Consumer Guide Album

Billy Bragg: Help Save the Youth of America: Live and Dubious [Elektra EP, 1988]
It isn't music that makes Bragg so much fun live, so I'm not surprised that the songs are as flat here as in their studio versions--especially since some of them are studio versions. And live fun feeds on context, so I'm not surprised either that the stage patter translates poorly--especially since Bragg takes the task of translation so literally that he provides the Russian version of his remarks on the Moscow-recorded title tune. The video will no doubt feature somebody signing. B-