S.F. Sorrow

Never heard of this band before, and enjoyed this album, but Juuuuust short of a 4 for me (3.8)

Wish I had more time with this, may reassess

Innovative at the time supposedly for being the first rock opera. Some very solid psychedelic songs on here.

It was ok. Pretty ambitious concept but didnt quite come together. Standout songs: Death I see you

Die erste Rock-Oper mit durchgängigem Thema. Die Musik ist typisch für Ende 60er. Lässt sich gut hören. 4/5

Didn’t get into it at all

Alors, les Pretty Things, pour les plus jeunes (et même pour certains de ma génération, faut pas déconner), ce nom n’évoque peut-être pas grand-chose. On est loin des Stones, des Who ou des Kinks en termes de notoriété planétaire. Pourtant, ces mecs ont démarré comme des brutes, jouant un R&B plus crade et méchant que Jagger et sa bande à leurs débuts. Mais voilà, 1967/68, l’heure est au psychédélisme, aux fleurs dans les cheveux et aux acides qui font voir la vie en technicolor. Les Pretty Things, comme beaucoup d’autres, sentent le vent tourner et décident d’explorer de nouveaux territoires sonores après un album de transition un peu mou du genou, Emotions . Et là, paf ! Ils nous pondent « S.F. Sorrow » et attention, pas juste une collection de chansons psyché à la petite semaine. Non, monsieur ! On parle ici de ce qui est considéré par beaucoup (et surtout par les principaux intéressés et leurs fans) comme le tout premier « Opéra Rock » de l’histoire, oui et bien avant « Tommy » des Who. L’histoire (fictive, hein, on se calme) de Sebastian F. Sorrow, de sa naissance à sa mort en passant par la guerre, l’amour, la désillusion, bref, la totale. Un concept, une narration, le tout emballé dans des arrangements psychédéliques luxuriants, avec sitar, mellotron, effets sonores et tout le tintouin. Enregistré excusez du peu aux studios Abbey Road, juste après que les Beatles y aient mis en boîte leur fameux « Sgt. Pepper« , et produit en partie par Norman Smith, l’ingé son des Fab Four … Tu la vois venir, la comparaison, grosse comme le nez au milieu de la figure ? Musicalement, « S.F. Sorrow » est loin d’être dégueu. Il y a de vrais moments de bravoure psychédélique, des harmonies vocales soignées, des expérimentations sonores intéressantes pour l’époque. La production de Norman Smith, forcément influencée par son travail avec les Beatles, est riche, pleine d’effets. L’histoire de Sebastian est peut-être plus cohérente, plus sombre aussi, que le prétexte un peu fumeux du « Sgt. Pepper« . On sent une vraie tentative de construire quelque chose de narratif, avec des ambiances qui changent, des moments de tension, de tristesse. « Bracelets Of Fingers » ou « Death » sont des réussites du genre . Mais voilà… Comment ne pas penser à « Sgt. Pepper » ? Sorti un an plus tôt, l’album des Beatles a mis une claque monumentale au monde entier, redéfinissant les possibles en studio et devenant LA référence absolue du psychédélisme et de l’album concept (même si le concept est léger). « S.F. Sorrow », même s’il a été conçu en parallèle ou juste après, arrive forcément avec l’étiquette « le Sgt. Pepper du pauvre » ou « l’autre concept album d’Abbey Road ». C’est injuste, probablement, mais inévitable. Là où les Beatles explosaient de couleurs, d’innovations sonores révolutionnaires et de mélodies immédiatement iconiques, les Pretty Things semblent parfois un peu plus… appliqués. Moins flamboyants, plus sombres, certes, mais aussi peut-être moins universels. L’expérimentation est là, mais elle sonne parfois moins naturelle, moins « évidente » que chez les Scarabées. C’est bien foutu, mais ça n’a pas la magie, l’aura quasi-mystique de son illustre prédécesseur/concurrent. Pepper, c’est le feu d’artifice permanent ; Sorrow, c’est parfois un peu le pétard mouillé, même s’il y a de belles fusées . Et puis, il y a la suite de l’histoire. « S.F. Sorrow » fut un bide commercial retentissant. Ignoré aux States (où il est sorti trop tard, faisant croire à une copie de « Tommy« ), et accueilli poliment mais sans plus au Royaume-Uni. Cruel destin pour un disque aussi ambitieux. Pete Townshend, lui, a bien écouté et s’en est largement inspiré pour « Tommy » l’année suivante, raflant la mise et la gloire de « l’inventeur de l’opéra rock » aux yeux du grand public. Les Pretty Things, eux, retourneront à un rock plus basique par la suite. Alors, ce 3/5 ? Ça me paraît plutôt juste car « S.F. Sorrow » est un disque fascinant par son ambition, historiquement important comme jalon du rock progressif et conceptuel, et il contient de très bonnes choses. C’est une pièce maîtresse du psychédélisme britannique, bien plus aventureuse que beaucoup d’albums de l’époque. Mais il souffre indéniablement de la comparaison avec le monument « Sgt. Pepper« , sorti juste avant et enregistré au même endroit avec le même ingé son devenu producteur. Difficile de passer après ça sans se faire éclipser. Quand je bossais au magasin de disques dans les années 90, on avait parfois des rééditions de « S.F. Sorrow ». Ça partait, mais c’était clairement un truc de connaisseurs, de « ceux qui savent ». Pas le genre d’album que le client lambda venait chercher en sifflotant. C’est le destin des « albums maudits » : adorés par une niche, ignorés par la masse, mais indispensables pour comprendre toute une frange de l’histoire du rock. Il mérite clairement sa place dans les 1001 albums, ne serait-ce que pour son audace et son rôle de précurseur malchanceux. Mais un chef-d’œuvre intouchable ? Peut-être pas. Mais un très bon album, ambitieux et passionnant ? Assurément.

