S.F. Sorrow

What if the Beatles were from Kent? But they still wrote Sgt. Peppers? But nobody cared and they never got famous?

Imagine if the Beatles, Syd Barret-era Floyd, Wall-era Floyd, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard got together to drop acid and make a concept album. Loved it.

Absolutely blown away by this phenomenal album I had not heard of until today. A blend of Sgt peppers, Early Who, Pink Floyd, the Kinks and many other bands I can't think of right now. Definitely peak 60s psychedelia. It reminds of a less pretentious Tommy with a big focus on sound.

"Mom can we get some Tommy?" "We have Tommy at home." Tommy at home: [Yes I know this came out first, I still prefer Tommy]

"Through dark forrrests of my myyyind" sings Phil May on I See You, attempting to enter a higher plane via excruciating vocal affect. Truly bottom of the barrel stuff and another flabbergasting inclusion on the list. I feel like I'm being deliberately tested.

I wrote a very in depth review of this and forgot to save it. Psychedelic rock opera with a wild stereo mix

Who could ever have thought, going back to the Pretty Things' first recording session in 1965 -- which started out so disastrously that their original producer quit in frustration -- that it would come to this? The Pretty Things' early history in the studio featured the band with its amps seemingly turned up to 11, but for much of S.F. Sorrow the band is turned down to seven or four, or even two, or not amplified at all (except for Wally Allen's bass -- natch), and they're doing all kinds of folkish things here that are still bluesy enough so you never forget who they are, amid weird little digressions on percussion and chorus; harmony vocals that are spooky, trippy, strange, and delightful; sitars included in the array of stringed instruments; and an organ trying hard to sound like a Mellotron. Sometimes one gets an echo of Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn or A Saucerful of Secrets, and it all straddles the worlds of British blues and British psychedelia better than almost any record you can name. The album, for those unfamiliar, tells the story of \"S.F. Sorrow,\" a sort of British Everyman -- think of a working-class, luckless equivalent to the Kinks' Arthur, from cradle to grave. The tale and the songs are a bit downbeat and no amount of scrutiny can disguise the fact that the rock opera S.F. Sorrow is ultimately a bit of a confusing effort -- these boys were musicians, not authors or dramatists. Although it may have helped inspire Tommy, it is, simply, not nearly as good. That said, it was first and has quite a few nifty ideas and production touches. And it does show a pathway between blues and psychedelia that the Rolling Stones, somewhere between Satanic Majesties, \"We Love You,\" \"Child of the Moon,\" and Beggars Banquet, missed entirely. [This CD reissue on Snapper adds four valuable songs from their 1967-1968 singles (\"Defecting Grey,\" \"Mr. Evasion,\" \"Talkin' About the Good Times,\" and \"Walking Through My Dreams\"). This version of \"Defecting Grey\" is the original, long, uncut five-minute rendition, and not of trivial importance; it's superior to the shorter one used on the official single.]

Beat and easy psych vibes. This feels like pre-Beatles and doors weirdness. Very good stuff here

On paper, “S. F. Sorrow” should have been an easy win for me. Some years ago, 1960’s psychedelia became my gateway into alternative music: I devoured Beatles, Floyd, Hendrix, and a collection of more esoteric singles (“Pictures of Matchstick Men”, “Incense and Peppermints”, “The American Metaphysical Circus”…) There are echoes of all of those in this confounding album by The Pretty Things, but ultimately, they fail to crystallise into a successful, cohesive album. “S. F. Sorrow” is lauded by some as an early concept album, ahead of its time in presenting a full narrative within the rock album format. Great! So, what’s its story? Well, as far as I can make out (with a lot of help from Google), a young idealist is born in the early 20th century, idly dreams for days that will never come, endures heartbreak, the horror of the First World War, and alienation in New York, and ends up giving up on all his dreams. …I know. Jeez. The idea isn’t bad. The songs aren’t terrible. But in truth, never have I heard such a promising concept dragged through the mud by shambolic execution. Namely, the production here is among the worst I’ve heard in the 1001 canon, rendering the whole thing essentially unlistenable. Drums are all too often reduced to a single snare, cymbal or dry handclap. Hard and hammy stereo panning frequently places vocals on one side and all instruments on the other, separating everything into different galaxies without a shred of cohesion. Occasionally, hooks rise up through the fog to signify an album worthy of further listens. The propulsive beat of “Balloon Burning”; the jagged noise of “Old Man Going”; the full-throated chorus of “Baron Saturday”. Most of all, the melodies of “Trust” curl by in dreamy wisps of cloud, rendering it the standout track and the only one I consider worth revisiting. And there’s a surprising moment at the very end: the sweet and melancholy “Loneliest Person”, sounding like a direct forerunner of Green Day’s “21 Guns”. Ambition is always commendable, and I appreciate The Pretty Things for stepping up to the plate here. But while they echo the British psychedelic boom, with definite shades of Barrett-era Floyd (chorus of “I See You”) or the more out-there work by the Kinks, it just never materialises into anything convincing, exciting or moving.

