S.F. SORROW

S.F. Sorrow is a unique album and is in my top 10 favourite 60's albums, if I don't count the Beatles ;-) I don't care about the fact if it's the first rock opera or not, I am focused on the music only and ignore lyrics or concept themes. After the previous efforts, especially the R&B, which I regard pretty standard, this was a 180-degree turn and the music is pretty ambitious, serious and inventive. You may think of Sgtpepper's hearts club band and there are indeed parallels - Lennon's-like singing, similar psychedelic trickery, piano/drums/bass that shares similarities to those by the Beatles. However, Pretty Things, not being under pressure to delivery commercially friendly music, could expand the territory and experimentation further than the Beatles. The producing engineer was George Martin's affiliate and he learnt many great things.

I like Sgtpepper's hearts club band a lot but it may sound overproduced sometimes in expense of sounding live. Pretty Things still put major focus on playing and psychedelic effects.

Apart from the usual rock instruments, you can hear Mellotron, organ, sitar, also overdubbed violins - the same way Beatles did.

The first track is rather conventional but good get used to the new shape of things. "Bracelets of fingers" has Lennon- similar vocal, inventive bass motive in the 3/4 pattern. Band also presents good mastery of vocal harmonies, sitar playing. A fantastic psychedelic track. "She said good morning" is in the same manner - you will notice also rhythm changes and the bass guitar very audible in the mix. "Private Sorrow" has Tremeloes vocal harmonies and quite complex semi-progressive rhythm pattern - watch out for sitar and flute enhancements! One of the most progressive tracks on the album. "Balloon burning" is a hard-rock upbeat great and more straightforward number. Highlighted can be semi-jazz rhythm guitar and a nice guitar solo. "Death" is a creepy dark mainly instrumental song with percussions - it sounds like a tribal song, outside of western world. "Baron Saturday" is one of my favourites with the typical psychedelia rhythm section, Beatles-like piano and Lennon singing. Pay attention to the middle nice and intensive drum solo. "Journey" is a break from heavy stuff - a mix between folk and psychedelia style.

"I see you" has a haunting melody, Ringo Starr's like drumming. Could it be considered a rock ballad? Due to mellotron and atmosphere, I see links to the Moody Blues.

"Trust" is one of the closest clones to Beatles by Pretty Things. "Loneliest person" is a nice mellow reflective track, the simplest on the album as it consists of acoustic guitar and vocal. "Defecting Grey" brings us back to the psychedelia world, this time it's quite a dream world, piano and sitar are nice additions to the sound. "Mr. Evasion" is a rocking number with psychedelia vocals. "Talking 'bout good times" is with "I see you" the most haunting songs augmented with mellotron - excellent vocals and melody. The extended instrumental section is worth exploring too. The swang song of this area is again a Beatlesque song on a positive note: "Walking through my dreams" - some part of vocals remind of Ozzy Osbourne, although he would come to the stage later on ;)

Great achievement of the experimental British psychedelia and the recommended one to explore for a prog- man/woman but Beatles fans of their 66-68 era will find enough pleasure, too.