BILLY BRAGG – DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME 2LP – Nr MINT A1 UK 1991 INDIE PUNK

Billy Bragg – Don’t Try This At Home
(Go! Discs Records  1991  8282791)
Matrix No’s: A1/B1/C1/D1 – UK Pressing

Sleeve in Nr MINT/Excellent+ condition
– some wear to edges & light crease at opening edge
Inner Sleeves in Nr MINT condition

Double Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some light surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality apart from a few light crackles at the start of the last track on side 3)

Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) – known as Billy Bragg – is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes. His music career has lasted more than thirty years.

Don’t Try This at Home is the sixth full-length album by urban folk artist Billy Bragg.

“Sexuality” was released as a single which reached #27 on the UK charts and #2 on the U.S. Modern Rock charts. Johnny Marr of The Smiths co-wrote “Sexuality” and helped to produce two tracks.

The song “Cindy of a Thousand Lives” is about photographer Cindy Sherman.

“Tank Park Salute” is about his father, Dennis Bragg, who died of lung cancer when Bragg was 18. He said that for a show in Barking, where he grew up, he was so moved by the presence of his mother and brother in the audience that he kept a copy of the lyrics in case he forgot them while performing.

R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe and Peter Buck contribute to “You Woke Up My Neighbourhood.”

“Dolphins” is a cover of the Fred Neil song.

The song “God’s Footballer” is about former professional football player Peter Knowles who spent his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers before voluntarily ending his football career to become a Jehovah’s Witness.

Track listing

All tracks written by Billy Bragg except where noted.

1. “Accident Waiting to Happen”
2. “Moving the Goalposts”
3. “Everywhere” (Greg Trooper/Sid Griffin)
4. “Cindy of a Thousand Lives”
5. “You Woke Up My Neighbourhood” (Bragg/Peter Buck)
6. “Trust”
7. “God’s Footballer”
8. “The Few”
9. “Sexuality” (Bragg/Johnny Marr)
10. “Mother of the Bride”
11. “Tank Park Salute”
12. “Dolphins” (Fred Neil)
13. “North Sea Bubble”
14. “Rumours of War”
15. “Wish You Were Her”
16. “Body of Water” (Bragg/Philip Wigg aka “Wiggy”)

Personnel

• Grant Showbiz – production
• Johnny Marr – production
• Danny Thompson
• Peter Buck – mandolin
• Jody Linscott – percussion
• John Keane – pedal steel guitar, bass
• Billy Bragg – vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, keyboards
• Mary Ramsey – violin, viola
• Dave Woodhead – flugelhorn
• Stephen Lewis
• J.F.T. Hood – drums, percussion
• Kirsty MacColl
• Cara Tivey – piano, background vocals on “Dolphins”
• James Eller – bass
• Wiggy – electric guitar, bass
• Julia Palmer – cello
• Amanda Vincent – keyboards
• Andy Szabo
• Caroline Hall – trombone
• Elliet Mackrell – violin
• Lorraine Bowen – clarinet, background vocals on “Accident Waiting to Happen”, “Trust”, “God’s Footballer”, “Wish You Were Her”
• Victoria Taylor Roberts – background vocals
• Michael Stipe – background vocals on “You Woke Up My Neighbourhood”