Don't Try This At Home

Perhaps more aptly titled, 'Don't Try Humming These Alone', on this set the prolific Bragg squeezed his impressive and thoughtful lyrics into 16 extraordinarily tight and melodic songs. It briefly made him a chart star, largely helped by the lush arrangements (Cara Tivey's keyboards and Mary Ramsey's violas, in particular), catchy choruses and Bragg's own street-cred humour. Who else could sing about 'drinking with Thomas Paine', who said that 'revolutions . . . are as different as the cultures/That give them birth', and still produce three hits ('Sexuality', 'Accident Waiting To Happen', 'You Woke Up My Neighbourhood') from the same album?

Q (10/91)
- 4 Stars - Excellent "...such highlights of his previous albums as 'Greetings To The New Brunette' and 'Levi Stubbs Tears' now mark the standard achieved and even surpassed by most of these 16 new tunes...the lad can sing..."

NME (11/27/93, p.32)
- (6)
- Good - "...just when Billy had finally assured us he wanted to be a pop star we were convinced he didn't mean it..."

Spin (11/91)
- Highly Recommended - "...showcasing Bragg at his all-time best ...He's a great songwriter..."