The Roaring Forty: 1983-2023
Billy Bragg
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Release Date: 27/10/2023
The career spanning 14 CD box set, contains more than 300 tracks including highlights from each of Billy's twelve studio albums, non-album singles and B-sides, session tracks, rare live recordings, collaborations and previously unreleased material from across his career. The 14 CD box set is packaged with a 12-inch sized perfect bound book containing images of 40 significant objects from Billy's career, each stunningly photographed and accompanied by descriptions and reminiscences by the man himself. To be expected from a career that has straddled many genres, Billy has worked with a wealth of celebrated musicians from different musical backgrounds that appear on this box set.
Disc 1
1: The Milkman of Human Kindness
2: Richard
2: To Have and to Have Not
3: Richard
3: To Have and to Have Not
4: The Man in the Iron Mask
4: A New England
5: The Man in the Iron Mask
5: A New England
6: Lovers Town Revisited
6: The Busy Girl Buys Beauty
7: The Busy Girl Buys Beauty
7: Lovers Town Revisited
8: Strange Things Happen
8: The Cloth 1
9: Strange Things Happen
9: The Cloth 1
10: Love Lives Here
10: Fear Is a Man's Best Friend (John Peel Session 27th July 1983)
11: Love Gets Dangerous (John Peel Session 27th July 1983)
11: Speedway Hero
12: This Guitar Says Sorry (John Peel Session 27th July 1983)
12: Loving You Too Long
13: The Man in the Iron Mask
13: Strange Things Happen (John Peel Session 27th July 1983)
14: A New England (Live ICA New York Rock Week, 01/05/84)
14: The Guitar Says Sorry
15: The Man in the Iron Mask (Live ICA New York Rock Week, 01/05/84)
15: Love Gets Dangerous
16: The Cloth 2
16: The Busy Girl Buys Beauty (Live ICA New York Rock Week, 01/05/84)
17: A13, Trunk Road to the Sea (John Peel Session 27th July 1983)
17: A13, Trunk Road to the Sea
18: Fear Is a Man's Best Friend
18: A New England (John Peel Session 27th July 1983)
19: Fear Is a Man's Best Friend
19: A New England (John Peel Session 27th July 1983)
20: A13, Trunk Road to the Sea
20: Strange Things Happen (John Peel Session 27th July 1983)
21: The Guitar Says Sorry (John Peel Session 27th July 1983)
21: Loving You Too Long
22: Speedway Hero
22: Love Gets Dangerous (John Peel Session 27th July 1983)
23: Fear Is a Man's Best Friend (John Peel Session 27th July 1983)
23: Love Lives Here
24: The Cloth 2
24: A13, Trunk Road to the Sea (John Peel Session 27th July 1983)
25: Love Gets Dangerous
25: The Busy Girl Buys Beauty (Live at the ICA, London, 5th January 1984)
26: The Guitar Says Sorry
26: The Man in the Iron Mask (Live at the ICA, London, 5th January 1984)
27: The Man in the Iron Mask
27: A New England (Live at the ICA, London, 5th January 1984)
Disc 2
1: Seven & Seven Is
1: It Says Here
2: The Short Answer (Live in Canada, 1991)
2: Love Gets Dangerous
3: The Myth of Trust
3: Idealogy (Live in Canada, 1991)
4: Levi Stubbs Tears (Live in Canada, 1991)
4: From a Vauxhall Velox
5: Chile Your Waters Run Red Through Soweto
5: The Saturday Boy
6: Think Again
6: Island of No Return
7: St. Swithin's Day
7: Help Save the Youth of America
8: Introduction
8: Like Soldiers Do
9: This Guitar Says Sorry
9: A Miner's Life
10: A Change Is Gonna Come
10: Strange Things Happen
11: A Lover Sings
11: Never Cross a Picket Line
12: There Is Power in a Union (Feat. The Pattersons)
12: It Must Be a River
13: Won't Talk About It
13: To Have and to Have Not
14: Days Like These (DC Remix)
14: Talking Wag Club Blues
15: The Internationale
15: You Got the Power
16: The Last Time
16: The Marching Song of the Covert Battalions
17: I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night
17: Back to the Old House
18: Nicaragua Nicarauguita
18: A Lover Sings
19: Between the Wars
19: Blake's Jerusalem
20: My Youngest Son Came Home Today
20: Which Side Are You On?