Cooler than I expected. Very fun listen. Lots of noises. Very sensory. Definitely one of the most creative albums I’ve listened to thus far. They really go all over the place with instrumentation

they discovered audio panning and by god they're gonna use it 1.5

Pete Townsend states that this album did not influence Tommy, but I’m very skeptical. Not only that, but the storyline here shares a lot with Pink Floyd’s the Wall which came out 12 years after SF Sorrow. This album seems right place right time but doesn’t seem to have the influence that Sgt. Pepper or Tommy have. After listening to it, I really am not sure why. This album is musically very interesting and combines psychedelia with proto punk, possibly proto metal, and various experimental soundscapes. Sonically, this album pushes the limits to the point where the Pretty Things had to mime the album during a live performance because it was too complex to recreate live. I’ll keep thinking about this album for a while.

Day 27 - S.F. Sorrow (1968) ⚠ Warning: Neurodivergent Yapping ahead — S.F. Sorrow is my favourite album of all time. It is also the first rock opera, and profoundly influenced The Who's Tommy. S.F. Sorrow incorporates a variety of influences, including the Beatles' superfluous chanting in "Bracelets of Fingers," Syd Barrett's psychedelia in "Defecting Grey," proto-punk in the grisly "Old Man Going," and even a hint of R&B in heavier songs like "She Says Good Morning," which dates back to the Pretty Things' early days. The triptych "I See You -> Well Of Destiny -> Trust" is probably my favourite three-song-run from any album. S.F. Sorrow chronicles the story of a single protagonist named "Sebastian F. Sorrow" and his journey towards trust to ultimate delusion. The album was inspired by "Cutting Up Sergeant Time", one of Phil May's short stories based loosely around an ordinary WWI veteran. For those who have not had a chance to read the narrative, here is a "brief" explanation (I can honestly go on-and-on about S.F. Sorrow): Sebastian F. Sorrow was born in Number 3 of a nameless town to ordinary parents. Nobody knew what the "F" in his name stood for but nobody really cared, which is how his miserable life will go. He spends the most of his childhood in the 'greys of his mind'. In other words — maladaptive daydreaming and sex. Phil May portrays him to be an alluring, though sensitive soul (much like himself.) As he grows older, Sorrow falls in love with the girl next door. The two dream of escaping the miserable town and establishing a new life elsewhere. Just then, World War I rolls in and Sorrow is drafted into the army. Once again, he tries to escape the ugliness of war via his imaginations. Unfortunately, it isn't quite as easy as it once was. "See shells whistle Let your mind drift away See shells whistle Let your mind hide away" When the war was finally over, Sorrow takes refuge in a new land called "Amerik." He sends a balloon ticket for his beloved wife to join him. Upon arrival, Sorrow watches as the balloon bursts into flames, which consume the love of his life. The narrator makes a brief remark, "In sadness, she was buried by the spade of his grief." Sorrow grows lonely as he wanders the streets of New York City. Once more, he allows his imaginations to take flight, trying to block out his grief. He dreams of being visited by the mysterious Baron Saturday, a tall man cloaked in black. Baron Saturday magically lifts Sorrow into the sky and heads towards what Sorrow believes to be the Moon (which is symbolized in the rock opera as beauty.) But the true destination was Sorrow's core itself. Sorrow reexaminines himself and sights his dead fiance for the last time. This experience leads him down to depression. Instead of continuing to fight against the world with his imagination, Sorrow resigns to a world where people have given up all emotional attachment to a belief that it would be better: "Finding that their minds are grey And there’s no sorrow in the world that’s left to trust" As he grows older, bitter Sorrow descends into insanity, blocking out light until all is dark. The album ends with the melancholy "Loneliest Person," where Sorrow sings: "You might be the loneliest person in the world Your name it would have to be me" — Sorrow realizes his destiny was implied by his name, and accepts his tragic fate. The CD reissue also includes a few more tracks, most notably "Defecting Grey" and "Walking Through My Dreams." "Defecting Grey" is particularly noteworthy since it addresses the notion that S.F. Sorrow is bisexual, which would make sense given that composer Phil May was one of Kent's rock 'n' roll bicons ("bi-icon"). The idea, however, was abandoned, and the track did not appear on the original S.F. Sorrow. However, it is up to the audience to decide whether: 1) S.F. Sorrow concludes with a disillusioned Sorrow; 2) Sorrow self-actualizing and learning to love again. TL;DR, S.F. Sorrow was well ahead of its time and remains under appreciated even today. If you enjoyed the album, I highly recommend that you listen to "Emotions" and "Parachute", both by the same artist.