This album grew on me. Better second half

Ok for background

I feel like this album probably gets labelled "ahead of its time" alot. There are a few tracks where this feels like a good thing (Balloon burning and a couple of proto-thrash tracks) but there's a lot more where the experimental mixing is just a bit nauseating and 'ahead of its time' scans better as 'pissing about ' (although I suppose they wouldn't have been listening through headphones). The mixing might seem more compelling if it wasn't sandwiched between bog standard psych tweeness but on the whole it lacks stylistic cohesion. An interesting, if not entirely enjoyable, listen.

I actually got into this after initial scepticism. Some really gorgeous moments. Not ebough lanning though.

I do like parts of this. Other's less so. Lots of Sgt Peppers copying, but if you're going to it might as well be then I guess. Glad to have heard it. Doubt I will again. Feels like a 3.45.

Pleasant suprise

Kinda sound like the beatles

Another "first-ever rock opera". (I thought Tommy was meant to be the first one? What gives?) It sounds very much like Tommy, complete with the weird chords that aren't quite where they're supposed to me. There's definitely influence from the Beatles and early Pink Floyd. (Completely different from Wall-era Floyd, though, despite what some reviewers seem to be saying.) The stereo mix is exactly what you'd expect from a 1967/68 recording. It's charming in its own dated way. The guitars are fun and vary quite a bit from track to track, so there isn't danger of monotonicity. (That's more than can be said of most pre-70s albums.) Other than the guitars, the musicianship is pretty unremarkable. I have to assume the lyrics are interesting, but since they're not spectacularly bad, I didn't pay them much of my attention. I'm not a big fan of the track titles, though: they feel clumsy and too literal with regard to the "plot". They may as well be the section headers on S.F.'s Wikipedia page. The group must realise that Well Of Destiny is a bunch of incongruous noises and sounds absolutely terrible. Right? (...Right?) It's the absolute low point of the album, though others come pretty close. Death, I See You, and Bracelets Of Fingers suffer from having very few actually interesting or memorable moments. The most distinctive part of Bracelets Of Fingers is that its melody refuses to resolve into the correct chord, and it ends up being a bit of an exhausting listen. It's not even four minutes long, but it feels like quite a bit longer. Many of the tracks on the album's tail end (from Old Man Going onward), despite actually sounding pretty good, kind of drag on as the record approaches the 1-hour mark. It's hard to explain why – after all, the individual songs are strong – but it marred my experience. 3/5 Key tracks: S.F. Sorrow Is Born, She Says Good Morning, Loneliest Person

I personally can never follow/ understand a rock opera or album that tells a full story. I enjoyed some of the songs but maybe deeper listening and paying closer attention is necessary. That said it was still enjoyable.

It's cool that this is an early concept album that I have never heard of. It's not as good as Tommy but I had never seen someone try to work the pure psychadelic sound into a concept album. I wanted to like it more than I ended up but there are some great moments.