21: The Red Flag
21: The World Turned Upside Down
22: It Says Here (Different Version)
22: This Land Is Your Land (Feat. Heathens All)
23: Joe Hill (Feat. The Pattersons)
23: Days Like These
24: I Don't Need This Pressure Ron
25: Scholarship Is the Enemy of Romance
26: Between the Wars (Live at Festival Des Politischen Lides, Berlin GDR, February 1986)
Disc 3
1: The Tracks of My Tears
1: Greetings to the New Brunette
2: Train, Train
2: Shirley
3: The Home Front
3: The Marriage
4: The Warmest Room
4: Ideology
5: Levi Stubbs' Tears
5: The Passion
6: The Clashing of Ideologies
6: Honey I'm a Big Boy Now
7: There Is Power in a Union
7: Wishing the Days Away
8: Levi Stubbs' Tears
8: Help Save the Youth of America
9: Wishing the Days Away
9: Ideology
10: Wishing the Days Away
10: The Passion
11: Help Save the Youth of America
11: The Warmest Room
12: The Home Front
12: The Marriage
13: Train Train
13: Shirley
14: There Is Power in a Union
14: The Tracks of My Tears
15: Honey, I'm a Big Boy Now
15: Wishing the Days Away
16: The Clashing of Ideologies
16: Greetings to the New Brunette
17: Hold the Fort
17: A Nurse's Life Is Full of Woe
18: Only Bad Signs
19: A Nurse's Life Is Full of Woe
19: Hold the Fort
20: Think Again
20: Sin City (Feat. Hank Wangford)
21: Jeane
21: Walk Away Renee (Feat. Johnny Marr)
22: The Tatler
22: Deportees (Feat. Hank Wangford)
23: The Tatler
23: Deportees (Feat. Hank Wangford)
24: Walk Away Renee (Version)
24: Jeane
25: Sin City (Feat. Hank Wangford)
25: Think Again
Disc 4
1: The Price I Pay
1: She's Got a New Spell
2: Must I Paint You a Picture?
2: She's Got a New Spell
3: Life With the Lions
3: Tender Comrade
4: Tender Comrade
4: The Price I Pay
5: Little Time Bomb
5: Must I Paint You a Picture
6: Little Time Bomb
6: Rotting On Remand
7: Valentine's Day Is Over
8: Rotting in Remand
8: Life With the Lions
9: The Only One
10: Raglan Road (Live at Womad Festival Toronto, August 1989)
10: The Short Answer
11: Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards
11: Bad Penny
12: Reason to Believe (Live at Club Soda, Montreal, 11/01/88)
12: The Price I Pay
13: Love Has No Pride
14: Little Time Bomb
14: That's Entertainment
15: She's Got a New Spell
15: That's Entertainment
16: Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards
16: Little Time Bomb
17: Bad Penny
17: The Price I Pay
18: She's Got a New Spell
18: Reason to Believe (Live at Club Soda, Montreal, 11/01/88)
19: The Short Answer
19: Raglan Road (Live at Womad Festival Toronto, August 1989)
20: Won't Talk About It (Feat. Norman Cook)
20: She's Leaving Home
21: Wishing the Days Away (Ballad Version)
21: She's Leaving Home (Feat. Cara Tivey)
22: Wishing the Days Away (Ballad Version)
22: Won't Talk About It (Feat. Norman Cook)
Disc 5
1: California Stars (Live October/November 1999)
1: The Internationale
2: I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night
2: Christ for President (Live October/November 1999)
3: You Pulled the Carpet Out
3: The Marching Song of the Covert Battalions
4: Blake's Jerusalem
4: Distant Shore
5: Jane Allen
5: Nicaragua Nicaraguita
6: NPWA
6: The Red Flag
7: England, Half English
7: My Youngest Son Came Home Today
8: Joe Hill (Feat. The Pattersons)
8: Baby Faroukh
9: Some Days I See the Point
9: This Land Is Your Land
10: Another Kind of Judy
10: Never Cross a Picket Line
11: A Change Is Gonna Come
11: Take Down the Union Jack
12: St. Monday
12: A Miner's Life
13: Introduction
13: England Half English Meets John Barleycorn (Feat. Billy Bragg)
14: My Father's Mansion (Feat. Eliza Carthy)
14: Help Save the Youth of America
15: Think Again
15: Hoodoo Ska Voodoo (Live October/November 1999)
16: The Tears of My Tracks
16: Chile Your Waters Run Red Through Soweto
17: Dreadbelly
17: Days Like These (DC Remix)
18: To Have and to Have Not
18: He'll Go Down
19: Yarra Song
