The Come Back, All is Forgiven Tour: Live

After a Christmas tour in 1981, and the odd show between 1983-84, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel would not embark on a tour again until 1989.[1] Titled "The Come Back, All is Forgiven" tour, Harley told the Newcastle Journal in 1989: "That's me being ironic. It stops anyone in your profession calling it a comeback tour or anything derogatory like that."[2] The sixty-date tour, which covered England and Europe, was deemed a success, and the band, under different line-up changes, have continued to tour since.[1]

In early 1989, Harley chose to have two concerts recorded; one at the Dome Theatre in Brighton and the other at the Derngate Theatre in Northampton. The footage was then used to produce a concert video.[3] In October 1989, the video, titled The Come Back, All is Forgiven Tour: Live, was released by Odyssey on VHS.[4] The video featured fourteen songs of Harley's own personal choice from the two concerts. It was directed by Steve Hills, produced by Vance Goodwin, and produced by G & H Production Partnership in association with Steve Mather for JSE and Adrian Munsey for Odyssey Video.[3]

On the back cover of the VHS, Harley was quoted: "So, how long has it been? Six, perhaps seven years since the last British tour? It's been far too long, of that I am certain. And there's no good reason for it, really. You know how much I love it up there. Quite honestly, there is nowhere I'd rather be. When you sing with me the choruses (often the entire lyrics!) of "Make Me Smile", the smile is genuine. The thanks are from deep inside; the joy is unequalled. To you, without whom... thanks."[3]

The Come Back, All is Forgiven Tour: Live was originally released on VHS on 13 October 1989 by Odyssey.[4] On 20 February 2012, Odyssey gave the video its first DVD release, released under the title Steve Harley + Cockney Rebel - Live.[5]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[25]

In an AllMusic review of the 1994 Make Me Smile - Live on Tour release of the concert, Dave Thompson stated: "The highlights are the two cuts from Harley's Yes You Can album, "The Lighthouse" and "Star for a Week," [which] work far more effectively live than they did in the studio. But the retreads of the older material offer only isolated sparks of interest and innovation - ten minutes of "Sebastian" impress with their portentousness, and the medley of "The Best Years of Our Lives"/"Sweet Dreams" is perverse enough to demand a second listen. The problem is, this is meant to be a Steve Harley album. The audience often sings louder than he does."[25]