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.
Reviewing Talking with the Taxman About Poetry for Rolling Stone, David Handelman called the album "a winning mesh, by turns as political as
the Clash, as clever as
Elvis Costello, as melodic as
Ray Davies and as rocking as
Chuck Berry."[13] Ira Robbins of Trouser Press praised it as "a great leap forward, the deft application of understated instrumental accompaniment on some of Bragg's best-ever songs."[14]
"Wishing the Days Away" (alternate version) – 2:32
"The Clashing of Ideologies" (alternate version) – 2:52
"Greetings to the New Brunette" (demo version) – 3:57
"A Nurse's Life is Full of Woe" – 2:48
"Only Bad Signs" – 3:10
"Hold the Fort" (traditional) – 1:47
Personnel
Musicians
Billy Bragg – acoustic and electric guitar, vocals
Kirsty MacColl – vocals on "Greetings to the New Brunette" and "The Passion"
Ken Craddock – piano on "Honey, I'm a Big Boy Now", organ on "The Warmest Room"
Kenny Jones – assorted percussion
Johnny Marr – electric guitar on "Greetings to the New Brunette" and "The Passion"
Simon Moreton – percussion on "Greetings to the New Brunette" and "Levi Stubbs' Tears"
John Porter – bass guitar and
slide guitar on "Greetings to the New Brunette", bass guitar on "The Marriage" and "The Warmest Room", mandolin on "Help Save the Youth of America" and "Wishing the Days Away"
George Shilling – assorted percussion
Bobby Valentino – violin on "Train Train" and "Wishing the Days Away"
Dave Woodhead – trumpet and
flugelhorn on "The Marriage", "Levi Stubbs' Tears" and "The Home Front"
Hank Wangford – vocals and mandolin on "Sin City" and "Deportees"
^Du Noyer, Paul (October 1986). "Billy Bragg: Talking with the Taxman About Poetry". Q. No. 1.
^"Billy Bragg: Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy / Brewing Up with Billy Bragg / Talking with the Taxman About Poetry / The Internationale". Record Collector. No. 322. April 2006.
^Wilkes, Jane (27 September 1986). "Billy Bragg: Talking with the Taxman About Poetry". Record Mirror. pp. 10, 12.
^Wolk, Douglas (9 March 2006). "Billy Bragg: Talking with the Taxman About Poetry". Rolling Stone. No. 995. p. 95.