Roaring Jack - Discography

Ironically, the ideal starting point for Roaring Jack's discography is the latest release. Roaring Jack - The Complete Works was released by German label Jump Up Records in 2002. A two CD set, it contains all the albums mentioned in this discography, plus three b-sides and the 12" single 'Framed' / 'Criminal Justice'. Really, the only tracks missing from The Complete Works are 1989's 7" version of 'The Swaggies Have All Waltzed Matilda Away' (different from the album version) and its b-side, 'Song of a Drinking Man's Wife (No Half Measures)'.

Let me say what a thrill it is finally to have the complete version of Street Celtabillity on CD. Previously, only three tracks were available: they came as extras on the CD version of The Cat Among the Pigeons. But now we get to hear 'Buy Us A Drink', 'Wild Rover Again' and 'The Ballad of 1975' on CD for the first time. The only downer is that Street Celtabillity has been lifted from a vinyl version rather than from master tapes. Therefore we get a small amount of crackle and slightly lower volume than the rest of the CD. Mustn't grumble: at least this seminal Roaring Jack release is finally available to a twenty-first century public!