Produced by a guy who worked on Sgt Pepper and cited as the main influence for Tommy? That alone would interest me, but this album is just fantastic on its own. Psychedelic and catchy AND a rock opera. I love it. The stereo panning is a bit much at many points so I definitely prefer mono but that's my only real complaint.

Initial thoughts: This is some poorly recorded psychedelia. The pans between left and right are so harsh and the instrumentation filling those hard pans is so reedy and light that it actually induces nausea. Getting everything hard left with a single snare on the right with vocals dead centre is an abomination. These are not enjoyable songs, at all.

The best album Ive never heard of. Its a beatles vasedusoc with floyd, sabbath and other amazing stuff. So pumped

Excellent, classic.

This record triggers a Pavlovian response to turn on, tune in and drop out. All-World Tier One psychedelic rock opera. When I discovered this record, 30 years after its initial release, it made the world feel a little bit bigger in a very exciting way that something this awesome could escape my attention for that long. The Pretty Things are perhaps the best 60s British band that never really made it in America. Maybe the very first concept album, and it's a bummer of a concept, which is impressive in its own way and may be why it never reached broader acclaim. I will take it over The Who's Tommy seven days a week. So many great tunes on here I don't know where to begin, except at the beginning and playing through to the end. SF Sorrow is Born!

This is the great album! The best one I never listen before for the time being! Tommy's (by The Who) structure (and sound) is really similar to this album. So, influence is obvious.

The best. By which I mean, I consider SF Sorrow the pinnacle of British psychedelia and comfortably in my top ten albums of all time. Sure, parts of it are in thrall to the Beatles, but the range, invention, ambition and imagination on display mitigates against the odd bit of borrowing. Highlights? The entire thing. It operates as an undivided whole. Sadness, madness, poignancy, absurdity - it's all here.

This is better than Sgt. Peppers & Tommy. …like, by a lot. S.F. Sorrow is a visceral and complex psych concept album. It doesn’t get lost in pomposity or childish silliness, like some of its peers. A total winner from the opening guitar riff.

Honestly, S.F. Sorrow was actually a really good album and quite a bit better than i was expecting. From what i have heard, The Who allegedly was influenced by this album when they made Tommy (Something which Pete Townshend denies). I can see how that album could have been influenced by this one considering that the two hit fairly similar music beats however i like this album more due to it having less iffy songs and being generally produced better. I was going into this album not expecting to like it very much but now that i listened to it, i do like it very much. Best Song: Baron Saturday Worst Song: Death

Sounds pretty good, even though I didn't have a lot of headspace for it yesterday. I might give this another shot some other day.

It's EXACTLY my kind of thing. But it wasn't mind blowing. May as well just listen to The Beatles. They sound very similar but of course The Beatles are better.