19: There Is Power in a Union (Feat. The Pattersons)
20: Take Down the Union Jack (Band Version)
20: Levi Stubbs Tears (Live in Canada, 1991)
21: Idealogy (Live in Canada, 1991)
21: England, Half English (7" Remix)
22: Mystery Shoes
22: The Short Answer (Live in Canada, 1991)
23: Seven & Seven Is
Disc 6
1: Between the Wars
1: Accident Waiting to Happen
2: Back to the Old House
2: Moving the Goalposts
3: Everywhere
3: A Lover Sings
4: Talking Wag Club Blues
4: Cindy of a Thousand Lives
5: You Woke Up My Neighbourhood
5: A Lover Sings
6: It Must Be a River
6: Trust
7: God's Footballer
7: You Got the Power
8: Strange Things Happen
8: The Few
9: Won't Talk About It
9: Sexuality
10: The Last Time
10: Mother of the Bride
11: Tank Park Salute
11: Love Gets Dangerous
12: The Saturday Boy
12: Dolphins
13: North Sea Bubble
13: From a Vauxhall Velox
14: Island of No Return
14: Rumours of War
15: This Guitar Says Sorry
15: Wish You Were Her
16: Like Soldiers Do
16: Body of Water
17: Bad Penny
17: The Myth of Trust
18: St. Swithin's Day
18: Ontario, Quebec and Me
19: Bread and Circuses
19: It Says Here
20: Scholarship Is the Enemy of Romance
20: Heart Like a Wheel
21: Accident Waiting to Happen (Red Star Version)
21: It Says Here
22: Which Side Are You On?
22: Sulk
23: Days Like These
23: Revolution
Disc 7
1:
1: From Red to Blue
2: Thatcherites
2: Upfield
3: The Boy Done Good (Extended Edit)
3: Everybody Loves You Babe
4: Sugardaddy
4: Goalhanger
5: King James Version
5: A Pict Song
6: Qualifications
6: Brickbat
7: The Space Race Is Over
7: The Boy Done Good (1999 Remaster)
8: Just One Victory
8: Northern Industrial Town
9: Run Out of Reasons
9: The Fourteenth of February
10: King James Version
10: The Fourteenth of February
11: Northern Industrial Town
11: Goalhanger
12: The Boy Done Good (Extended Edit)
12: Everybody Loves You Babe
13: Upfield
13: Run Out of Reasons
14: Just One Victory
14: The Space Race Is Over
15: Brickbat
15: The Boy Done Good
16: Qualifications
16: From Red to Blue
17: A Pict Song
17: Sugardaddy (Smokey Gets in Your Ears Mix)
18: Never Had No One Ever
18: Sugardaddy
19: Never Had No One Ever
19: Rule Nor Reason
20: Thatcherites
20: Sugardaddy (Smokey Gets in Your Ears Mix)
21: Rule Nor Reason
21: Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet?
Disc 8
1: Union Prayer
1: Walt Whitman's Niece
2: Don't You Marry
2: Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key
3: Be Kind to the Boy On the Road
3: Birds and Ships (Feat. Natalie Merchant)
4: She Came Along to Me
4: Give Me a Nail
5: I'm Out to Get
5: Ingrid Bergman
6: I Guess I Planted
6: The Unwelcome Guest
7: Birds and Ships (Feat. Natalie Merchant)
7: Eisler On the Go
8: Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key
8: The Unwelcome Guest
9: Ingrid Bergman
9: My Flying Saucer
10: Hot Rod Hotel
10: Eisler On the Go
11: I Guess I Planted
11: Stetson Kennedy
12: All You Fascists
12: My Flying Saucer
13: She Came Along to Me
13: Meanest Man
14: Black Wind Blowing
14: Walt Whitman's Niece
15: Ought to Be Satisfied Now
15: Bugeye Jim
16: My Thirty Thousand
16: Go Down to the Water
17: Jailcell Blues
17: Ought to Be Satisfied Now
18: Stetson Kennedy
18: Go Down to the Water
19: All You Fascists
19: Jailcell Blues
20: Don't You Marry
20: Bugeye Jim
21: Hot Rod Hotel
21: Give Me a Nail
22: Union Prayer
22: Meanest Man
23: My Thirty Thousand
23: Be Kind to the Boy On the Road
24: Black Wind Blowing
24: I'm Out to Get
Disc 9
1: St. Monday
2: Jane Allen
3: Distant Shore
4: England, Half English
5: NPWA
6: Some Days I See the Point
7: Baby Faroukh
8: Take Down the Union Jack
9: Another Kind of Judy
10: He'll Go Down
11: Dreadbelly
12: The Tears of My Tracks
13: Mystery Shoes
14: England, Half English (7" Remix)
15: Take Down the Union Jack (Band Version)
16: Yarra Song
17: You Pulled the Carpet Out
18: Christ for President (Live October/November 1999)
