PRETTY THINGS 1968 MONO UK LP STUNNING

	£		207
	$		274

This is the 1968 MEGA RARE Original Pretty Things UK MONO FIRST PRESS Album titled “S.F. Sorrow” on Blue / Black Columbia SX 6306. The matrix numbers are as follows Side1 XAX 3738 – 1 & Side2 XAX 3739 – 1. Track listing is as follows 1) S. F. Sorrow Is Born; 2) Bracelets Of Fingers; 3) She Says Good Morning; 4) Private Sorrow; 5) Balloon Is Burning; 6) Death; 7) Baron Saturday; 8) The Journey; 9) I See You; 10) Well Of Destiny; 11) Trust; 12) Old Man Going; 13) Loneliest Person.

Let's talk about concept albums. No, better still, let's talk about narrative concept albums, where having a theme isn't enough, the whole album has to read like a musical book. There are tons to choose from - Home's The Alchemist, Pink Floyd's The Wall, Genesis's The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, Jon Anderson's Olias Of Sunhillow, Frank Zappa's Joe's Garage...and so on and so on (nausea prevents me from mentioning Jeff Wayne or Rick Wakeman). The best known is probably The Who's Tommy, but which was the first?

Sgt Pepper doesn't really count (unless you think of it as a performance from entrance to encore, in which case it's really no more than a mock live album, is it?), neither does The Moody Blues' Days Of Future Passed (a whole day from midnight to midnight). So the answer is probably Nirvana's The Story Of Simon Simopath, the story of a boy who grows up dreaming of flying, then finally takes a trip into space where he has various adventures. Without anything to call the style, Nirvana plumped for "pantomime", which devalues the idea somewhat, but "rock opera" is no less misleading. Anyway, by the time Simopath was released (late 1967) the Pretty Things were already hard at work on S F Sorrow.

Here's the plot. Sebastian F Sorrow is born, grows up, falls in love, goes off to war and fights, then when peace is declared goes to live in America, sending his sweetheart a zeppelin ticket to come join him. She dies when the balloon explodes on landing. Traumatised, Sorrow wanders New York, meeting the mysterious Baron Saturday who takes him on a bizarre nightmarish journey ending with Sorrow being presented with himself in a hall of mirrors. Shocked out of his trauma, Sorrow is released to grow old in a world which doesn't understand him.

If it sounds like Tommy, you're right. This debate is so stupid it hardly needs repeating, but Tommy was based on Sorrow. No messing about. No historical reinterpretation. No contest. Bits of Tommy even sound like Sorrow - "Christmas" is a dead ringer for "Trust", for example. But whereas Tommy laboured the whole thing over four sides with endless instrumentals, throw away songs, constant padding (how many times can you say the same thing, as side four of Tommy does?) and ill-considered humour, Sorrow is tightly plotted, extraordinarily powerful and beautifully concise.

Historically, Sorrow sits firmly in the "psychedelic" phase the Pretties enjoyed between 1967 and 1970. Previous album "Emotions" saw them nudging toward the sound, but it was only when they hooked up with Abbey Road producer Norman Smith (ex-Beatles, and just having finished producing Pink Floyd's Piper At The Gates of Dawn) that things gelled. Smith worked wonders on the band. The first product of the union, included here, was the monumental "Defecting Grey", the most psychedelic thing the band did, and its dazzling B-side "Mr Evasion". Then came the album. As the sessions dragged, they released a second extraordinary psychedelic single - "Talkin' About The Good Times"/"Walking Through My Dreams", also included here - did some session work as Electric Banana to pay the bills (including a version of "I See You" - check out the Electric Banana album, it's great!), and underwent sundry personnel changes. On its eventual release in 1968, Sorrow was hardly promoted and did badly, but the follow-up "Parachute" (1970), another concept album (but not narrative) was an absolute triumph and is essential listening. They were really that good.

But "rock opera" gimmicks aside - is Sorrow worth getting? First, it's not very psychedelic in terms of mind-melting acid overload, it's not like the Small Faces' "Happiness Stan" say, so don't expect it to be one hell of a trip. There's only one brief out-of-body experience, the superb "Well of Destiny", but we're talking SONGS here, tightly written, perfectly arranged songs. Second, though the mono version has a lot more power, than the stereo version. As for the music itself, it cooks throughout. Great tunes, played brilliantly, with sophisticated enough arrangements and clean enough production to stand up to anything released since. It's a period piece, but it really rocks. Guitars all over the place, a bit of mellotron, lots of phasing/panning/ADT etc. Embarrassing? Oh yes, the concept is really rather silly, and there are songs like "Bracelets of Fingers" (about masturbation!) which will make you crawl up the wall or run off to your nearest Who collection (they made tons of songs on the subject, must have been an obsession). Side two is the better side, from the superb "Baron Saturday" on, a devastating suite as Sorrow descends into his pit of nightmare.

It's time the narrative concept album made a return to popularity. There are few better ways to spend forty minutes than immerse yourself in the story of S F Sorrow. It's a film for your head, essentially. Close your eyes and give it the full-on Hollywood production job if you like, or make it gritty urban drama with plenty of blood and gore. No, really. This truly awesome psychedelic album is absolutely recommended.

The ridged matt record labels are in EXCELLENT condition (see pictures) with NO wear, writing & barely any spindle marks at all just a small amount of spindle wear. This superb Pretty Things album is pressed on thick heavy duty 60’s vinyl and still retains it’s just pressed look with a very shinny lustre there are a few surface only marks & one small surface scuff on track one side one all of which are unheard when played & do not distract from this superb crisp clean sound which has NO groove wear & only the smallest amount of background noise between tracks. Simply Superb. The gatefold sleeve is in VG+ Condition with NO writing, & a small amount of corner wear & spine wear. The opening edge is straight & firm with a small amount of feathering. The album comes complete with it’s Original EMI advertising inner sleeve.              

The Greatest attention to packaging with all albums housed in aluminium framed box complete with bubble wrap & thick cardboard. The vinyl is also removed from the sleeve to ensure safe delivery.

Postage Costs:

UK First Class = £2.80 Recorded Delivery = £5.50 & Special Delivery (next day, insured up to £250) = £7.00

Europe Air Mail = £4.00 Insured = £8.00

Overseas, non Europe USA, Japan, Australia etc Air Mail = £6.50 Insured £11.00

Doubles add extra £1.00, triples add extra £2.00

Extra albums add £1.00 in the UK, Europe £1.30 & USA, Japan, Australia £1.75

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