It’s a matter of taste whether to consider 1975’s “The Best Years Of Our Lives” the best Steve Harley & COCKNEY REBEL album, yet there’s no denying this platter’s popularity – for no other reason than the presence among the record’s tracks of the British ensemble’s signature single “Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)” that topped the UK charts back in the day and spawned a plethora of covers. The band’s first longplay to separate their singer’s name from the rest of musicians, whose number included the fantastic guitarist Jim Cregan and stellar drummer Stuart Elliott, has seen quite a few reissues, but the one to be out on June 20th must become the ultimate re-release.
While the 2014 version, that comprised three CDs, added the contemporary Hammersmith concert to the original nine cuts and several bonuses, the forthcoming variant moves the live document to a DVD, alongside a couple of videos and a documentary from the same year, and dedicates an entire disc to previously unheard takes on the album’s songs, with those original cuts presented in a fresh remix by Alan Parsons, the classic’s co-producer. This means there’s no familiar mix in the mediabook box set at all – neither it’s featured on the double-vinyl mirroring the two CDs – unlike on the SuperDeluxeEdition’s exclusive Blu-ray which contains, together with the old mix and the Hammersmith tapes, Parson’s Dolby Atmos and 5.1 Surround Sound reworks and his instrumental stereo mix. The Blu-ray might not be for a regular fan, but the CD/DVD might, although getting rid of the earlier reissue is not recommended.
& COCKNEY REBEL –
The Best Years Of Our Lives:
50th Anniversary Edition
CD 1 – 2025 Alan Parsons remix:
1. Introducing “The Best Years”
2. The Mad, Mad Moonlight
3. Mr Raffles
4. It Wasn’t Me
5. Panorama
6. Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)
7. Back To The Farm
8. 49th Parallel
9. The Best Years Of Our Lives
10. Another Journey (B-side)
CD 2 – Outtakes & Rarities:
1. Another Journey (early version)
2. It Wasn’t Me (outtake)
3. The Mad, Mad Moonlight (rehearsal version)
4. Back To The Farm (instrumental rehearsal)
5. 49th Parallel (rehearsal)
6. Panorama (vocal run-through)
7. Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) (false start)
8. Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) (rough mix)
9. Another Journey (acoustic demo)
10. The Best Years Of Our Lives (rehearsal version)
11. The Best Years Of Our Lives (acoustic demo)
& COCKNEY REBEL –
The Best Years Of Our Lives:
50th Anniversary Edition
DVD:
⦁ Between The Lines (concert documentary)
⦁ Star Rider (live at Hammersmith Odeon – April 14th, 1975)
⦁ Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) (promo, TOTP)
⦁ Live at Hammersmith Odeon – April 14th, 1975 (audio):
1. The Mad, Mad Moonlight
2. Hideaway
3. Panorama
4. Sweet Dreams
5. Sebastian
6. Mr Raffles
7. Back To The Farm
8. 49th Parallel
9. Death Trip
10. Judy Teen
11. Mr Soft
12. The Best Years Of Our Lives
13. Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)
14. Tumbling Down
Blu-ray:
• 2025 Alan Parsons Dolby Atmos Mix
• 2025 Alan Parsons 5.1 Mix (96/24)
• 2025 Alan Parsons Stereo Mix (96/24)
• 2025 Alan Parsons Stereo Instrumental Mix (96/24)
• 1975 Original Stereo Mix (remaster) (96/24)
• Live At Hammersmith 1975 (96/24 stereo)