I enjoyed this a ton for something I feared would be your standard fare 60s pysch rock. My standout is Trust, a funky call and response song with some cool chord progressions. The album is familair for it's era while having enough uniqueness to be worth the listen. I also liked The Journey and it's steady build into a chaotic ending. Some of the distortion is distracting, like the chorus in I See You, so it's far from a perfect album for me. But overall, I enjoyed this a bunch.

This might sound odd, but S.F. Sorrow has such a charmingly “60s” sound. Sure, it’s from 1968, but its mix of psychedelic tones, sitar accents, and layered vocals feels like a quintessential time capsule—and yet, in being so true to its era, it also feels timeless. Billed as one of the first rock operas, this is right up my alley. I love the concept of rock operas, and I really enjoyed this one, though it’s the kind of album I’d want to listen to start-to-finish. Out of context, the individual songs might lose some of their impact. At times, it almost sounds like a lost Beatles album. Between the vocal harmonies, the occasional sitar, and Phil May’s Lennon-esque grit, it’s hard not to make comparisons (meant entirely as a compliment). There’s also an impressive drum solo on “Baron Saturday,” but with two credited drummers, I have no idea who to thank. If I had a minor complaint, it’d be that the album just…ends. For a rock opera, I’d hoped for a bigger climactic closer. Standout Track: The whole album, really. It works because of how it comes together as a whole. Score: 4/5

FINALLY IT GIVES ME ONE I KNOW yeah this is good

A Beatlesque psychedelic album that reminded me of Tame Impala at times. Good listen. 3.5 stars.

I’m not sure quite how to rate this. It has a lot going for it that I enjoy. But I listened to it in headphones, and the stereo was shockingly bad. I almost quit on that alone. I think if I’d listened to it in mono I would have probably loved it. So, I’m not sure how to rate it: High because of the potential, or low because of the actual? This is already one of my longest reviews and I’ve said actually nothing. Fine. I’ll go with a four and call it good.

Psychedelic rock opera that sounds like it was recorded at Abbey Road Studios during the Summer of Love (because it was). Some of the distortion-based experiments didn't work, but this is a great album that was a joy for me to discover. Best track: Bracelets of Fingers

I AM LOVING THIS. So-so start. But She says good morning, private sorrow, absolute bops! Guitar riffs are superb.

We have beatles at home

Beatles ripoff (complimentary)

Nr. 25/1001 S.F. Sorrow Is Born 4/5 Bracelets Of Fingers 4/5 She Says Good Morning 4/5 Private Sorrow 4/5 Ballon Burning 2/5 Death 2/5 Baron Saturday 3/5 The Journey 3/5 I See You 3/5 Well of Destiny 1/5 Trust 4/5 Old Man Going 3/5 Lonliest Person 3/5 Defecting Grey 2/5 Mr. Evasion 1/5 Talkin' About The Good Times 2/5 Walking Through My Dreams 3/5 Average: 2,82 Beatles - esque sound. Just lacks the elaborate songwriting you would find in an actual Beatles album

Once you get past the far too blatant influences—there's an unfathomable amount of irony knowing their lead singer accused the Who of ripping off their record when they LITERALLY recorded "Baron Saturday" at Abbey Road—S.F. Sorrow has his moments. It wasn't gripping enough for me to really follow the overarching narrative beyond the inevitable "he's sad about a girl," and the stereo mix of the album is so distractingly terrible with its excessive panning and artifacts that the band themselves prefer the mono mix (there are parts in "I See You" that made me think my headphones were being jostled loose), but there were a handful of energetic tracks that made me take notice. Another one for the "more historically relevant than entertaining" file, but at least the Key Tracks are especially key this time. Just make sure you go out of your way and find the mono version. Key Tracks: Bracelets of Fingers, Balloon Burning, Old Man Going

- 60s Britpop - to be fair I never really enjoy this sound - but this album did nothing to change my mind

sounds vaguely like lsd era beatles but not as good.

You probably need to be on acid to really enjoy this album. It's got a few decent tracks, the others are too far out there for my taste.

