Pretty Things Members, CDs, SF Sorrow Summary

THE PRETTY THINGS CDs available from Amazon.co.uk
Selected by booksmusicfilmstv.com

Sf Sorrow
Pretty Things

The Rhythm and Blues Years
Pretty Things

Formed in 1963, by original Rolling Stones bassist Dick Taylor and Phil May, The Pretty Things have had a few people, but not too few to mention...

Phil May - Vocals
Dick Taylor - Guitars, Vocals
Brian Pendleton - Guitars
John Stax - Bass
Viv Prince - Drums

Skip Alan - Drums, 1965
Alan Waller - Bass, Vocals, 1967
John Povey - Keyboards, Vocals, 1967
John Adler - Drums, 1968
Victor Unitt - Guitars, 1970
Peter Tolson - Guitars, Vocals, 1970
Stuart Brooks - Bass, 1971
Gordon Edwards - Keyboards, Guitars, 1971
Jack Green - Bass, Vocals, 1974
Simon Fox - Drums, 1980
Joe Shaw - Guitars, 1984
Dave Wintour - Bass, 1984
John Clarke - Drums, 1984
David Wilki - Keyboards, 1984
Roelf Ter Veld - Keyboards, 1987
Bertram Engel - Drums, 1987
Steffi Stephen - Bass, 1987
Frank Holland - Guitars, 1988

The Pretty Things remain most famous for their wonderful 1968 concept album, 'SF Sorrow'. A gifted rock/blues group, The Pretty Things were loved by the critics, but failed to have the massive commercial success of contemporaries like The Rolling Stones.

Sf Sorrow Description
One of the great lost classics of the psychedelic rock era, S.F. SORROW was recorded at the same time (and in the same studio with the same engineer) as SGT. PEPPER and PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN, and is on par with both. Unfortunately, the commercial fate of the album (and the group) wasn't as rosy as that of its peers, but that doesn't diminish S.F. SORROW'S quality or historical importance. The record marked an important turning point for the Pretty Things, who began as a Stones-ish R&B band, but by this time were ready to take the leap that a sudden personnel change made easier.
The band launched itself whole-heartedly into a more sophisticated style, both musically and lyrically. S.F. SORROW was even more of a concept album than SGT. PEPPER; in fact, thematically the songs hold together a lot better here. The theme concerns the life and times of a British everyman, and the songs are very much in the SGT. PEPPER mold, with production touches and vocal harmonies (not to mention song structures) very much in the Beatles vein, but it was a sound the Pretty Things arrived at more or less independently. Adding to the import of this release is the addition of some excellent, previously unreleased tracks.

The Pretty Things should not be confused with the fine young British band Dirty Pretty Things! A review of their album, 'Waterloo To Anywhere', is below.

Amazon.co.uk Review
His former Libertines bandmate may grab all the headlines, but Carl Barat's Dirty Pretty Things seem to have grabbed all of the tunes on Waterloo To Anywhere. Like The Jam, The Clash and even The Kinks, the Dirty Pretty Things have an innate ability to take their basic guitar-bass-drums setup and make them sound unmistakeably English. Of course, frontman Barat's laconic London accent helps, but it's more than that. The music, with it's mixture of punk rock and ska, owes a large debt to the aforementioned Clash--and, like them, the Dirty Pretty Things also know how to write a catchy tune, as anyone who's heard the single "Bang Bang You're Dead" will attest. Moreover, the lyrics are as reflective of contemporary Britain as anything by The Streets (particularly "You F*cking Love It"). Best of all, like the best punk albums, Waterloo to Anywhere is short, sharp and possessed of a tangible urgency--the album's 12 songs clock in at just about 36 minutes. Considering the shambles that Barat's former colleague Pete Doherty has become, it's particularly encouraging to hear something as good as Dirty Pretty Things rise from the ashes of the Libertines. --Ted Kord

Description
'Waterloo To Anywhere' is the debut album from ex-LibertineCarl Barat's new band, Dirty Pretty Thingswith musical references to both the melodic punk of The Clash and dandyThe Kinks, this record is a must forfans of classic English songwriting, regardless of what generation you are from. An album as English as traffic jams and red telephone boxes, and packed -ish swagger of . Includes the single 'Bang Bang You're Dead'.