For a long time, Billy Bragg has been about the only politically motivated English singer not to trip over a soapbox every time he opens his mouth. And all he's ever needed is his voice and a guitar. But here he has added some percussion, keyboards, a bit of harmony and some "production" - and (hey presto!) the coarse strength of his old approach is gone. It seems a shame, especially as his gruff old voice is a bit swallowed up, but the words and subject matter (about the lead singer of the Four Tops) are not as strong as usual anyway. Oh dear. (Duncan Wright, Smash Hits, June 18, 1986)
I've always believed that anyone who has to through life looking like me or Billy Bragg deserves fame and fortune as compensation. "Levi Stubbs' Tears" succeeds on the title alone for me: standard Bragg with a story to tell. (Gary Crowley, Record Mirror, June 21, 1986)
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