The Best Years of Our Lives (Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel song)

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"The Best Years of Our Lives"
Song

"The Best Years of Our Lives" is a song by the British rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, released in 1975 as the title track from the band's third studio album The Best Years of Our Lives.[1] In 1977, a live version of the song was released as a single from the album Face to Face: A Live Recording.

Original studio version

Background

Following the split of the original Cockney Rebel line-up in July 1974, Harley assembled a new line-up later in the year and renamed the band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel. In November-December 1974, the new band recorded The Best Years of Our Lives album at Abbey Road Studios and Air Studios in London. In 2014, Harley recalled of the song's recording: "We played it live in the studio, all sat round together. There were no overdubs, and we all wanted to get the feel of the song on record."[2] When the band performed the song live at the Hammersmith Odeon on 14 April 1975, Harley announced the track as "the most serious song I've ever wrote in my life".[3] Since then, the song has consistently been a popular inclusion at Harley and the band's concerts.

In 2014, EMI released a definitive edition of the album as a four CD + DVD box-set. On disc one, a previously unreleased acoustic demo of "The Best Years of Our Lives" was included.[4] In an online diary entry, Harley said of the demo:

""The Best Years Of Our Years" acoustic demo (why do I allow this to reach your ears? WHY?) is proof if needed that all songs start and finish as just that, as a song – not productions, not records. The song comes first. On this original, I attempted to invert the "tragic" and "magic" or was I just tired? That demo was played just to Alan and our tape operator in the early hours when the long day and night had been wrapped. I just told Alan I had something new for tomorrow but didn't fancy going home yet (I would have been alone at Landward Court, Marble Arch, and was slightly Martini-ed up)."[5]

Critical reception

Upon release, Record & Popswap Mirror reviewed The Best Years of Our Lives album and said: "Each song has a distinct character, culminating in the personal message - the title track."[6] In the liner notes of the 2014 definitive edition, Geoff Barton wrote: "The album closes with the title song, Harley reprising the hard-bitten troubadour persona he adopted on Cockney Rebel's first two albums. The track somehow manages to be both triumphant and mournful at the same time."[2]

Donald A. Guarisco of AllMusic retrospectively said: "Although the rest of the songs on the album aren't as strong as the singles, there are plenty of highlights for the Harley fan. One of the standouts include the title track, a touching acoustic ballad that highlights some of Harley's most direct and emotional lyrics." Guarisco also selected the song as an AMG pick track.[7] George Starostin reviewed the album for his website and picked the song as one of his favourites: "...and then there's the title track, even more Dylan-like because it's slower and, as far as the overall impression goes, more introspective. For all of its five and a half minutes, you are openly caressed by Harley's cockneyified vocals, vocals which nevertheless seem to mock the very idea of a nostalgic confessional song. It would all be very well if you could actually understand what particular moment he's singing about. But whatever it is, it must mean a lot to the man. Or pretends to mean a lot."[8]

Personnel

Cockney Rebel
Additional personnel
  • Alan Parsons – producer, engineer, mixing
  • Gary Edwards – tape operator
  • Peter James – tape operator
  • Chris Blair – mastering

Face to Face: A Live Recording version

"The Best Years of Our Lives"
Song
B-side"Tumbling Down"

In 1977, a live version of the song was released as the sole single from the band's live album Face to Face: A Live Recording.

Background

Following the release of the band's fifth studio album Love's a Prima Donna in October 1976, the band embarked on an eight-date UK tour in December to promote it. A number of concerts were recorded on the tour, along with the band's one-off charity concert at London Rainbow in February 1977. Harley then selected the best tracks for release on a double live album. A day before its release, the band's split was announced. Face to Face: A Live Recording was released in July 1977[9] and reached at No. 40 in the UK.[10] To promote the album, a live single was released in August, with "The Best Years of Our Lives" chosen as the A-side, and "Tumbling Down" as the B-side.[11] The single did not enter the UK Top 50.

Release

The single was released by EMI Records on 7" and 12" vinyl in the UK only.[9][12] It was the band's first single to be released on the 12" vinyl format, which itself was labelled as being limited edition.[13] The single was also the band's first to be released in the UK with a picture sleeve. It featured the same photograph of Harley on stage on both sides of the sleeve.[11]

Track listing

7" Single
  1. "The Best Years of Our Lives" - 5:00
  2. "Tumbling Down" - 6:34
12" Single
  1. "The Best Years of Our Lives" - 5:00
  2. "Tumbling Down" - 6:34

