Anytime! (A Live Set)

Anytime! (A Live Set)
Live album by The Steve Harley Band/Steve Harley
Released	2004
Genre	Pop rock
Length	72:53
Label	Gott Discs
The Steve Harley Band/Steve Harley chronology
Acoustic and Pure: Live (2002) Anytime! (A Live Set) (2004) The Quality of Mercy (2005)

Anytime! (A Live Set) is a 2004 live acoustic album by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, under the name The Steve Harley Band.^[1]

The album consists of eleven live unplugged tracks and a bonus track; "Sophistication" which was a previously unreleased studio recording from 1986.^[2] It remains exclusive to the Anytime! album.

For a possible album release, many shows were recorded, but the tracks that ended up forming the Anytime! (A Live Set) album were culled from performances at Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, and The Jazz Café, London, during the summer of 2003.

The album was released on CD in the UK only, through Gott Discs, whilst Pinnacle Records handled the album's distribution within the UK. It was licensed from Comeuppance Ltd.^[2] Today the album is available second-hand or from Harley's official website shop on CD and download.^[3][4]

Background

In a Record Collector Interview with Nick Dalton during June 2005, Harley was asked "Has you music changed of late?", and Harley replied "Anytime! is seriously unplugged electro-acoustic. It's similar to original Cockney Rebel – violin, no electric guitar. But I still like playing with my electric band. I'm doing Glastonbury again, headlining the acoustic stage for the first time." The article also used the same photograph of Harley as seen on the album's front cover.^[5]

Sophistication

The previously unreleased track "Sophistication", from 1986, was produced by Harley and Mickie Most.^[6] Much like Harley's other output from the same period, the song was due to be released on a full studio album under the title El Gran Senor. However the album was never released due to RAK Records going bust. Though much of the material would end up appearing on the 1992 album Yes You Can,^[7] "Sophistication" remained unreleased. The song was frequently performed live during 1989.

The song featured Andrew Gold on keyboard. Harley later commented in 2015: "Andrew Gold plays that wonderful, jazzy piano all through the song. He was brilliant. And didn't take a penny for the session. He was working in a different RAK studio while I recorded "Sophistication"; he had a partnership with Graham Gouldman, called "Wax". I was talking to Andrew in the kitchen, and he told me Graham was mixing a track and that he, Andrew, found the whole mixing process boring so usually sits it out. I played him "Sophistication" and said I'd love to hear a New York, Gershwin-like piano part and solo in there. He jumped up, walked to the piano in our room and said, "roll the tape". I left him to play his way, and it was very New York, very Gershwin. He was simply brilliant; a musician's musician; faultless and brilliant. I treasure that moment, that afternoon working with him. Always have. It's a fantastic solo."

Track listing

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Classic Rock Magazine	[8]
Get Ready to Rock!	[9]
24.000 Dischi (Italian Dalai editore book)	[10]

Peter Makowski of Classic Rock magazine stated "Mr Soft gets unplugged. A few months ago I saw Pete Doherty play a solo acoustic show at my local. Never a big fan of The Libertines, I must admit that he was spectacular. Solo and hype-free, you could see that he was actually a gifted songwriter. The same goes for Steve Harley who is a craftsman with a canny ear for a hook and catchy chorus. Both artistes have attitude and conviction; both are former buskers. Here 'live and unplugged' the former Cockney Rebel takes us through a tour of all the hits and more. But it's the lesser-known material like the emotive "Friend For Life" that makes Harley sound fresh and edgy, like a latter day Libertine."^[8]

Joe Geesin of the Get Ready to Rock! webzine stated "The original Cockney Rebel has several parallel careers, this one is more acoustic (although he does electric guitar backup), recorded in 2003. Opener "Mr Soft" has an uptempo quirky offbeat, while the violin on "Mirror Freak" adds an interesting if moody touch. Ballads, rockers and acoustic strumming, all the styles explored do nod back to the pub rock roots, and many emphasise Harley's songwriting. Of course there's the obligatory "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" which does work rather well (although Harley does amend his vocal arrangement back to that of the original). Thoroughly enjoyable, but probably more for the fans."^[9]

In the 2007 Italian book 24.000 Dischi (24,000 discs), written by Riccardo Bertoncelli and Cris Thellung, a review of the Anytime! (A Live Set) album stated "An acoustic concert, new songs and interpretations of old classics, which are still beautiful and mostly performed by Harley with a passion and feeling really touching. The opening of "Mr. Soft" to the 11 final minutes of "Sebastian" are all the famous pieces (including "Make Me Smile"), played so many times before, but for some reason do not want to end up in oblivion."^[11]

Personnel

• Steve Harley – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Audio Production
• Lincoln Anderson – Double Bass
• Robbie Gladwell – Guitar, Background Vocals
• James Lascelles – Hammer Dulcimer
• Barry Wickens – Violin, Background Vocals
• Matt Butler – Audio Production

References