Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy
Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy is Billy Bragg's first album, released in 1983. All songs on the original album consisted of Bragg singing to his electric guitar accompaniment.
| Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 1983 | |||
| Recorded | February 2-4, 1983 | |||
| Studio | Chappell Music, Park Street, Mayfair, London | |||
| Genre | British folk rock, folk punk | |||
| Length | 15:57 | |||
| Label | Utility, Go! Discs (November 1983) | |||
| Producer | Oliver Hitch | |||
| Billy Bragg chronology | ||||
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The original album played at 45 rpm rather than the more usual 33⅓ rpm, contained only seven songs and lasted for only 15 minutes and 57 seconds. However, rather than being classified as an EP, it qualified for the UK Albums Chart due to its total number of tracks meeting the rules and reached number 30 in January 1984.
The album contains both politically charged songs, such as the attack on the school system and unemployment, "To Have and to Have Not", and love songs such as "The Milkman of Human Kindness" and "A New England" (which was later a hit for singer Kirsty MacColl).
The title of the album alludes to Bragg's pseudonym of Spy vs Spy which he used when busking prior to his recording career, and which in turn comes from the strip of the same name in Mad magazine.