Episode 11: Don’t Try This At Home
Billy’s relationship with Go! Discs is threatened as the independent label allows itself to be bought out, and by arguments between the label’s founder, Andy MacDonald, and Billy’s manager, Pete Jenner.
Despite this, Go! Discs chucks a very large budget at Billy’s next studio album, Don’t Try This At Home. The extra cash, and the contribution of Johnny Marr and REM, lead to a Big Pop Production, and promotional videos.
Sexuality, featuring Billy, Wiggy, Kirsty MacColl, Phill Jupitus, et al.
The songs on these podcasts feature on the fabulous Billy Bragg Volume 2 boxed set, available from the Billy Bragg Shop here.(Volume 2 NTSC version suitable for North America and Japan, etc is here).
3 Responses to “Episode 11: Don’t Try This At Home”
By Lynne on Jan 27, 2008
It looks as if everyone is susceptible to being bought out. Sigh.
Any chance of doing a Radiohead? (We actually paid for the download and we bought the swanky box set. xxx)
By Tremayne Crossley on Jan 27, 2008
Ahhh memories, I was going through such a bad time when this came out. I still get a little teary when I hear ‘wish you were her’ or ‘mother of the bride’.
No, songs will never save lives, but a little Billy empathy can go a long way to healing the pain!
Can’t wait for the next one as ‘Brickbat’ is still my favourite BB song, (except I wanted to plant bombs at Wapping!)
By Ms. Oliver Ann Hinson on Feb 4, 2008
I first heard of Billy Bragg through an article about R.E.M. in Spin Magazine, around the time their “Out of Time” album was released.
The writer mentioned overhearing Peter Buck playing the mandolin with a British artist named Billy Bragg. On that recommendation, I went to the record store and picked up either “Workers’ Playtime” or “Don’t Try This…”, I can’t remember which.
Now Billy Bragg has surpassed many of my old favorites as one of my all time favorite artists. What surprised me about BB is that he really means all that stuff he sings about!