1968 Rock, eine der ersten Rockopern, nicht ganz mein geschmack

I'm happy to have listened to what's considered the first concept album, but this is some lesser 60's pop rock and this list is chock full of lots of the same. My burnout of more of the same from this era is definitely affecting my rating here.

5/5. An enjoyable and really well made concept album. It sucks it is not as well-known, especially among the same circles of those who listen to the Beatles and the Who. Each song offers something different, tackling multiple genres with great instrumentation and lyrics. It's a great front to back album and definitely belongs on this list. A classic in my opinion. Best Song: Bracelets of Fingers, Baron Saturday, S.F. Sorrow Is Born, Trust

9.3/10.

I’m at a 5. I don’t know that I’d call this a “rock opera”, at least not by the standards that something like “Tommy” or “The Wall” would set in the years to come, but this is a pretty damn good first crack at a concept album that at least resembles those albums. This is just a big character study about the life & death of one S.F. Sorrow, & how irrevocably his life changes for the lonelier and drearier following his wife’s death in a blimp accident (presumably the Hindenburg). Admittedly, it’s very easy to go through this album without necessarily realizing there’s a plot here, because each track doesn’t flow into the next as gracefully as later concept albums would, but I like the general arc here; he’s born, he finds the beauty in everything as a kid, he meets his future wife, survives a war that kinda shatters his childlike wonder, gets married, and then has to watch his wife die. The funeral happens, and he goes on a sort of spiritual journey to try and find peace for himself, only to discover that he cannot get his wife out of his mind, and that this “well of destiny” truly is just emptiness. After that, his worldview is fully broken, and he becomes a bitter, sad, lonely old man. It’s a sad arc, but I think it makes for a compelling album. So, how about the music itself then? I’ll give you a hint: it sounds a lot like another band who recorded at Abbey Road Studios. It is truly impossible to ignore any comparisons to the Beatles here, because there’s a multitude of production tricks pretty much taken wholesale from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Is that a bad thing? Honestly, I don’t think so – while the production is similar enough, it’s not close enough to say these guys are “ripping off” the Beatles, at least not to my ears. Mileage may vary on that, but I’m of the mind that “Sgt. Pepper’s” gave a lot of bands the greenlight to experiment as much as they wanted, & The Pretty Things simply took advantage of riding that wave. This album also leans far more into the psychedelic side of things on a number of tracks, & I generally just thought the whole album sounded great, especially in the guitar work. There’s a couple of panning quirks, but I chalk that up to the 60s more than anything. Ultimately, I enjoyed it – it’s not as good as its later contemporaries would be, but this does feel like a pretty nice runway for a Tommy-sized plane to take off from. I don’t think there’s a bad track here, & it’s a pretty breezy 40 minutes. It’s a 5 for me, but I can see how it’s as low as a 3 for other people. If nothing else, “Old Man Going” kinda rules.

such a fun and enjoyable album that is chock-full of sample material that i'm planning to use for beats. Additionally, I need to follow up on this idea, but if it turns out that Wolfmother wasn't heavily influenced by The Pretty Things, I'll be shocked.

I love this

Never heard of this, but it's right up my alley. Very creative, sometimes even kind of progressive and one of those records that keeps getting better with every run. Love it!

There was a film that came out a few years ago about a songwriter bloke who had a road accident. When he woke up nobody knew who the Beatles were, and so he ripped off all their songs. A pretty lame chick flick notable only because Lily James was in it playing a rather hot girl-next-door type. Anyway in another universe substitute The Beatles for The Pretty Things. Nobody knows who the Pretty Things are, and after the accident they are as big as the Fab Four or the Stones. That is the universe we re living in. Why weren't they huge? Their paths even crossed with Mick and Keef at Art College, but they seemed to go unnoticed and unpromoted by their record company. They were 'difficult' and did their own thing. So of course I didn’t know anything about them and don’t recall ever hearing any of their stuff. But this is an amazing album. I’m currently on my third listen and it will stay on my playlist (and I thought I hated the 60s - I’ve rated both this and the zombies as 5*). 

 Oh what might have been.

