By the BBC's Nigel Packer

It's a sign of Billy Bragg's status as a national treasure that he recently had an East London street named after him.

Now the Barking songsmith celebrates his new-found role as a human postcode with an album of B-sides and rarities culled from his 16-year career.

As with any rummage through the vaults, half the fun is not knowing what to expect.

What emerges is an uneven mixture of frayed out-takes, undiscovered gems and the odd rush of nostalgia for anyone who came of age in the mid-1980s.

Marr contribution

Best known as a political songwriter, Bragg has always been just as sharp when writing about relationships, and one of the highlights here is a sparkling version of one his finest love songs, Greetings To The New Brunette.

Re-named Shirley, it features a multi-instrumental contribution from Johnny Marr, one of several appearances by the former Smiths member.

Later on Billy repays the compliment with a solo rendition of Jeane, a great Morrissey-Marr song which appeared on one of The Smiths' early B-sides but somehow got lost in the flood of brilliance that followed.

Other covers include a faithful version of The Beatles' She's Leaving Home, but it's Billy's own songs that provide the album's backbone.

His knack for an inspired title reached its peak with the a cappella chant I Don't Need This Pressure Ron, while 1985 single Days Like These distils the Thatcher years into a few well-chosen lines.

Pop and politics

The idea that a lone man with a guitar and message could have once enjoyed top 10 success seems incredible in this day and age, when politics and pop no longer seem to be on speaking terms.

But then again Bragg is almost unique in being able to pack a political punch without ever preaching or losing his sense of humour.

Reaching To The Converted is a reminder that when it comes to writing lyrics, he's always been ahead of the game.

Streets ahead, in fact.