Birmingham (Live with Orchestra & Choir)
| Birmingham (Live with Orchestra & Choir) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Steve Harley Birmingham (Live with Orchestra & Choir) 2013 CD Live Album.jpg | ||||
| Live album by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel | ||||
| Released | 14 October 2013 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 95:47 | |||
| Label | Comeuppance | |||
| Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel chronology | ||||
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Birmingham (Live with Orchestra & Choir) is a 2013 live album by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, featuring the Orchestra of the Swan and their Chamber Choir Orchestra Conductor Andrew Powell, who was the man who did the string arrangements on the original studio albums.[1] The album, a Comeuppance production, was released by Absolute via Universal.[2] A DVD version of the performance was also released at the same time.
Contents
Background
The album was recorded and filmed live at the Birmingham Symphony Hall, England on 24 November 2012. The band, with the orchestra and chamber choir, made up about 50 performers together, and performed the band's first two albums The Human Menagerie and The Psychomodo in their entirety - with some of the songs entirely new to the stage. The sold-out show was a one off performance of the two albums, and also included Spandau Ballet's Steve Norman on saxophone and percussion.[1] Aside from the two albums performed, the band also played three additional tracks on the night; "Judy Teen" (the band's UK Top 5 hit single from 1974), "Stranger Comes to Town" (the title track from Harley's 2010 album) and "Black or White" (from the 1976 album Timeless Flight. Harley commented "It's been a long time coming - something like 39 years. Now we're here, at last, with an orchestra and a choir and a big rock band, to play those first two albums pretty well the way they appeared on the original vinyl. Maybe some things should never change, in spite of progress. Welcome, my old friends."[3]
The double-CD album, released almost a year later, consists of 24 tracks in total. Aside from the 18 songs, the additional six tracks on the album consist of either introductions or speeches from Harley.[4][5] A two-disc DVD version of the performance was also released on the same date under the same title as the CD, with a duration of 116 minutes.[6] On 26 October 2013 the album had entered the UK Independent Chart at #36 as a new entry and peaked at that position, lasting on the chart for the single week.[7][8]
On Harley's official website, a diary entry from 31 January 2013 featured Harley revealing he had been in a studio in the West Country mixing the Birmingham recordings. He noted "They sound good. Very good. At last I am hearing what you heard! What a night it was! What a crowd! What a band! What orchestrations!"[9] In another entry from 4 April 2013 Harley announced he had just finished mixing the Birmingham recordings and noted they were "Sounding good" and that the double CD might be for sale at the end of June. He noted "Even now, there are moments in there that still stir my hackles. The memory of that night is now right up there among many memories from a long career that I can almost warm my hands on."[10] In regards to the DVD, on 4 June 2013, a diary entry from Harley noted that he had been mixing the DVD with Fay and Piotr of Goodmedia. He stated "It will be a really good film. Looking at the footage, I am glad, really glad I decided to go for it."[11]
To follow-up the show, on 8 November 2013, three more performances of the same show were revealed, two of which when an exclusive link was issued on Harley's official website to a ticket pre-sales area for Orchestra & Choir concerts of both albums again at Gateshead Sage, Royal Albert Hall in London as well as the Symphony Hall in Birmingham. The link, exclusively available through the website, was open for three days only before tickets were made available fully to the public.[12] The same show was also announced for The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester in April 2014.[13]
Show reception
The show itself received positive reviews at the time. The Times, on 27 November 2012, gave the show four out of five stars. The writer David Sinclair stated "This was an extraordinary concert in many senses. Harley behaved as if it was the moment he had been waiting for all his life, and perhaps it was. Harley, an absurdly mannered and highly strung performer, poured so much of himself into the show that the cup was overflowing even before you factored in the efforts of the 50 or so musicians surrounding him. The orchestra and choir, conducted by Andrew Powell, added gravitas to a performance that was certainly not lacking in drama or ambition. Harley had put his money where his mouth was - a substantial investment - by promoting the sold-out show himself. Having thrown himself into the task, physically, musically, emotionally (and financially), Harley made an heroic speech at the end, in which he declared himself "exhausted and utterly and deeply moved by this experience tonight"."[1] Record Collector writer Tim Jones, circa January 2013, stated "Harley and his band of Rebels were backed by a 64-piece orchestra and served up a sumptuous 140 minutes of vintage fare, taking in the albums almost in toto. In jovial mood throughout, the show was bookended by standing ovations."[14]
