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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
11 songs, only 3 about politics and a whopping great 8 about love. It isn't hard to guess what was going on in Billy's life around the time of this album. He even names the culprit in 'The Short Answer' - "Between Marx and marzipan in the dictionary, there was Mary."
Billy articulates the whole range of feelings we experience when involved in a passionate love affair, from initial infatuation ('She's Got A New Spell') to ardent declarations ('Must I Paint You A Picture?') and on through wounded defiance ('The Price I Pay') and sad resignation ('Valentine's Day Is Over'). After all the anguish, though, he still can't help but state that you're 'The Only One.'
The political songs seem almost incidental by comparison but very fine they are too. 'Tender Comrade', a moving song about 2 male soldiers falling in love, is sung a capella by Bragg. 'Rotting On Remand' is a plea for more humane treatment of prisoners. And 'The Great Leap Forwards', an unusually structured song that gathers in pace and volume, is acutely aware of the dilemmas of the singer-songwriter with its self-deprecating line, "Mixing pop and politics, he asks me what the use is/ I offer him embarrassment and my usual excuses."
Another 'leap forwards' for the bard of Barking.
Billy articulates the whole range of feelings we experience when involved in a passionate love affair, from initial infatuation ('She's Got A New Spell') to ardent declarations ('Must I Paint You A Picture?') and on through wounded defiance ('The Price I Pay') and sad resignation ('Valentine's Day Is Over'). After all the anguish, though, he still can't help but state that you're 'The Only One.'
The political songs seem almost incidental by comparison but very fine they are too. 'Tender Comrade', a moving song about 2 male soldiers falling in love, is sung a capella by Bragg. 'Rotting On Remand' is a plea for more humane treatment of prisoners. And 'The Great Leap Forwards', an unusually structured song that gathers in pace and volume, is acutely aware of the dilemmas of the singer-songwriter with its self-deprecating line, "Mixing pop and politics, he asks me what the use is/ I offer him embarrassment and my usual excuses."
Another 'leap forwards' for the bard of Barking.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is the album that really got me into Billy. Strong songs, excellent lyrics. He got a really good band around him and produced a more melodic and sophisticated sound than before while still retaining the passion and commitment.
Must I Paint You a Picture, and Great Leap Forward are stand out tracks - but (with the possible exception of Tender Comrade) there isn't a duff song on here.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
'Workers Playtime' is regarded by some as an 'in-between' album, fitting between the ground breaking 'Talking With the Taxman..' and the near pop-perfect 'Don't Try This At Home'. Bill (in my opinion) was always a better writer of bitter-sweet love ditties than political comment and this album concentrates mainly on the former, providing a more downbeat and subtle work compared to '..Taxman..'. Songs such as 'Must I Paint You a Picture', 'Valentine's Day is Over' are prime examples. Musically the accompanyment is more of a disappointment: although it shows signs of Bill's future experiments with country styles, it seems at times directionless, as if he wasn't sure whether to go the whole hog with a backing band and drummer and as such is not as polished as 'Don't Try This...'. Subsequently, the best numbers are the ones with the most sparse backing. This minor quibble though should be looked at in the context of what went before and what was to come. As such, it remains an unsung gem in the Billy Bragg collection which you should definitely get hold of, but if you're new to the Bard of Barking, not before 'Taxman..' and 'Don't Try This..'. And while we're at it, 'Back to Basics'. Failing this, buy the box set if you must, but you'll miss out on the brilliant 'The Short Answer' ("While you and I sat down to tea/I remember you said to me/that no amount of poetry could mend this broken heart/but you can put the Hoover round if you want to make a start")
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Billy's Great Leap Forwards.
On Billy Bragg's previous album `Talking to the Taxman about Poetry' he had moved away from the sparse percussive guitar of his early `Urban' folk music using the occasional... Read more
Published on 22 Mar 2008 by Ian Wood, Author of 'Here's 2 Absent Fathers'
Classic Billy and probably his best Album
I bought this album on cassette when it came out over ten years ago. Not as raw as the sort of tracks off Back To Basics, but as a previous reviewer mentions, the increased... Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2001 by alistairfinely@contactbox.co.uk
The classic commie folk-punk album
This album is classic Billy, while not as stark as his earlier work the more elaborate arrangements work. Read more
Published on 18 Nov 2000 by Ericsen
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