The Roaring Forty (1983–2023) is a compilation album by English singer Billy Bragg, released on 27 October 2023 through Cooking Vinyl. It was released in several versions: one with 40 tracks; a "standard" edition with 13 tracks; and a 14-disc box set containing all of Bragg's studio albums, the live album Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad as well as a disc of rare and previously unreleased recordings, with extras on each disc. The album received acclaim from critics.
The Roaring Forty (1983–2023) received a score of 85 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on six critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[1] Mark Deming of AllMusic felt that the "sequence replicates Bragg's journey as a musician and spokesman very well, from his days as a one-man-Clash to his contemporary position of one of the U.K.'s last great pub rockers", observing that "nearly all of his best and best-known songs are on board, including a few choice rarities" and calling it "great music with heart, soul, and a conscience".[2] Reviewing the 14-disc box set, Record Collector called it "a moving trawl through the life and times of an extraordinary artist who has never stood still".[5]Alexis Petridis of The Guardian named it album of the week, and stated that "Bragg did transcend his era, and The Roaring Forty suggests why" as "it says something about Bragg's longevity" that "he has been a fixture of alternative music and leftist politics for so long that it's worth noting how unlikely it seemed, during his first flush of fame, that he would ever warrant a compilation celebrating the 40th anniversary of his solo career".[3]Mojo wrote that "when his sturdy tunes do hit the jackpot, one wonders why Kirsty MacColl's hit with 'A New England' is such a rare cover. [...] Like all political songsmiths, Bragg seeks to transcend the didactic and stir the blood, and largely succeeds".[4]
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