After dipping his toes in the notion of using backing musicians on Talking With the Taxman About Poetry,
Billy Bragg finally dove in headfirst with Worker's Playtime, but
Don't Try This at Home was where
Bragg first began to sound completely comfortable with the notion of a full band. With
Johnny Marr (who helped produce two tracks),
Peter Buck,
Michael Stipe, and
Kirsty MacColl on hand to give the sessions a taste of star power,
Don't Try This at Home sounds full but uncluttered; the arrangements (most complete with -- gasp! -- drums) flesh out
Bragg's melodies, giving them greater strength in the process, and
Billy's craggy vocals wrap around the melodies with significantly more flexibility than on previous recordings. With the exception of the rabble-rousing "Accident Waiting to Happen" and "North Sea Bubble," and the witty "Sexuality," most of
Don't Try This at Home finds
Billy Bragg in a contemplative mood; the political tunes are subtle (and don't hector), such as the mournful "Rumours of War," and the songs about love tend to examine the less hopeful side of relationships, like "Mother of the Bride" and the lovely "You Woke Up My Neighborhood." But there's also an understated wit to many of the songs, especially the well-drawn "God's Footballer," and
Bragg approached the work of other songwriters to splendid effect on
Fred Neil's "Dolphins and
Sid Griffin's "Everywhere."
Don't Try This at Home isn't the sort of album that announces itself loudly, but slip into its understated textures and you'll discover one of
Bragg's warmest and most thoughtful albums. ~ Mark Deming