Critical reception

Upon release, Record Mirror said: "This one is live and it's a cracker. Just listen to the way he controls the audience - amazing. It's easily the best track on Face to Face and though I don't know how valid it is as a single, it's a worthwhile buy for any hard-up fans who can't afford the fancy double album package."[14] In a review of the live album, Sheila Prophet of Record Mirror commented: "...between side two and three, something magic has happened. Harley has taken over and suddenly, his whole ego trip seems almost justified. He's the central figure, with the audience as his backing band - Rebel are reduced to mere bit players onstage musical decorations. And it's "The Best Years Of Our Lives" - altogether now, 'Oh, but it's magic. It's the best years of our lives'. They said it..."[15] Geoff Barton of Sounds stated: "...by contrast, side three and four are magnificent, compulsive. Three opens with "Best Years of Our Lives", always an emotional highspot."[16]

In a retrospective review for his website, George Starostin commented:

"There are some surprises - for "The Best Years of Our Lives", Steve drops the band and just keeps an acoustic guitar, inviting the audience to not only sing along with him, but actually sing instead of him. Actually, if there's one really rotten performance on here, it's that one: he can't seem to hold any note for longer than half a second, and with the most complex bits actually chanted by a tonedeaf crowd instead of the maitre himself, a formerly great song is reduced to a pile of rubbish."[8]

Other live versions

Aside from the version appearing on Face to Face: A Live Recording, other live versions of the song have been included on a number of other releases. On 14 April 1975, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel performed the song as part of their set at the Hammersmith Odeon, London. The concert was filmed and released as a film titled Between the Lines.[3] In 1989, the band's concert at Brighton, which included the song, was released on the VHS The Come Back, All is Forgiven Tour: Live.[17] Live versions also appeared on 1999's Stripped to the Bare Bones and 2004's Anytime! (A Live Set).[18][19]

MonaLisa Twins version

In 2015, the MonaLisa Twins (Mona and Lisa Wagner), recorded their own version of the song. A music video for their version was uploaded onto YouTube on 4 October 2015.[20] The song was recorded to tie-in with the duo's upcoming involvement in the November 2015 UK tour of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, which celebrated the 40th anniversary of the album of the same name. On the tour, the MonaLisa Twins were part of the backing band.[21][20]

For their version of "The Best Years of Our Lives", the MonaLisa Twins revealed:

"Our big tour with Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel is just around the corner. So we decided it's only fitting to cover our favourite song and at the same time title track of the album "The Best Years of Our Lives". We consider the live performance of this song, especially the one on Steve's first live album "Face to Face" one of the most touching live moments in rock history. It clearly shows why he belongs to the exclusive circle of live entertainers who can mesmerise an audience in style without having to play cheap tricks."[20]

References

  1. ^ "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - The Best Years Of Our Lives". Discogs.com. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b The Best Years of Our Lives - Definitive Edition - CD+DVD Set - Booklet. EMI Records. 2014. p. 13.
  3. ^ a b "Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel - Best Years Of Our Lives - April 14th 1975 - Hammersmith Odeon". YouTube. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  4. ^ "Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - The Best Years Of Our Lives - Definitive Edition (CD, Album)". Discogs.com. 14 April 1975. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  5. ^ Andy Fearon. "Official Steve Harley Website UK - DIARY 25/06/14". steveharley.com. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Best Years". harleyfanzone.com. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  7. ^ Donald A. Guarisco. "The Best Years of Our Lives - Steve Harley,Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Steve Harley/Cockney Rebel". rinet.ru. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  9. ^ a b "The Great Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel Story". 50megs.com. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  10. ^ http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/18068/steve-harley/
  11. ^ a b "45cat - Steve Harley And Cockney Rebel - Best Years Of Our Lives / Tumbling Down - EMI - UK - EMI 2673". 45cat.com. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  12. ^ "Singles 1976-83". harleyfanzone.com. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  13. ^ "Face To Face". harleyfanzone.com. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  14. ^ "Steve Harley: Best Years of Our Lives (EMI 2673)". harleyfanzone.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  15. ^ Prophet, Sheila. "Egos His Own Way". Record Mirror. Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  16. ^ "Ha Ha! Said the Clown". Sounds. Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  17. ^ "Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel: Greatest Hits [VHS]: Steve Harley: Amazon.co.uk: Video". Amazon.co.uk. 20 October 1989. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  18. ^ Thomas, Stephen (3 August 1999). "Stripped to Bare Bones - Steve Harley : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  19. ^ "Official Steve Harley Website UK - Anytime! – A Live Set". steveharley.com. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  20. ^ a b c "The Best Years of Our Lives - MonaLisa Twins (Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel Cover)". YouTube. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  21. ^ "Official Steve Harley Website UK - Official Steve Harley Website UK". Steveharley.com. Retrieved 12 October 2016.

External links

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