Wild Billy Childish and the Musicians of the British Empire - Punk Rock at the British Legion Hall

  by Mark Rowland

published: 8 / 5 / 2007

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Review

You pretty much know what you’re going to get with a Billy Childish album. With every band Childish has put together, you know you will get a mix of punk rock, blues, 60's beat and good ol’ fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. Once you’ve realised this, a Billy Childish album can never really disappoint. On ’Punk Rock at the British Legion Hall’, Childish is on particularly fine form. Some of the cornerstones of modern British culture have been getting Childish a bit peeved, put forward brilliantly on ’Joe Strummer's Grave’, which takes shots at Big Brother, iPods and MTV, boasting the chorus “Corporate Tania Jesus Saves/Rupert Murdoch rules the waves/Richard Branson doesn’t shave/and Joe Strummer's turning in his grave.” Genius. Single ‘Snack Crack’ is another rant against all elements of modern British society, on which Childish viciously spits every word. Childish has recruited his wife Julie in his latest band, the Musicians of the British Empire, and she takes up backing vocals and lead on ’Date With Doug’, giving the music a different and refreshingly female voice. Elsewhere, the band gets playful on songs like ’Combover Mod’, ’We 4 Beatles of Liverpool Are’ and ‘Bugger the Buffs’, a blues number making fun of Childish’s legendary status among certain celebrities. Billy Childish’s music personally brings to mind the Jam, only a version of the Jam that stayed true to the punk ethic, refusing to grow old graciously. Still raging against the system with more energy than many younger bands, Billy Childish could possibly be the punkiest man alive.

Track Listing:-

1 Joe Strummers Grave (Album)
2 Birthday Boy
3 Dandylion Clock
4 Date With Doug
5 Bugger The Buffs
6 You're So Unbelivably Gererous
7 Walking Off The Map
8 Snack Crack
9 Combover Mod
10 We 4 Beatles Of Liverpool Are
11 Bottomless Pit
12 Unfold Me
13 A Few Smart Men
14 Punk Rock At The British Legion Hall (Album)

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