I remember how shocked I was back in the day on discovering that Psychomodo by Cockney Rebel was not regarded as one of the greatest albums of the 70s. That not too many people cared, or even knew, and that secondhand stores were filled with unwanted vinyl copies of that LP (like they are still filled with The Triffids' Calenture). That Steve Harley was mostly known for his 1975 hit single "Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)". A good song, no doubt, but one that plays too safe after the tastefully deranged brilliance of Cockney Rebel's two first albums, The Human Menagerie and Psychomodo. Electric violin, glam-rock grandeur, beautiful melodies, oblique lyrics and Harley's eccentric Bowie-esque vocal delivery. I fell in love with those albums almost at once.
While Steve Harley would never reach those art rock heights again, he never really lost it as a songwriter. And through all these decades he remained frustratingly underrated, until the very end. Today, a week after his death, there are too many classic songs to mention. "Death Trip", "Hideaway", "Tumbling Down", "Psychomodo", "Back To The Farm"... However, it is this beautiful anthem at the end of his third album that I have been playing non-stop ever since last Sunday... Rest in peace.
