S.F. SORROW

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3.5 stars. This is a very significant and influencial album that was released in 1968. Regarded as the first Rock Opera, it's a concept album about one S.F. Sorrow and his life from the cradle to the grave. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios and produced by Norman Smith who by then was working with PINK FLOYD but previously was with THE BEATLES. The music has a Psychedelic flavour but is often quite poppy as well, or maybe commercial sounding is a better way to put it. The songs I like the least are the commercial ones which sound way too much like THE BEATLES. In fact after just a few listens of this cd I was skipping certain tracks because I was already tired of them. Too bad because there's a lot on here that I do enjoy.

"SF Sorrow Is Born" opens with strummed guitar then it settles in with vocals quickly. Backing vocals on the chorus. Not a fan of this one. "Bracelets Of Fingers" is very BEATLES-like just before a minute. I do like the short instrumental section a minute later. An okay tune. "She Says Good Morning" is a catchy BEATLES-like song. Quite poppy and a real toe-tapper. Some nice distorted guitar before 2 minutes. "Private Sorrow" is different. Acid soaked psychedelia. A calm with spoken words after 3 minutes with marching styled drums. "Balloon Buring" is my favourite. I like the repeated guitar line with those dreamy vocals. It becomes an uptempo burner.

"Death" is mealncholic with vocals and an interesting soundscape. "Baron Saturday" is maybe my least favourite. Catchy and very BEATLES-like. "The Journey" is laid back but it then picks up. It's more aggressive before 2 minutes to the end. "I See You" is my other favourite tune. It's that Psychedelic flavour including the lyrics and I love the guitar late to end it. Great track. "Well Of Destiny" is a short piece that builds to the end. "Trust" is a vocal track with harmonies. "Old Man Going" has some excellent guitar and the vocals are softer in the chorus. "Loneliest Person" is the ballad-like closer.

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see a slew of 5 star reviews for this one. There's something about Proto-Prog and concept albums that I generally don't like. Combine the two and it's a tough sell. Still I recognize the influence of this release.

Glad to see this album finally added, a concept album of epic proportions, at times better than even Tommy whom it is said gained alot of influence from good ol' S.F. Sorrow.

The Pretty Things truly but the rock in rock opera and made the practice a regularity in rock music. While some look down upon this album because "Sgt Pepper was the first rock opera" (puhlease, it's hardly got a concept) S.F. Sorrow is an emotional journey that absolutely stuns the listener, psychedelic greatness with a story behind it. Isn't that pretty progressive?

Either way, Sorrow's tale of losing everything and eventually become the "Loneliest Person" is one of those where you know there's a personal metaphor and it makes the listener have to make up his own, for me, that's one of the best things a rock opera can do. Each song is well crafted and song transitions (you have no idea how important those are to me) are flawless. After maybe three listens every song on this record will be stuck in your head. No exaggeration, it happened to me.

I think I'll give this five stars because, honestly, it started something great when it itself was an amazing record that had a large part in starting the progressive rock era of music.

The live version they did awhile later with David Gilmour is also a top notch record with story interludes to further explain the action of the rock opera. Very cool stuff.

Ranking amongst the first narrative concept albums, S.F. Sorrow might not have a very well- explained plot, but musically it's downright fantastic, taking the most psychedelic moments of the Beatles (think Tomorrow Never Knows and the like) and bringing them to the next level. At some points the pulsating percussion on the album seems to offer a precedent for later drum and bass, whilst the acoustic closer Loneliest Person is downright haunting. At points a Kinks- and-Beatles-inspired product of its time, at other point years ahead of the rest of the pack, it's a fascinating musical trip and deserves its reputation as one of the keystone psychedelic albums of its era.