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

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

Original studio version

Background

In March 2014, Harley recalled the song's recording to Geoff Barton, where he revealed: "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 performing the song live at the Hammersmith Odeon on 14 April 1975, Harley announced it was "the most serious song I've ever wrote in my life".^[3]

In 2014, a definitive edition of the same-titled album was released by EMI, as a four CD+DVD box-set. Of the three bonus tracks included on disc one is a previously unreleased acoustic version of the song.^[4] On Harley's official website, a diary entry dated 25 June 2014 spoke of the release, and the song in particular: "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]

Since the song's original release, the track has become a regular inclusion in Harley's live set. In recent years, unofficially recorded video footage has appeared on YouTube of the song being performed live.^[6]

Critical reception

Allmusic journalist, Donald A. Guarisco, spoke of the song in a review of the album: "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 highlighted the song by selecting it as an AMG pick track.^[7]

In the Record & Popswap Mirror magazine of 8 April 1975, a review of the album noted: "Mr Raffles deserves to be singled out as an absolute classic, but each song has a distinct character, culminating in the personal message - the title track."^[8]

In the booklet of the 2014 definitive edition release of The Best Years of Our Lives album, 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]

George Starostin reviewed the album for his website and picked the title track as one of his favourite tracks from the album. He revealed: "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."^[9]

Personnel

• Vocals, Guitar - Steve Harley
• Guitar - Jim Cregan
• Bass - George Ford
• Keyboards - Duncan Mackay
• Drums - Stuart Elliott

Additional personnel

• Producers - Steve Harley, Alan Parsons
• Mixer, Engineer - Alan Parsons
• Mastering - Chris Blair
• Tape Operator - Gary Edwards, Peter James
• Writer of "The Best Years of Our Lives" - Steve Harley

Face to Face: A Live Recording version

"The Best Years of Our Lives"
Single by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
from the album Face to Face: A Live Recording
B-side	"Tumbling Down"
Released	12 August 1977
Format	7", 12"
Genre	Pop-rock
Length	5:00
Label	EMI Records
Writer(s)	Steve Harley
Producer(s)	Steve Harley
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel singles chronology
"(Love) Compared with You" (1976) "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1977) "Roll the Dice" (1978)

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

Background

With the release of the band's third studio album Love's a Prima Donna in October 1976, the band embarked on a UK tour to promote the album. From this tour Harley recorded a number of concerts between December 1976 and January 1977, sorted the best tracks for a live album. Shortly before the album reached the shops, the announcement was made that the band were to split, and soon after the double live album titled Face to Face: A Live Recording was released.^[10] The album reached #40 on the UK chart.^[11] In effort to promote the album, a sole live single was released, with "The Best Years of Our Lives" being chosen as the A-Side, and "Tumbling Down" as the B-Side.^[12] The single did not make a chart appearance in the UK.

Release

The single was released in the UK only, on 7" and 12" vinyl.^[10][13] It was Harley's first single release on 12" vinyl, which itself was labelled as being limited edition.^[14] The single featured a picture sleeve, the first time Harley had received one in the UK, with a photograph of Harley on stage with a guitar, in front of a microphone. The same photograph was included on the back side of the sleeve.^[12]

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

In the Record Mirror magazine of 10 September 1977, a review of the single was published, which wrote "Note - Cockney Rebel have now vanished forever. 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."^[15]

A review of Face to Face appeared in the Record Mirror magazine during 1977, written by Sheila Prophet. She stated "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..."^[16]

In the Sounds magazine, a review of the album was written by Geoff Barton, who commented: "By contrast, side three and four are magnificent, compulsive. Three opens with 'Best Years Of Our Lives', always an emotional highspot."^[17]

George Starostin reviewed the live album for his website, and 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."^[9]

Other live versions

Aside from the version appearing on Face to Face, the song has been included on a number of other live releases. On 14 April 1975 the band performed the song at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, which was professionally filmed and released as two films in cinemas; Between the Lines and Star Fighter.^[3]

A live version from Brighton and Northampton in 1989 was professionally filmed during the band's comeback "All is Forgiven" tour. The performance was released on VHS, titled The Come Back, All is Forgiven Tour: Live.^[18][19]

A live version appeared on Harley's 1999 album Stripped to the Bare Bones,^[20] and another on the 2004 live album Anytime! (A Live Set) under the name The Steve Harley Band.^[21]

MonaLisa Twins version

In 2015, the MonaLisa Twins, composed of Mona and Lisa Wagner, recorded their own version of the song. The song, with a music video, was uploaded onto YouTube on 4 October 2015.^[22] The cover was recorded to tie-in with the duo's upcoming involvement in the November 2015 UK tour of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, which is to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the album of the same name, along with "Make Me Smile". The MonaLisa Twins will be part of the backing band during the tour.^[23][22]

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."^[22]

References