Billy Bragg

反璞归真的民谣先锋。Billy Bragg绝对不是那种带有天生明星气质的人。或者说，他看起来更像是一个普通得不能再普通的伦敦工人。但是，这绝对不是他频繁参与各种工人聚会和罢工的解释。
 
70 年代，Billy Bragg曾经加入一支名为Riff Raff的Punk乐队，后因参军退出。在此期间，他的音乐取向发生了重大变化，从之前简单三和弦的Punk式暴躁转向为Boy Bylan式的启示民谣。退伍之后，Billy Bragg在一间唱片行打工，在此期间，他以一把电吉他开始创作，演唱自己关于政治和爱情的主张，并寻找各种演出机会，甚至仅仅是担任临时的替补吉他手。幸运的Billy Bragg最终得到了出版自己单曲唱片的机会。 1983年，“Life's Riot With Spy”出版了，这张单曲是Billy Bragg与Spy乐队一起完成的，在排行榜上到达了第30位的好成绩。在之后的1984年，Billy Bragg的处女专辑“Brewing Up with Billy Bragg”出版，这张唱片使这个当时还默默无名的歌手在排行榜上飙升至第16位。
 
成为公众人物后，Billy Bragg开始出现在各种左翼分子的集会和各种罢工活动中，足迹踏遍整个英伦三岛，并且帮助组建了由音乐人组织的政治团体Red Wedge。1985年，他的单曲“New England”登上英国单曲榜的第7 名，其中运用钢琴和管乐的点缀使这首歌成为当时最受欢迎的音乐作品。1986年，他的专辑 “Talking With the Taxman About Poetry”也入选了英国的十大专辑。
 
Billy Bragg的旋律偏向The Bealtes式的欢快小调，但是却包含了曾经在Riff Raff的Punk时期的简单和迅速。带有一定的Blues遗风让人们很容易对他的音乐认祖归宗。虽然，Beatles的反战行为足以让流行音乐史忽略每一个70-80年代的音乐人，但对于Billy Bragg这样的民谣歌手，我们还是应该肯定其在历史上的地位。Billy Bragg影响了Nick Drake等一大批的民谣艺人在其道路上继续前进，这些与生具有Punk精神的艺人们无论如何都是时代的先锋和楷模。
 
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Finding inspiration in the righteous anger of punk rock and the socially conscious folk tradition of Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, Billy Bragg was the leading figure of the anti-folk movement of the 80s. For most of the decade, Bragg bashed out songs alone on his electric guitar, singing about politics and love. While his lyrics were bitingly intelligent and clever, they were also warm and humane, filled with detail and wit. Even though his lyrics were carefully considered, Bragg never neglected to write melodies for songs that were strong and memorable. Throughout the 80s, he managed to chart consistently in Britain, yet he only gathered a cult following in America, which could be due to the fact that he sang about distinctly British subject matter, both politically and socially.
 
Bragg began performing in the late 70s with the punk group Riff Raff, which lasted only a matter of months. He then joined the British Army, yet he quickly bought himself out of his sojourn with 175 pounds. After leaving the Army, he began working at a record store; while he was working, he was writing songs that were firmly in the folk and punk protest tradition. Bragg began a British tour, playing whenever he had the chance to perform. Frequently he would open for bands with only a moments notice; soon, he had built a sizable following, as evidenced by his first EP, Lifes a Riot With Spy vs. Spy (1983), hitting number 30 on the U.K. independent charts. Brewing Up With Billy Bragg (1984), his first full-length album, climbed to number 16 in the charts.
 
During 1984, Bragg became a minor celebrity in Britain, as he appeared at leftist political rallies, strikes, and benefits across the country; he also helped form the Red Wedge, a socialist musicians collective that also featured Paul Weller. In 1985, Kirsty MacColl took one of his songs, New England, to number seven on the British singles chart. Featuring some subtle instrumental additions of piano and horns, 1986s Talking With the Taxman About Poetry reached the U.K. Top Ten.
 
Braggs version of the Beatles Shes Leaving Home, taken from the Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father tribute album, became his only number one single in 1988 — as the double A-side with Wet Wet Wets With a Little Help From My Friends. That year, he also released the EP Help Save the Youth of America and the full-length Workers Playtime, which was produced by Joe Boyd (Fairport Convention, Nick Drake, R.E.M.). Boyd helped expand Braggs sound, as the singer recorded with a full band for the first time. The following year, Bragg restarted the Utility record label as a way of featuring non-commercial new artists. The Internationale, released in 1990, was a collection of left-wing anthems, including a handful of Bragg originals. On 1991s Dont Try This at Home, he again worked with a full band, recording his most pop-oriented and accessible set of songs; the album featured the hit single, Sexuality. Bragg took several years off after Dont Try This at Home, choosing to concentrate on fatherhood. He returned in 1996 with William Bloke.
 
In 1998, he teamed with the American alternative country band Wilco to record Mermaid Avenue, a collection of performances based on unreleased songs originally written by Woody Guthrie. Reaching to the Converted, a collection of rarities, followed a year later, and in mid-2000 Bragg and Wilco reunited for a second Mermaid Avenue set. While touring in support of Mermaid Avenue, Vol. 2, Bragg formed the Blokes in 1999 with Small Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan. Lu Edmonds (guitar), Ben Mandelson (lap steel guitar), Martyn Barker (drums), and Simon Edwards (bass) solidified the group while Bragg moved from London to rural Dorset in early 2001. One year later, the Blokes joined Bragg for England, Half English, his first solo effort since William Bloke. In 2004 he collaborated with Less Than Jake for The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out, a track included on the Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 compilation. The two-CD Must I Paint You a Picture? The Essential Billy Bragg appeared in 2003 with initial copies featuring a third, bonus CD of collectibles and rarities. The Yep Roc label released the box set Volume 1 in 2006. The set included seven CDs and two DVDs of previously unavailable live footage. The label simultaneously reissued four titles from Braggs early back catalog in expanded editions.