Talking with the Taxman About Poetry [Bonus Disc]

Personnel: Billy Bragg (vocals, guitar); Kristy MacColl (vocals); Johnny Marr (guitar); John Porter (slide guitar, mandolin, bass); Bobby Valentino (violin); Dave Woodhead (trumpet, flugelhorn); Kenny Craddock (piano, organ); Simon Moreton, Kenny Jones, George Shilling (percussion).
Recorded at Livingston Studios, London, England.
Agitpop's aggrieved and finely humoured singer-songwriter, Billy Bragg gave full vent to his impassioned view of the world with the excellent Talking With The Taxman About Poetry. Less fully blown in execution than Brewing Up, or his mini-album Life's A Riot With Spy Vs Spy, his finely honed angst nevertheless remained intact, with his pungent and almost always topical material sitting comfortably alongside a new and instantly more accessible batch of songs. The wonderfully arch 'Greetings To The New Brunette' and the uplifting 'Levi Stubbs Tears' were indicative of Bragg's rapidly developing craft.