The Pretty Things / Dick Taylor & later guitarists

[electricskychurch]

it seems there's no topic about that band.

it is for me, one of the best Rock Bands of all time !

they made the most dramatic Psychedelic Themed album with " SF sorrow " , while Sgt pepper was much happier, playful.

it was the first rock opera and a few years later that's what would influence pete townshend for " TOMMY " .
if the beatles under acid are like children in a candy store, the pretty things are like Baudelaire on a trip (even if i love the beatles from rubber soul to the white album , except maybe abbey road i like less).

Norman Smith (Beatles producer from 62 to rubber soul), in 67' at Abbey Road, while Sgt pepper from the beatles and the piper at the gates of down from the pink floyd was produced , was working on SF Sorrow by the pretty things.

a few years before (early 60's) , Dick taylor (the pretty things lead guitarist until 68') was playing (i think it was bass) with mick jagger and keith richards in a band (little boy blue & the blue boys) that was soon to become ... yes, you got it:
the rolling stones !!!

it was the first rock band to get busted for dope even before the rolling stones !
they are The 60's bad boys of british rock n roll even more than the stones and chances are that's why they didn't really make it despite the fact their 70' album " Parachute " was declared the album of the year by the magazine rolling stone .

they also were the first rock band, a few years later, that was produced by Swan Song, the new label led zeppelin had just setup.

but by then, dick taylor had left (after sf sorrow) but the other guitarists playing in were very good as well.

for me , their music is in between the pop sophistication of the beatles and the raw rock of the stones;
it seems more evolved to me than both of them , in the dramatic meaning of the word , a bit like the pink floyd's music (maybe the best progressive rock to my ears) has more dimensions than the beatles (The icon of british pop) or the rolling stones ( british rock n roll icon) .

but from the early 70's and on, it went more and more towards pure rock , going side by side with Led Zeppelin, with a touch more rhythm and blues/blues boogie when led zep was finishing to raise the foundations of hard rock

get the double CD recorded live at the BBC from the mid 60's through the early or mid 70's , especialy for the last third of the 1st cd and the whole 2nd cd (the beginning of the first cd beeing their early/mid 60's british rythm & blues , like the rolling stones were playing at that time; still Teen music to my taste) .

there are several other great cd's of the pretty things , included the 67-71' compilation, SF sorrow, parachute, some 70's lp's and some tracks on their 2 compilations electric banana 1 & 2 (songs they made for movies or so, like pink floyd , the stones, the beatles, led zep...)

[electricskychurch]

it's certainly one of the most under rated rock bands !

by the way, there was a live recording of " SF Sorrow" in the late 90's i think , with david gilmour playing with them !

[electricskychurch]

i can't believe there's nobody here that know them !