Billy Bragg - Mr Love & Justice

I'm a big fan of The Bard of Barking. Obviously it helps that i'm one of those lefty pinko communist types, but even in his non political songs (which there are more than you may think), Theres a strong case for him being Britains greatest living lyricist. Mr Love & Justice is his 12th studio album and the second to feature his backing band, The Blokes. This particular version is the limited editon double CD version, so you get the full band version of the album, along with a stripped down solo version, Identical to the versios of the songs Billy plays on tour. His voice has got stronger and more controlled over the years and the full band versions of the songs fit perfectly to create one of his best albums.

Among the musicians on the album is Billy's longtime collaborator Ian Mclagan, formerly of The Faces, and Robert Wyatt pops up on backing vocals on the album's lead single "I Keep Faith". here's a live version...