I don't know about this one. I applaud the effort to write a rock opera, but I feel like if you have to read the liner notes to know what the hell is going on you've failed a bit in the whole premise. Even after reading the synopsis I could only pick out a couple of obvious points (Burning Balloons, Baron Saturday, Loneliest Person) where the songs matched what was going on. I don't think they were lyrically quite there, though musically the emotions match up to the themes. The good things about this album are the production tricks and the emotional range. Whoever did the mixing/mastering and production work on here did a stellar job. There's lots of tricks of the left/right stereo, great guitar and bass tones, and more than a few vocal edits and effects. The songs run across lots of different feelings from very joyful (Journey), to angry (Old Man Going), to everything in between. The band themselves have a nice range. Overall I think this is kind of a failure of a rock opera but an otherwise decent 60's psychadelic album. I guess without the whole concept it would be pretty unmemorable so the theme is probably what makes it stick out, and why the author of the book picked this. Others would do it way better later on.

First glance - the religious motif in the album art is interesting but the constant changing of tempo and style within each song was a headache.

Beatles songs with updated methods, fun and listenable

fine

Kinda felt like the beatles, pink floyd and the who making an album together but all at their lowest (which is still enjoyable)

Need a second listen to be sure

4.5

Dated but in a groovy way. I liked this.

Like all others have said, this is so similar in style to the Beatles it’s almost mistakable for them. Just doesn’t reach the same heights as their doppelgängers

Have this one on vinyl! Loved it in high school.

Not terrible, but not amazing. There's definitely some substance to it, but a little bit of fluff along with it.

5/10 Slightly generous scoring, probably. It's all so dated and the songwriting doesn't hit any magic.

Better than I thought it would be

La verdad es que es un excelente disco de psicodelia que no me esperaba. Conocía otros discos suyos menos experimentales. Es muy bueno.

Most of the songs of lots of interesting layers of sound. Some decent melodies.

Cool experimentation... but it just meanders and meanders and meanders and keeps meandering in a way I truly do not care for. I like experimental psychedelic things but this is the bad execution of that.

The first rock opera. Wow. This is incredible. Odd 60s productiom but also super cool. "Balloon Burning" sounds pretty fuckin metal for its time. I loved this

I dig this one. Bery good post-Beatles, pre-Queen rock n roll

Soort beach boys

Good!

British to its core - I hear the Beatles, the Kinks, Oasis, the Who all in a 60's rock opera that is kinda OK. Its no Tommy.....which I agree was absolutely influenced by this!

The first track had me really excited but that excitement went away as the album got more and more psychedelic in a way I don’t find particularly appealing 58 years later.

Meh. Didn't feel too strongly about this one way or the other. Not bad by any means.

I don't particularly like the Beatles, and these guys quite clearly want to be the Beatles.

Wanna be early beatles

*decent to listen to but nothing incredible *interesting concept

Weird mixing ruined the experience of the album for me, decent psychedelic rock/pop

not a fan of rock operas so i found this a bit boring

Wow! Great psychedelic rock album. I can hear some musical elements here that wouldn't be popular until 20 years later. 1968 was a truly magical year.

There were some gems in this record. Sadly, there was a lot of gunk here, too. Favourite Track(s): Balloon Burning, Defecting Grey Least Favourite Track(s): Well of Destiny

Yeah, I liked this. Not a fan of concept albums usually but I’ll take this over The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway any day. 3.5

This is what I mean when I say I wanna listen to some 60s music. Perfectly weird.

3/5

It's pretty good, some songs are very silly. I like the wide variation in songs. Ultimately not memorable.

This is way better than Tommy, you stupid nerds.

Fun!

An interesting mix of psychedelica- reminded me a lot of Deep Purple with a splash of the Beach Boys. Overall- pretty good

I was getting a bit sick of late 60's psychedelia - but really liked this . Bits of Kinks/ Who/Black Sabbath/ Beatles with some really good tunes - Private Sorrow/ Baron Saturday in particular. Its a shame the recording/mix is a bit shonky - would like a louder/harder version. Tried listening to the resurrection live version hoping that it would address this - but sadly not. A surprising high 4.