19: California Stars (Live October/November 1999)
20: Hoodoo Ska Voodoo (Live October/November 1999)
21: My Father's Mansion (Feat. Eliza Carthy)
22: England Half English Meets John Barleycorn (Feat. Billy Bragg)
Disc 10
1: I Keep Faith
2: I Almost Killed You
3: M for Me
4: The Beach Is Free
5: Sing Their Souls Back Home
6: You Make Me Brave
7: Something Happened
8: Mr. Love and Justice
9: If You Ever Leave
10: O Freedom
11: The Johnny Carcinogenic Show
12: Farm Boy
13: Ash Wednesday (Band Version)
14: Like Soldiers Do
15: The Price of Oil
16: Down in the Willow Garden
17: Old Clash Fan Fight Song
18: The Big Lie
19: Home
20: Same Again
21: There Will Be a Reckoning (Pressure Drop Version)
22: All You Fascists 2010
23: Tomorrow's Going to Be a Better Day (Pressure Drop Version)
24: The Battle of Barking
25: A New England
Disc 11
1: January Song
2: No One Knows Nothing Anymore
3: Handyman Blues
4: I Ain't Got No Home
5: Swallow My Pride
6: Do Unto Others
7: Over You
8: Goodbye, Goodbye
9: There Will Be a Reckoning
10: Chasing Rainbows
11: Your Name On My Tongue
12: Tomorrow's Going to Be a Better Day
13: We're Following the Wrong Star
14: Never Buy the Sun
15: Last Flight to Abu Dhabi
16: Constitution Hill
17: Lay Down Your Weary Tune
18: Song of the Iceberg
19: There Is Power in a Union (Pride OST Version)
20: Hope St.
21: Kilroy Was Here
22: Sunday Morning (Feat. Courtney Barnett)
Disc 12
1: Rock Island Line
2: The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore
3: The Midnight Special
4: Railroad Bill
5: Lonesome Whistle
6: KC Moan
7: Waiting for a Train
8: In the Pines
9: Gentle On My Mind
10: Hobo's Lullaby
11: Railroading On the Great Divide
12: John Henry
13: Early Morning Rain
14: Why We Build the Wall (Live at Buxton Opera House, 21/01/2017)
15: The Midnight Special (Live at Buxton Opera House, 21/01/2017)
16: The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore (Live at Buxton Opera House, 21/01/2017)
17: The Sleep of Reason
18: King Tide and the Sunny Day Flood
19: Why We Build the Wall
20: Saffiyah Smiles
21: Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted
22: Full English Brexit
Disc 13
1: Should Have Seen It Coming
2: Mid-century Modern
3: Lonesome Ocean
4: Good Days and Bad Days
5: Freedom Doesn't Come for Free
6: Reflections On the Mirth of Creativity
7: The Million Things That Never Happened
8: The Buck Doesn't Stop Here No More
9: I Believe in You
10: Pass It On
11: I Will Be Your Shield
12: Ten Mysterious Photos That Can't Be Explained
13: Sulk
14: Moving the Goalposts
15: Ten Mysterious Photos That Can't Be Explained
16: The Million Things That Never Happened
17: King Tide and the Sunny Day Flood
18: Mid-century Modern
19: Cindy of a Thousand Lives
20: Lonesome Ocean
Disc 14
1: Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) [live in Australia 1985]
2: The Internationale (Feat. Pete Seeger)
3: Salt of the Earth (Feat. Peter Buck)
4: My Youngest Son Came Home Today (Feat. Michael Stipe)
5: PF Sloan (Feat. Mike Mills)
6: Darling, Let's Have Another Baby (Feat. Kirsty MacColl)
7: If I Had a Hammer (Feat. Eliza Carthy)
8: Slipknot
9: Martching Out from Selma
10: When the Ship Comes In (Live at the Barbican, September 2005)
11: Don't Do It Liza (Feat. KT Tunstall) [live at AIR Studio, London, 24th February 2004]
12: The Drugs Don't Work (Feat. KT Tunstall) [live at AIR Studio, London, 24th February 2004]
13: I Ain't Got No Home (Feat. KT Tunstall) [live at AIR Studio, London, 24th February 2004]
14: On a Good Day (Live at AIR Studios, London, 24th February 2004)
15: Talkin' World War III Blues (Live at AIR Studios, London, 24th February 2004)
16: The Rebels of '48
17: An English Revolutionary
18: Ballots and Bread
19: Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You
20: If We Make It Through December
21: Springhill
22: Can't Be There Today