become a father all of which has given `William Bloke' a warm feel and some of the most fantastic songs of his career. It must be troubling to be reaching middle age with a reputation for writing songs of teenage angst. Billy's new voice of middle age angst is just what his aging, sorry mature, audience were looking for.

The title refers to the nickname Billy's no-nonsense approach earned him when he recorded William Blake's `Jerusalem' and attempted to restore it to a progressive anthem rather than been considered part of the jingoism that is the last night of the Proms. He lives up to the name here particularly on `Upfield' when the angles interview Bragg in much the same way as they did in Blake's visions.

`Upfield' is reminiscent of the later Bragg Pop arrangements whilst album opener `From Red to Blue' is a sparse traditional folk arrangement. The arrangements cover the gambit of Bragg approaches including all out Urban folk punk guitar attack on his take on Rudyard Kipling's `A Pict Song'. The approach generally compliments each composition exactly and the album makes a seamless tradition from style to style.

The real beauty here is the standard of song with `Brickbat', `The Space Race is Over' and `Northern Industrial Town' being amongst the best songs Billy has ever written. When drawing comparisons with someone of Blake's stature you are asking for trouble but Billy Bragg manages it with his deft touch.

The bonus disc brings us very little of merit on the main being demo's which were all surpassed by the final production. What is interesting is the cover of Woody Guthrie's `Who's Gonna Shoe your Pretty Little Feet' which gives a nod towards Billy's next project.


Rating: 5 out of 5