It's easy to dismiss this record as a Beatles rip off, but in an era when everyone was cashing in on this brand of pop-psych, Pretty Things out of almost nowhere produces an acid-dripping terrorizer of a record, on par with Piper and Peppers, and an antidote to the blues/britpop coming from the Stones and Kinks

S. F. Sorrow is why you do this challenge. It's a great and revolutionary album, and I would have never found it myself. I love the concept, but wish the second half had a little more to it, like the first. Best Songs: S. F. Sorrow Is Born, Loneliest Person, Defecting Grey Worst Songs: Baron Saturday

Look, this album is hitting two of my sweet spots: 1960s, Beatles-esque Britpop and rock opera concept albums. I would give this 4.5 stars if that was an option. But since it is not an option, I'm rounding up. Loneliest Person is an emotional standout. Baron Saturday is just fantastic.

Kind of a great mix of early Pink Floyd and Queen. Really digging it.

I came into this one with 0 expectations. Never heard of the band had no knowledge of the album. This was a great experience. What a great band. My hot take. This album is a far better psychedelic experience than Sgt. Peppers. This record has everything and is amazing for the 4 track era. Sonically a superior album. The songs and arrangements are fantastically surreal and the playing is great. So heavy and light in the same song.

Gives me John Lennon vibes. Love it.

Good one

Cool that they were the first to do it. So points for that. Also some really good playing on this album, cool rhythm section, and fuzzed out guitar solos being my favorites. Each song has a defined beginning and ending but all still flows together as one in telling the story. Very cool how you can tell the mood of the story throughout even if you are not paying attention to the lyrics, album starts pretty joyous and sounds like Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd. As it works its way trough the protagonists life, darker moments in his life the music is close to 80s punk and Stoner Metal from the 90s in my opinion, which I like on its own and really like how they were able to incorporate it side by side with the more joyous, almost nursery rhyme style. The cover of the album tricks me into believing it has penises all over it until I take the time to look better, like an ink blot test to determine if I am gay or not. Like I am not gay but is that a giant penis flying out of a black kamikaze sun? Nope, just a blimp, but that is a crucifix penis on the shadow right? Wait am I gay? My Wife is not gonna be happy.

heh... "In Rolling Stone, Lester Bangs termed it "an ultra-pretentious concept album, complete with a strained 'story'" I'm all for ultra-pretentious ;) The 'rock opera' concept was not at all apparent to me. I have no idea what he's singing about, but I really dig this album. A lot of this sounds like the band White Rabbits (love, love, love), especially the track Baron Saturday. Also worth mentioning Defecting Grey ... Whoa! Great stuff here and very surprised this cacophonous mess amongst falsettos and British harmonizing is something that resonated.

I knew nothing about this before listening. It took maybe 2 or 3 tracks before I was thinking that it was some kind of journey. I have to admit, I absolutely really enjoyed this, with all of its diversions across styles, noodling little sidetracks and even the bonkers bongo bonanza that is "Baron Saturday".Until we get to "I see you". This is just grim, and yes - I know it's meant to be dissonant and disconnected, but it forays into the worst, most pretentious affectations of what (several years later) would become prog rock, leaping between refrains, extreme-stage-right-vocals and sonic effects that seem to have been layered over simply to be annoying. Yes - I know that this is deliberate - the last 20 or so seconds that lead into "Well of Destiny" are absolutely to highlight the descent into madness aspect of the story - but it is really not nice to listen to, and Well of Destiny just carries this on a way that would make Throbbing Gristle take note. Other commentators have pointed out the quality of the recording - I've heard worse quality recordings from more recently than 60 years ago - and I believe that the most egregious examples of the sonic ear-buggery are genuinely deliberate. It's the Tracy Emin's bed approach. It's hideous, you don't want anything to do with it. But it sure is a statement, deliberate in its selections with everything done for a reason. After this actively unpleasant interlude, the album carries on being really genuinely a very interesting listen. I can see why many would find it difficult - but I like it, quite a lot. A remaster where most of the extreme stereo pan was mellowed a bit wouldn't be amiss - but round about nobody had done this before, so we're applying refinement based on 60 years of experience now, and that has to mean something.

