Pretty Things, yesterday. Phil May, front n' center |
What is the length of shrift given to the Pretty Things [not above - Ed.]? Generally shorter than Phil May's hair back in '63. They are a Top Tier U.K. band; innovative, wild, talented, with a charismatic front man and a berserker drummer. All they lacked was a knack for writing a string of hit singles, which put them behind their contemporaries the Stones, the Who, the *sigh* Beatles, and the Kinks. There are a few greatest hits collections out there, but you'll have a tough time whistling any one of them. Don't tell that to Mike Stax - he not only named his swell magazine after the band [Ugly Things - Ed.] but also stole the name of their bass player [not "Mike", the other one - Ed.].
I can live without the early raw R&B, while noting that it is R&B, and the transitional Get The Picture (Mike's favorite album of all time, bless), but S.F. Sorrow and Parachute have always been on my consolette autochange.
S.F. Sorrow, from '68, is a concept album - meaning, there's a story that nobody understands or cares about, much like Opera, or a Netflix series. But musically it hangs together nicely. It's very, very '68. And that's a good thing. A little heavier than '67, not as heavy as '69, the Goldilocks year for rock music. This version has slewage of extra tracks, and they're terrific, expanding the original album nicely.
Parachute was never Rolling Stone Magazine's Album Of The Year [1970 - Ed.], in spite of the rock myth to the contrary. But it should have been. After a startling, discordant opening, the album works through some of their most memorable songs, with inventive arrangements and beautiful harmonies - they never got the credit for their stacked vocals. Their best album, as good as rock music gets. That cover, though ... ooff ...
Bonus album #1: Swingin' London!
Bonus album #2: "Best album ever made!" M. Stax
Bonus album #3: All the hits you can't remember!
This post funded in part by The Sitarswami Vinyl Upholstery Repair And Chakra Refurbishment Garage, Koreatown, L.A.