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The Pretty Things. R&B, psychedelic, glam, hard rock? What exactly were they?

A bit of everything, like many British bands that started in the early 1960s the started out playing the blues before evolving into trippy progressive-rock and then harder British blues-rock. Lineup changes also broadened their musical pallet.

Honestly, I wasn’t familiar with their music, but knew of the band. The name of the band reminded me of a Zappa or Alice Cooper type glam creation. I found it hard to warm up to them for some reason.

For a blog I wanted to write on psychedelic-rock I knew the Pretty Things were a band I need to dig into, specifically, S. F. Sorrow. As a bonus, their next album, Parachute, continued the style but in a more serious mood.

S. F. Sorrow (1968) is a concept album that was recorded, but not released, until after The Who’s Tommy. An interesting side-note, the Pretty Thing’s American releases were handled by Motown on their Rare Earth label. Small wonder that S. F. Sorrow was late getting to the market. In the U. K., the album didn’t chart.

Think of The Rolling Stones from 1966 to 1969, psychedelic pop, then slipping into the blues, but not overpowered like Cream or early Led Zeppelin. Acoustics and electric guitars, but moody and breezy like Beggar’s Banquet. There is a folkiness in S. F. Sorrow, amplified by the quirky production. At the controls was Norman Smith, who engineered the early Beatles recordings and had moved over to work with Pink Floyd.

So what’s the S. F. Sorrow story about? I can’t say that I understand the album’s story, but that’s true of many concept albums for me. It’s not the story that attracted me to Quadrophenia, The Wall, Welcome to My Nightmare, Aqualung, Running on Empty, Tales of Topographic Oceans, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Leftoverture, Skylarking, etc.

Yet, I do see the connective thematic link in albums like Running on Empty, In Search of the Lost Chord, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, Dark Side of the Moon, Bookends, I Robot, Desperado, Hotel California and What’s Goin’ On.

Rock concept albums seem to focus on young men who are disconnected from society, emotionally wounded or misunderstood in life. A journey or emotional event, or a spiritual quest, leads them to self-discovery or a life-changing fork in the road. S. F. Sorrow fits somewhere in the description. For me, it’s the song-structure and quality of the music that matters, and S. F. Sorrow makes it on those merits.

Parachute was released in 1970. The most significant lineup change was the departure of guitarist Dick Taylor.

Parachute is very Pink Floydish, Traffic, Spirit or Moody Blues of 1970. The music is very melodic, layered, acoustic and electric instruments integrated side by side, with a swirl of eclectic mixed in. The bluesy guitars of the band’s early days have not completely changed, there is still a Fleetwood Mac Peter Green, and Arthur Brown vibe going on.

The Pretty Things had a great lead vocalist in Phil May, and the harmonies are lush, but not Beach Boys lush.

Of the two albums, I like this one slightly better since the vibe is less psychedelic and a bit harder rock. Either way, they are both exceptional albums that seemed to get lost in the ether.

The running order contains the songlettes of “She Was Tall, She Was High” “In the Square” “The Letter” and “Rain” are as good as what the Kinks, Stones, Floyd or Who were releasing on their albums. This song cycle is similar to the suite of songs on Abbey Road side two, though a bit rougher and without the George Martin touch. “Cries From the Midnight Circus” is tough and rocking, similar to Lennon’s “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”.

Side two starts with “Grass” which is a brooding rocker, like a Humble Pie or Badfinger slice of British rock. “Sickle Clowns” might have fit on one of Lennon’s early solo albums; dissonant, angry and raw. “She’s a Lover” is a guitarfest, a rollicking rocker. “What’s the Use” has ringing guitars and harmonies, Byrds-like. “Parachute” sounds like it could have been from a McCartney early 1970s album with all the shimmer and production flourishes of the era.

The songs go from sweet melodies and harmonies to tough, distorted rock. One of the things that separates these albums from is the production, Norman Smith knows how to integrate distinctly different sounds to gel but not complete against each other. The songs blend together well, the sonic vibe is maintained through the album.

Albums by The Pretty Things do not need to go lost anymore. The remastered and expanded versions are worth a listen.