Mr. Love & Justice

The day before he met the Queen our man Bragg had been awarded the Classic Songwriter award by Q magazine in London. Introduced by K.T. Tunstall he strode to the podium to collect his award with the sound of a lusty standing ovation ringing ‘round the room. One of the first in the audience to shake his hand in congratulations during that warm moment was no less than Sir Paul McCartney. Typically Billy used the attention of the record industry audience to make a plea for contributions to his program to supply guitars to prison inmates so they might rehabilitate themselves through music and gain self-esteem and a hobby or even a career. The name of this program is Jail Guitar Doors, a name Billy chose in honor of his early heroes, The Clash, who had a song by that name.

It is apparent to all observers of the current music scene that although the pride of Barking nominally toils in the pop music field a mere roll call of his hits and his classic songs would only suggest what Billy Bragg does. Such a roll call would fail entirely to declare what Billy Bragg is today or what he has meant and still means to those who have heard his melodic challenge to the status quo. To use a quote by his one of his heroes, Bob Dylan, the voice and songs of Barking’s singing son “bring hope to the vanquished and humility to the mighty.”

Continuing that path so accurately described by Dylan is Billy Bragg’s new album, Mr. Love & Justice, featuring his band The Blokes and particularly his old pal Ian McLagan of Small Faces and Faces fame. The album’s title sweetly suggests the quixotic twin themes of Billy’s most heartfelt songwriting; our human frailties in romance and the never-ending pursuit of a fairer society. Produced by his longterm sidekick Grant Showbiz and featuring a guest appearance by no less than Robert Wyatt on the first track, I Keep Faith, the dozen songs of Mr. Love & Justice reaffirm Billy Bragg as no mere pop star or jobbing songwriter but as someone somehow so obviously greater than the sum of his parts. For the Bard of Barking and his myriad activities do indeed give us all hope, they inspire us and through his musical declarations he continues to shine a light which cuts through the longest shadows, which remains steady in the darkest night. The Barking lad referred to by The Times as “a national treasure” still has much to say and on Mr. Love & Justice he says those things as faithfully and articulately as ever. He’s speaking for us all.

written by Sid Griffin