COMPLETELY underrated. This was a fun ride. Loved it.

This was a very good discovery. “S.F. Sorrow” is a psychedelic concept album about a character named Sebastian F. Sorrow, and it’s known as one of the first rock operas. There’s some controversy surrounding Pete Townshend of The Who, as some say he was influenced by this album when writing “Tommy,” although Pete denies this. This album is also considered proto-prog rock, being one of the first concept albums, a staple in the genre as it evolved. The album reminds me of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” by The Beatles. It has a similar sound but isn’t a direct rip-off. When it comes to studio production experimentation, this album is on par with Sgt. Pepper’s. It makes extensive use of effects like phasing, echo, and reverb, creating a surreal and immersive sound. For albums known for their experimental approach, this one is always at the top of my list.

Magnificent. I expected nothing and that was greatly exceeded.

I love this album. A mix of Beatles, Floyd, the Who with a dash of eastern and punk influence.

Pete Townsend and his management apparently conceived of the term "Rock Opera" as a bit of culture jamming. Tommy stands as the towering achievement, the gold standard for expansive concepts. Townsend's idea is the story of transcendence, of spiritual evolution; with a few adjustments, Tommy is essentially Plato's Cave filtered through the cosmic nonsense of Maher Baba. The adventure takes Tommy to various places, both strange wonder and harrowing, horrific shit, toward full consciousness. It is, ultimately, a positive bildungsroman, a joyous thing. And Tommy becomes Jesus or something. The Pretty Thing's SF Sorrow was Born, in contention for the first "rock opera" isn't like Tommy in sound or attitude; there is no "rebirth". The bildungsroman here is straight to the grave. To borrow from The Godfathers, it's straight Birth School Work Death. An Existentialist concept record. If that ring a dings your fancy, be warned: This ain't The Cure. Not mopey in usual teenage way. Mopey in living one's whole life with something major being wrong. Powering through life, as it were. No, there is nothing epic like a blind deaf-mute becoming God; naw, the Pretty Things approach the epicness of life in the Joycean sense—the mystery and grandeur of the banal that is everyone's birthright, the connections we make from overheard conversation, our wild minds plugged in linguistically and semiotically, the daily micro and macro horrors we witness, our hearts heavy with powerlessness and regret. Our context: Like Tommy, the discombobulation of war babies making meaning out of the atrocities of capitalism and the Vig it will take in blood. I honestly will leave the play by play to you. Know that we have wild swings from left field overture, English Folk-ballads, straight up rockers (and the Things love it gnarly and aggressive, like their antagonists The Who, but a lot more "fuck you"), navel gazing meditations and legit scary psychedelic explorations. Poetic lyrically without being self-consciousness or twee, the instruments and production frame the words. Know that there is a world within these forty minutes, and you will need to be here for the duration. Know that this world, like our own, is a mixture of shit and sunshine, and know that there is no transcendence offered, save for meanings that are made therein.

It comes from a time and a place (sixties London) that is almost alien these days: the clothes, the music, the fashion etc etc. It doesn't have the immediate impact of anything like punk or indie or rap or hip hop. But there is magic in the grooves of this well crafted record that become apparent after a few spins. The clever musical interludes, creamy vocal harmonies, groovy prominent bass lines, euphoric strings, strident guitars and sympathetic arrangements featuring plenty of sitar n spice add plenty of colour. It's obviously heavily indebted to contemporary bands like the Beatles and even The Jimi Hendrix Experience, but it does have a more theatrical approach. I would add I'm not bothered about the story/concept, I just kick back and dig those sounds. Stand out tracks include 'SF Sorrow Is Born', 'She Says Good Morning', 'Balloon Burning', 'Baron Saturday'. Anyway it's a corker of an album that still sounds fresh and is one of my favourites.

Me encanto el pixel que le hicieron a este album, lo he tenido en repeat por 3 dias. strong 9/10.

La manera en la que usan el audio mono es muy creativa y divertida, lo disfruté mucho.

Yeah, okay, I can vibe with this.