More than 40 writer Andy Coleman reviewed the show on 26 November 2012, and stated "They came from as far afield as Australia and America for this one-off show that saw Steve Harley perform Cockney Rebel’s first two albums with an orchestra and choir. With such passionate fans– others had travelled from Norway, Holland and Luxembourg – the 61-year-old singer was naturally nervous about the evening, especially as he received a standing ovation from the capacity audience as soon as he walked on stage. "We'd better deliver now," he quipped as his eight-piece band, the Orchestra of the Swan and the Chamber Choir, launched into "Hideaway", the first track from 1973's debut LP, "The Human Menagerie". Not that Steve need have worried about delivering. The crowd was with him all the way and as he relaxed the show got better and better. Just like Cockney Rebel found their feet on their second album, 1974's "The Psychomodo", the Symphony Hall show went up a gear after the interval. Harley was relaxed and chatty and hit single "Mr. Soft" had everyone singing along. This show proved such a success there's talk about further performances in London and Manchester. Those cities have a treat in store..."[15]
Track listing
Disc One
All songs written and composed by Steve Harley.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Introduction" | 0:40 |
| 2. | "Hideaway" | 4:10 |
| 3. | "What Ruthy Said" | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Loretta's Tale" | 4:19 |
| 5. | "Crazy Raver" | 4:07 |
| 6. | "Sebastian" | 7:44 |
| 7. | "Mirror Freak" | 5:28 |
| 8. | "Speech" | 0:53 |
| 9. | "My Only Vice" | 2:51 |
| 10. | "Muriel the Actor" | 3:57 |
| 11. | "Speech" | 0:49 |
| 12. | "Judy Teen" | 3:53 |
| 13. | "Chameleon" | 0:54 |
| 14. | "Death Trip" | 10:01 |
Disc Two
All songs written and composed by Steve Harley.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Introduction" | 0:14 |
| 2. | "Sweet Dreams" | 2:29 |
| 3. | "Psychomodo" | 4:18 |
| 4. | "Mr Soft" | 4:24 |
| 5. | "Singular Band" | 3:09 |
| 6. | "Ritz" | 8:53 |
| 7. | "Cavaliers" | 9:14 |
| 8. | "Speech" | 0:13 |
| 9. | "Bed in the Corner" | 3:27 |
| 10. | "Sling It!" | 3:10 |
| 11. | "Stranger Comes to Town" | 4:32 |
| 12. | "Black or White" | 8:38 |
| 13. | "Speech" | 1:34 |
| 14. | "Tumbling Down" | 8:18 |
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Classic Rock |   [16] |
| Bolton News | favourable[2] |
Classic Rock magazine writer Geoff Barton reviewed the live album and stated ""This two-CD set preserves the occasion for posterity - and it's simply breathtaking. What could've been a bloated ego trip works brilliantly; Harley thrives on - and feeds off - the big production, delivering a performance that marries abundant charisma (and a hint of arrogance) with sensitive vulnerability. The epic 12-minute "Death Trip" chills and thrills in equal measure, and "Tumbling Down" does exactly the same. The eclectic glam rock of 70s chart-busters "Judy Teen" and "Mr Soft" is reproduced with stunning accuracy, and "Sling It!", about the surprise demise of the original Cockney Rebel, is full of spit and sawdust. "I was 22 when I wrote these things and I've got a son now of 30," Harley reflects at one point. All the more remarkable that his songs sound as fresh as on the day they were conceived."[16]
Bolton News, on 17 October 2013, saw writer Martin Hutchinson reviewing the album. He wrote "Steve's 10-year dream became a reality on November 24, 2012, when he and the current incarnation of Cockney Rebel, joined forces with The Orchestra of the Swan, to perform the whole of Steve's first two albums in their entirety. When both albums were originally released, people were astounded. What was this guy doing replacing electric guitar with a violin? they said. But it worked and Steve gained an avid fanbase that is just as strong today. I was privileged to be at this gig, which sold out almost immediately when tickets went on sale. It was a risk to stage this show, and Steve was more than somewhat wary. "The albums were both heavily orchestrated," he said. "And I brought the original arranger, Andrew Powell, with me to conduct the orchestra and choir." This made it possible for the songs to be played in their original format. There are some real Harley classics contained on the first two albums. The music was perfection both on the night and on this two-disc release. Steve's appreciation of his musicians and audience is apparent in the short bursts of speech that crop up here and there. Those fans who were unable to get to Birmingham on the night will be able to hear the culmination of Steve's dream. And those who were there can relive a unique night."[2]
Record Collector reviewed the DVD version of the performance, giving it four out of five stars, and writer Terry Staunton stated "The increasingly common practice of artists performing landmark albums in their entirety is taken up a notch here, as Harley pulls out all the stops in replicating his first two releases with Cockney Rebel. Both original albums were elaborate affairs, containing nods to the glam rock scene that was in full flow at the time, and also peppered with elements of prog, Berlin cabaret and twisted carnival motifs. Budget constraints at the time meant that Harley was unable to stage lavish live productions, but here he indulges himself to the max. These are songs that established Harley as a single-minded maverick with a strong vision, and it's interesting to watch his expressions change from studious band leader determined to get every note perfect to joyously grinning rock star who's realised he's pulled the whole thing off with aplomb."[17]
Chart performance
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[18] | 158 |
| UK Indie (Official Charts Company)[19] | 36 |
References
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- ↑ http://zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK2013.HTM
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