Talking with the Taxman About Poetry

Talking with the Taxman About Poetry
Studio album by Billy Bragg
Released	22nd September 1986[1]
Recorded	March–July 1986
Studio	Livingston Studios, London
Genre	Folk punk
Length	38:06
Label	Go! Discs (UK) Elektra (US)
Producer	Kenny Jones, John Porter
Billy Bragg chronology
Brewing Up with Billy Bragg (1984) Talking with the Taxman About Poetry (1986) Workers Playtime (1988)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]
Rolling Stone	[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[5]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	8/10[6]
The Village Voice	B+[7]

Talking with the Taxman About Poetry is the third album by Billy Bragg, released in September 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.

Background[]

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".^[8]

Critical reception[]

Trouser Press wrote that the album "is a great leap forward, the deft application of understated instrumental accompaniment on some of Bragg’s best-ever songs."^[9]

Accolades[]

The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.^[10]

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" (Bragg, George Frederick Root) – 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

Personnel[]

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

References[]

External links[]