This album was like saying hey Mom I'd like some of the Beatles and your mom saying we have the Beatles at home. The thing is the Beatles that you were referring to were Chef Boyardee canned ravioli and the Beatles at home that she was referring to was the old Italian nanas homemade ones with her custom blend of ground beef and pork and spices and herbs that she grew in her backyard with the pasta made with wheat grown from grains that she brought over from the old country after the war. It was like experiencing a Beatles album if the Beatles had stuck around long enough to get a bit of a metal Edge.

Weird and wonderful. You can hear the Norman Smith influence. Really enjoyed the journey.

I was very pleasantly surprised to find this

Great whimsical British psych rock.

Felt very familiar, reminiscent of the Beatles. I have to admit I was distracted by the weird stereo sound with earbuds in. Much better via a speaker. I will definitely listen again.

How have I been living so long without this album in my life? Some of the most intricate songwriting I have heard on a psychedelic rock album. It's all twists and turns, mind bending.

In my opinion, the only band that gets close to the psychedelic masterpiece the Beatles were.

Geiler Psy Rock

I like it. I'm a sucker for a rock opera, but that's not why I like it. I find the music compelling, the lyrics not so much. It comes off kind of pretentious, but I enjoyed it enough musically to overcome that. Burning Balloon is annoyingly good, and Baron Saturday is good as well, especially the percussion section. 4.5

Great stuff! Obviously influenced everyone in British music.

Cool and interesting!

so amazing

In de categorie ‘vergeten psych bangers’ is dit er absoluut één. Nog nooit van de band of het album gehoord, maar Jezus wat is dit leuk. Beatles/Pink Floyd achtig maar toch uniek. Het wordt een 5

I'm always a sucker for a rock opera, and not only was this the first, it was an excellent one at that!

10/10 fantastic psych-pop for 1968 very fun and creative

Pretty fun, matched my taste well and would honestly listen again

One of my favorite psychedelic rock albums ever, and beat The Who to the punch in the rock opera field , so in my opinion this should only be more praised. Not to mention the varying genres that blow my mind for 1968. I mean, these dudes sounded like Black Sabbath for one track two years before Sabbath had an album out, and no one seems to care. Why?

Unpopular opinion, but I liked this more than Tommy. Whoops. I think it's more daring in the way that it's arranged and I like the psych rock feel more. There! Saved tracks: Bracelets of Fingers, Balloon Burning, Death, Baron Saturday, Old Man Going, Mr. Evasion, Walking Through My Dreams

Exceptional, revelatory, excellent. How had I never heard of this?

I really enjoyed listening to this album; the only comment I have is that the songs don't have a common style. I've been definitely missing out on The Pretty Things and many other 60s bands, which I am finding out about thanks to this list. The bands that an average person like me knows about are the ones that made hit songs still recognized today, like the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. But when it comes to albums, these guys are way better than the Beatles.

For ten weeks now, number three stood empty Nobody thought there would be Family laughter behind the windows Or a Christmas tree Then a couple from up north Sorrow and his wife arrived Before the sun had left the streets They were living inside

Brilliant psychedelic concept album - totally inspired Tommy and The Wall.

Nice 5/5

an unexpected gem. Sounds like the Beatles.

this is good the segues are immaculate balance is a little weird though sometimes I can’t hear what the lyrics are

Weird and good!! Beatles vibes. Low 9

obra maestra

Love this album, and relish the excuse to listen to it this evening.

How quickly we forget our influences, dammed to a corner, walled off from the universal march toward rapture. How wonderful it must be to experience it all at all, just for a little while.

Fun diverse album

Great Album and Band.

really good rock opera, comparable to the beatles

I had never heard of S.F. Sorrow before. This was definitely an interesting listen. Extremely psychedelic, very cool and raw-sounding and a really unique sound. There were elements of Jefferson Airplane, The Kinks, and even a little Beatles sound I though in places. It's really all over the place sonically, but I kinda liked it on the first listen. I had to listen to it a second time to really solidify my opinion, and I think it was improved on the second listen. Overall a cool, revolutionary sound, and I did enjoy it, but I probably won't listen again. Four stars.

My first introduction and I had to give it a second run. This one's got a bad hook that got buried deep in my flesh. Thanks for sending it over!