Brewing Up With Billy Bragg

Billy Bragg, once-described as a 'one-man Clash,' has spent the last two decades writing and performing passionate, witty, socially conscious music. On September 6, Yep Roc Records will re-issue Brewing Up With Billy Bragg, Billy's 1984 sophomore effort, with the addition of 1985's Between the Wars EP. The album title comes from his brief stint on tank patrol in the British army, about which Billy says, 'One guy would park the tank and another would throw the camouflage netting over it, while one of us inside would brew up a pot of tea. But the title could refer to brewing up trouble, as well.' The album's grassroots-fueled success made good on an early publicity claim, 'Billy Bragg has no band, no 'experimental' haircut, no gimmick, and no video. He has a couple of cheap electric guitars, enormous personality, courage, integrity, a repertoire of timeless songs and, very shortly, a second gold disc to give to his Mum.