England, Half English [Bonus Disc]

Disc 1
1	St. Monday 3:03
2	Jane Allen 3:58
3	Distant Shore 2:30
4	England, Half English 2:28
5	Npwa 5:31
6	Some Days I See the Point 4:59
7	Baby Faroukh 3:05
8	Take Down the Union Jack 3:19
9	Another Kind of Judy 3:44
10	He'll Go Down 3:21
11	Dreadbelly 3:32
12	Tears of My Tracks 3:53
Disc 2
1	Billericay Dickie Bonus Track 4:45
2	Mansion on the Hill Bonus Track 4:20
3	Glad and Sorry previously unreleased / Bonus Track 4:08
4	He'll Go Down Bonus Track / Demo Version 3:30
5	Yarra Song Bonus Track 3:32
6	You Pulled the Carpet Out / Billy Bragg Bonus Track 2:38
7	Mystery Shoes Bonus Track 3:08
8	Tears of My Tracks previously unreleased / Bonus Track / Demo Version 3:19
9	Take Down the Union Jack Bonus Track / Band Version 3:22
10	England, Half English Bonus Track / 7" Remix 3:55
11	1 2 3 4 Bonus Track 2:04
12	Dry Bed Bonus Track / Band Version 3:18
13	Danny Rose Bonus Track 2:27
14	She Smiled Sweetly Bonus Track 2:50

Barnes & Noble

Social activist, folklorist, singer, songwriter -- Billy Bragg has spent the last two decades following the path laid by his heroes Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, with a punk-inspired ethic that's continued to this day. The past three years found him immersed Guthrie's work, as he and the band Wilco composed two albums of songs around the folk giant's lyrics, the Grammy-nominated Mermaid Avenue and Mermaid Avenue, Vol. 2. With England, Half English, Bragg returns to the concerns of his home country in the here and now, dissecting national politics ("NPWA," "Take Down the Union Jack"), championing working folk ("St. Monday"), meditating on the changing makeup of England (the title track, "Baby Faroukh"), and -- of course -- singing some love songs ("Jane Allen," "Another Kind of Judy"). Musically, the formerly solo guitar strummer carries on the band concept of Mermaid Avenue, backed by his touring band the Blokes, which includes members of the Mekons, Shriekback, and the Pogues. The band toughen up his sound: "NPWA" has a surprising funk-rock edge, "St. Monday" is a bawdy, piano-inspired romp, and the humorous title track ("My breakfast was half English and so am I, you know," he boasts) weaves in a host of sounds from across the seas. But when Bragg couches his songs in simple, plaintive arrangements -- as in the organ-drenched soul nod "Tears of My Tracks" or the meditative, acoustic guitar-driven "Distant Shore" -- his inner fire burns brightest. Fans of this British bard's socially committed songwriting and heartfelt lyrics will find plenty to like about his latest, which is enhanced by a rockin' band format. He may be half English, but he's fully entertaining. Lydia Vanderloo

All Music Guide

A George Orwell quote on the inner sleeve of Billy Bragg's frustratingly uneven England, Half English suggests that Bragg is out to explore both his sense of alienation from his native land and England's alienation from its older, purer self. But while a couple of tracks, notably the withering "Take Down the Union Jack," fulfill that promise, overall the album is a decidedly mixed bag of character vignettes and the rabble-rousing political tunes that Bragg can probably write in his sleep by now. The best songs here are the small-scale ones, like "Another Kind of Judy" and "Jane Allen," gimlet-eyed but wryly affectionate portraits of troublesome women. "He'll Go Down," which is reminiscent of "Valentine's Day Is Over" from Workers Playtime, is also a winner. Where Bragg stumbles is on the overtly political tracks, most of which are dogmatic and strident. The anti-WTO "NPWA" (for "no power without accountability") is particularly awkward. Too slickly produced, as is much of the album, it sounds more like an angry undergraduate rant than the work of a mature songwriter. It's hard to argue with the line "We have no job security in this global economy," but even the most politically committed may wish Bragg had found a way to show more and tell less. England, Half English also fails to develop a unified musical voice; the songs skitter from pop to reggae to ska to the Algerian folk-based "Baby Farouk." It's nice to see an artist trying out new styles, but here they feel forced. The album is graced by a wonderful closing track, "The Tears of My Tracks," a Cockney take on Sam Cooke that may be the first got-the-blues-because-I-sold-all-my-vinyl song ever recorded. It's a reminder of what a sharp and charming songwriter Bragg can be; it's too bad more of England, Half English doesn't reflect his considerable gifts. [In 2006, an expanded and remastered edition of England, Half English was released by Yep Roc in the United States and Cooking Vinyl in the U.K.. In addition to the complete original album, the set is accompanied by a 14-song bonus disc featuring demos, single sides, compilation tracks and alternate takes. The pleasant surprise is that the bonus CD is as enjoyable, if not more so than the album proper; the tracks include a Middle Eastern-flavored cover of Ian Dury's "Billericay Dickie," a jaunty and pleasing take on Bruce Springsteen's "Mansion on the Hill," and heartfelt interpretations of "Glad and Sorry" by the Faces and "She Smiled Sweetly" by the Rolling Stones. Bragg's own "You Pulled the Carpet Out" and "Yarra Song" would both have fit nicely on England, Half English, while the demo of "Tears of my Tracks" and the full-band take of "Take Down the Union Jack" are more effective than their official counterparts. With the exception of "Dry Bed" (the most dubious of Bragg's Woody Guthrie adaptations so far), the England, Half English bonus disc is a solid and enjoyable listen that many fans will turn to at least as often as the album it accompanies. This version of England, Half English is also included in the Volume 2 box set.) ~ Kristi Coulter & Mark Deming, All Music Guide

CMJ New Music Report

England, Half-English is also one of the sharper records musically from Bragg, thanks in part to the backing of his touring band the Blokes, who co-wrote much of the music for the steadily rocking anthems and ballads here. Steve Ciabattoni