Margaret Thatcher: My Part in Her Downfall (Deluxe) – Robb Johnson (Irregular Records)
Tracing Robb Johnson’s roots back to picket line agit-prop and shouty slogans over a seemingly shredded guitar, this four-CD set starts early in the third term of Thatcherism and charts the political downfall of one woman alongside the growth in both songwriting and singing ability of one man.
I am sure you know by now which is which, with Johnson starting out singing about Captain Swing and animal rights but gaining enough confidence by the end of CD one to get more worldly in words and musical style. The second CD is largely made up of the 1989 LP Small Town World, which has some nice tabla and some awful handclaps, so may not be played much by the English folk purist.
Yet the songwriting does continue to grow and perseverance rewards you with the wonderful storytelling style of Another Cold Saturday and the (yes, really) folk-reggae of Justice in Knightsbridge. The booklet that comes with the collection documents the events, gigs and demos that inspired the songs and leaves you in no doubt that Johnson is one of the good guys. This is the UK Talking on CD three explores the kind of identity politics that keep Richard Littlejohn awake at night and the final disc contains more polished versions of tracks featured earlier on. Probably not the best point to jump in for anyone unfamiliar with Robb Johnson, but a great 66-track documentation of a political period and of Johnson’s early career, including one of his delightful songs about the pupils he has taught in his day job. Very much a mixed bag, but certainly one that has some gems nestling at the bottom.
Iain Aitch
