What Do You Think of Billy Bragg?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

I may be meeting him later today for work-related reasons. Does anyone here have any strong opinions about him, his life, political beliefs or music?

― bert (bert), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 09:06 (twenty-two years ago)

he reminds me a lot of momus and also john peel. a sort of comfortable conservative if you know what i mean

― gareth (gareth), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 09:44 (twenty-two years ago)

he's a good songwriter. Well, some of the time, anyway.

I feel that he sold out once he started recording and touring with a band.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 11:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I like his music.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 11:38 (twenty-two years ago)

i was once a loyal billy bragg. while i still agree with his pro-labor politics, the musical output during the past five years has failed to maintain my enthusiasm. nice guy, though. ask him how 'lil jack's growing up.

― j.a.e., Tuesday, 13 May 2003 21:43 (twenty-two years ago)

he was, at his peak, to George Michael what Ewan MacColl was to Billy Fury. what you think of Bragg depends entirely on what you think of that basic idea; I mean, at least he was *relevant* in the 80s, nobody could have denied that. these days, though ...

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 01:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Along with Toyah, he's an illustration that you should never give up your music career as - if you stick around long enough- you'll come back into fashion.

He's a bit too earnest for my tastes.

― bobby sixer (bobby6), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 12:10 (twenty-two years ago)

He is the milkman of human kindness.
He will leave an extra pint.

― Simeon (Simeon), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 12:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, I met him and took his photograph. And he was, as j.a.e. says, a nice guy - warm, generous, without any pretenses and thoroughly plesant. Strangely, I'd always felt that he would be this way through having listened to some of his music.

He's writing a book about the experiences of UK immigrants and their notions of identity. I told him he might like to see the Sebastiao Salgado exhibtion currently on at the Barbican in London. I'd recommend this to absolutely anyone, incidentally...

― bert (bert), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.