Billy Bragg
Must I Paint You a Picture?

THE REVIEW

This beautiful retrospective on Billy Bragg surprises those who know him only for the electric folk of "New England" or his political anthems. It surprises because the picture that emerges is of a Billy Bragg far from limited to a few, albeit masterful, tricks of the trade. On the contrary, what emerges is a well-rounded songwriter, capable of successfully spanning the most diverse genres and maintaining vitality and effectiveness over the years.

It is certain that Billy Bragg has always been an uncomfortable, courageous, and therefore admirable character. It takes courage to interpret punk by throwing the band overboard and presenting oneself alone with an electric guitar. It takes courage and talent; one must know how to construct songs with simple and powerful melodic structures, capable of standing almost on their own, without the help of arrangements that usually facilitate the composer’s task. And indeed, the melodies remain carved as one with the words : "I don't want to change the world I'm not looking for a new England, I'm just looking for another girl...", recites the paradoxically anti-political "New England". Numerous tracks are noteworthy in this first part of the career dominated by essentiality, with bare and well-carved melodic structures, but particularly memorable are the beautiful "Levi Stubbs Tears" and "Greetings to the New Brunette".
Towards the end of the first CD of the collection, it’s evident the intent to progressively enrich the arrangements of the songs, as in the title track "Must I Paint you a Picture" and in the masterful crescendo of "Waiting For The Great Leap Forward".

The second CD opens with one of the more pop tracks :"Sexuality", produced by Johnny Marr, followed by the beautiful ballads "Moving The Goalposts" and "Tank Park Salute", the latter dedicated to his father's death, where Bragg shows himself to be a delicate and effective lyricist, as well as completely devoid of rhetoric.
The collaboration with Wilco in the reinterpretation of some Woody Guthrie songs is also not missing. Towards the end of the CD, the tracks from Billy England's last official CD, Half English, show a bit of fatigue, but the final piece of the collection, released only as a single, "Take Down The Union Jack", confirms that Bragg has not lost his polemical verve and the ability to write biting and ironic lyrics.
It's true that probably the personal songs hold up better than the political ones (the melody of "There is Power in the Union" is predictable, while "Between the War" is still effective). All in all, it's an excellent compilation, which, on one hand, offers a 360-degree overview of the author, and on the other hand, might encourage further exploration of one aspect or another of his career.

PS Since I believe it’s hard to find, at least at a good price, in Italy, I recommend those interested get it here for 12.99 euros: http://www.play.com/play247.asp?pa=srmr&page=title&r=CD&title=153318