The Washington Post
November 15, 1996
Hitchcock And Bragg: Alternate Takes
by Mark Jenkins
Robyn Hitchcock and Billy Bragg are both English Rock-folkies who tend to chat a lot between songs (which is apparently the kinship that led to the "co-headlining" tour that arrived at the 9:30 Club Wednesday). What they chat about, however, is quite different: while Bragg is a Socialist, Hitchcock is a surrealist.
"I'm from the 1960s. I'm going back after the show," Hitchcock announced before beginning a set that demonstrated some of his debts to Roger McGuinn, John Lennon, and Syd Barrett. (The latter's crackup was actually mentioned in a song about 1974 that also included Nixon's resignation and Monty Python's last TV series.) The set included such college radio hits as "Balloon Man" and "Heaven" as well as several songs from his new album, Moss Elixir (including some that featured violinist Deni Bonet). As always, Hitchcock mixed playful absurdism with genuine dread of mortality. As he said introducing the exuberant "Yip Song", "Here's one about death and cancer."
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