"Psychomodo" is a song by the Britishrock bandCockney Rebel, fronted by Steve Harley. It was released in 1974 as the lead single from their second studio albumThe Psychomodo. "Psychomodo" was written by Harley, and produced by Harley and Alan Parsons. On The Psychomodo, the song is preceded by the opening track "Sweet Dreams", which segues into "Psychomodo".
Background
Having released their debut albumThe Human Menagerie in late 1973, Cockney Rebel returned to the studio in February-March 1974 to record the follow-up The Psychomodo. In early March, the non-album single "Judy Teen" was released and would break the band into the UK charts, reaching the No. 5 in June. In mid-May 1974, "Psychomodo", the forthcoming album's title track, was released as the first single. However, soon after being released, EMI quickly withdrew the single from sale in the UK. Although it remains unclear as to why, it is possible it was withdrawn as "Judy Teen" was still climbing the UK charts. Regardless, the single was given a full release across Europe, and became a hit in Belgium. In 1980, the post-punk band Scars recorded a version of the song as the B-side to their single "Love Song", released on the PRE/Charisma label in May 1980.
Release
"Psychomodo" was released by EMI Records on 7" vinyl in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. The single featured the B-side "Such a Dream" which was written by Harley, and produced by Harley and Parsons. It was initially exclusive to the single, but soon appeared as the B-side to the band's following single "Mr. Soft". "Such a Dream" was later included as a bonus track on the 1990 CD release of The Psychomodo, and on the 2012 compilation . All versions of the single came with a colour picture sleeve, which each had different photographs of the band on them. Following its original release as a single, and on The Psychomodo album, the song has since appeared on various Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel compilations, including the 1975's A Closer Look, 1980's The Best ofSteve Harley and Cockney Rebel, 1987's Greatest Hits, 1998's More Than Somewhat – The Very Best of Steve Harley and 2006's The Cockney Rebel - A Steve Harley Anthology.
Promotion
The song has consistently been a popular inclusion of Harley and the band's concerts. As a result, live versions of the song have also been recorded and released. On 28 May 1974, the band performed it during a BBC session for John Peel, which was later released on the 1995 compilation Live at the BBC and Cavaliers: An Anthology 1973–1974. In 1976, the song was included as part of the band's set, live in Bremen, Germany, which was later released on the 2000 live compilation ...In Pursuit of Illusion. Another live version appeared on the band's 1977 live album'. In 1989, the band's concert at Brighton, which included the song, was released on the VHS '. An acoustic version also appeared on 2003's .
Critical reception
Upon release, the Belgian magazine Popshop described the song as showing Cockney Rebel moving "in the rock direction", adding: "with songs like this Cockney Rebel could well become a one hit wonder". In a review of The Psychomodo, Record Mirror stated: "The great merit of Steve Harley's insanity though is that it's laid bare here for every lost blimp to indulge. "The Psychomodo": "I've been losing my head, I've been losing my way, I've been losing my brain cells at a million a day, I'm so disillusioned, I'm on suicide street..." Harley cleans out his soul and wherever he's going, he's going to take a lot with him." Donald A. Guarisco of AllMusic retrospectively reviewed the song and stated: "One of the highlights of the Cockney Rebel style was the wild lyrics of Steve Harley, who often fused serious ideas with dazzling wordplay along the lines of Marc Bolan. An interesting example of this approach is the title track from 1974's The Psychomodo". He described the "dense, wordy" lyrics as being "like a trip through the mind of a mentally frazzled rock star", and also noted the "quick-paced verses of twisty melodic frills" and the "attention-getting chorus". Dave Thompson of AllMusic retrospectively reviewed The Psychomodo album and highlighted the song as an album standout by labeling it an AMG Pick Track. He spoke of the song and its B-side in his review: "Reversing the nature of The Human Menagerie, the crucial songs here are not those extended epics. Rather, it is the paranoid vignette of "Sweet Dreams," the panicked brainstorm of the title track; and the stuttering, chopping, hysterical nightmare of "Such a Dream"."
