Billy Bragg by Jill Furmanovsky
There’s still a while to wait; it’ll be released by Billy Bragg on October 27th.
Billy Bragg will celebrate 40 years of ‘musical magic, socio-political protest & heartfelt empathy’ with the release of a career-spanning boxset later this year.
It seems like just the other day that I was handing John Peel a mushroom biryani and asking him to play my first record. The music business has changed dramatically since then, but my belief in the power of the song is undimmed.
The 14-disc CD version of The Roaring Forty will give fans the most comprehensive look-back on Bragg’s musical life, taking in various stages and guises down the years across more than 300 songs.
The Roaring Forty 1983-2023 14CD:
Disc 1. 1983 – 1984: Life’s A Riot… Plus
Disc 2. 1984 – 1985: Brewing Up With… Plus
Disc 3. 1986 – 1988: Talking With The Taxman… Plus
Disc 4. 1988 – 1989: Workers Playtime… Plus
Disc 5. 1990 – 1991: The Internationale… Plus
Disc 6. 1991 – 1992: Don’t Try This At Home… Plus
Disc 7. 1996 – 1997: William Bloke / Bloke On Bloke… Plus
Disc 8. 1998 – 2012: The Mermaid Avenue Recordings
Disc 9. 1998 – 2002: England, Half English… Plus
Disc 10. 2006 – 2010: Mr. Love & Justice / Pressure Drop… Plus
Disc 11. 2011 – 2015: Tooth & Nail… Plus
Disc 12. 2016 – 2017: Shine A Light / Bridges Not Walls… Plus
Disc 13: 2021 The Million Things That Never Happened Plus
Disc 14: 1990 – 2015: Rare & Previously Unreleased Recordings