This November three early albums from the British socialist singer Billy Bragg are being reissued in deluxe vinyl formats. The records are Brewing Up With Billy Bragg (1984), Talking With The Taxman About Poetry (1986), and Workers Playtime (1988). They will be available from Cooking Vinyl in November.
Billy Bragg was a hero of my misspent youth in the 1980s, which is why the notice of the new releases caught my eye. The announcement is also an opportunity to reflect on the brutal hypocrisy that Bragg, whom I once interviewed, represents.
Bragg has written more than just left-wing protest songs during his career—he’s also written deeply moving songs about women who have been victims of abuse. How tragic then, that in the last few years Bragg has sided with the transgender madness that puts women at risk.
The issue erupted in the media during the fall of 2022. Bragg started the hoopla by tweeting something in support of TV host Graham Norton who was in the midst of criticizing British comedian John Cleese. Cleese, at the time, was lamenting the woke restrictions on speech.
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