Workers Playtime

limited edition remastered double cd reissue with a bonus 10 track cd featuring demos, alternative versions and live cuts. even as a very young man, billy bragg tempered his socialist politics with songs about affairs of the heart, a combination that's served him well. but no matter how lovey-dovey he may croon, bragg can't help but rail at oppression in its many manifestations. on 'workers playtime', producer joe boyd (fairport convention, nick drake) frames bragg's ragged voice with sympathetic folk-rock arrangements. but the real strength of this 1988 collection lies in bragg's songwriting. the album may boast the pedantic 'capitalism is killing music,' but bragg's sense of humour is in evidence throughout. 'waiting for the great leap forwards' mixes mao with mott the hoople, while the heart-stopping sincerity of 'the short answer' suffers not a whit for bringing up karl marx.