S.F. Sorrow Musically there's a lot to like on here. S.F Sorrow is Born is a great song in it’s own right, excellent riff, I love the strings acoustic lead with the bass carrying the riff and some very nice Beatles-esque horns. She Says Good Morning has some great guitar with a Kinks feel to it. Private Sorrow is excellent, that flute riff is superb, surely that’s been sampled somewhere? If not it should be, I feel like I can hear someone like J5 rapping around it. I like the driving rhythm of Balloon Burning, again some interesting guitars for 1968. Death has a nicely sinister feel, Baron Saturday is nice and I like the Cream-esque I See You, with its lightly sprinkled psychedelia (and distracting panning). Old Man Going is great, with a real Black Sabbath feel to the guitars and toms. And Loneliest person is a really nice folk-ish ditty with a nicely caustic edge to it. Conceptually however, why are these sorts of things always so wonky? Not necessarily in the bones of the overall story, but in how they actually tell it? I know they are not playwrights and are working within the world of free wheeling psychedelia, but it always seems gets so wooly and silly and ends up in a sequence of things that happen to the main character, always with one more ludicrous thing that happens, and all tied up with some rather obvious and trite message. As well as the Beatles (and specifically Sgt Pepper), clearly a huge influence, (see the ‘awaaay’ intonation on Bracelets of Fingers) and the Kinks, the obvious comparison is Tommy. That has similarities of an overall story that kind of makes sense, but told in a way that is a bit lumpen and confusing, but musically Tommy is much better as a suite of music, with passages and phrases coming in and out across the tracks, making it feel like a coherent musical piece. While the music on SF Sorrow as individual tracks is good, it only occasionally hints at the SF Sorrow is born riff and it doesn’t feel like a musical suite to match the overall story. Having said all that I liked this, production-wise it is a bit ropey, but the songs are good and the story doesn’t really matter as much as the fact that it is a concept album that sticks to its themes, and it does feel superior to a lot of the blues-psychedelic music from the same period as well as some other conceptual stuff like Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake. I think it gets into the 4s. 🚼🚼🚼🚼 Playlist submission: Private Sorrow

Thankfully, it leans more into rock and not overblown psychedelic affectation, and the psychedelic touches are generally congruent with the songs. The singer is pretty unhistrionic - fundamentally a rock singer, which means the album is not capsized by light-footed whimsy. Inexplicably the last several songs feel completely banal by comparison, and the album just runs out of steam. I don't think the album narrative works that well, and think the album would benefit from a wee chopsy. But an album that feels genuinely underrated, especially when compared to much of the mid to late 60s psychedelia put forward.

It took me a while to get around to listening to this album; I thought it would be a completely dated release. Actually, some modern bands sound like this now, so it's a decent, solid release.

S.F Sorrow is Tommy's cousin

Pretty good I liked it, don’t think I would listen again tho

Really cool concept and some pretty enjoyable tunes, but like some critics (who were quoted in the Wikipedia article) mentioned, just because they did it first doesn’t mean they did it best.

First time hearing any Pretty Things I think and I was pretty floored with this record. The bones of the album are a story of a soldier's life journey, fairly cliche 'concept album' fodder but it takes unexpected twists and jags in sounds and feel. I was surprised to see it got panned by some critics. I guess when White Album, Village Green, Tommy, Beggars Banquet etc. are coming out of the UK at the same time, there is not a lot of room at the top. Both groovy 60s psychedelic and morose British blues, they cover a good amount of ground with their sounds and textures for 1968 - including some Sabbath-esque stuff and instrumental soundscapes. Sounds great in the car, no doubt thanks to Beatles engineer and Pink Floyd producer Norman Smith.

3.75 nice surprise! Much more experimental for the time than I expected. Hints of Radiohead later in the album.

In a list chalk full of these late 60's dudes taking a shit ton of drugs and groovin out this one did nothing to really stand out from the rest. 5/10

The Pretty Things clearly spent some time experimenting in the studio, figuring out what gear was meant for recording and what was meant for rolling. I think some of the most ridiculous parts of Spinal Tap (Listen to the Flower People) were inspired by this. This was fun and yes, you should have heard this album before you die. However, once should do though

meh...

Kirkland Signature Sgt. Peppers

The 3-est album that ever 3-ed. It's fine!

This is a fun little classic. An early rock opera with a big Beatles vibe. They go a little too nuts with the extreme panning, but otherwise a nice listen.

Overall fine. Started out strong but a lot of ok tracks. Another album that's just too long for its own good

A step between british invasion and prog rock that i’ve honestly never heard before. In a perfect world this is what genesis’ debut album would’ve sounded like.

If you like the Beatles, you won't like this album. If you don't like the Beatles, you really won't like this album

Started off like shit Beatles but actually by the end kind of mid Beatles

Bon encore un groupe de rock un peu hippie de la fin des années 60, ça s'écoute et y'a des originalités intéressantes mais bon c'était quand même un peu long (56min !) et répétitif.

Je ne connaissais pas, c’est sympa. Un peu l’impression d’écouter les Beatles quand même..

Plutôt oubliable 2/5

Nah

Never heard of this album but it's not bad

Bring the 60s fuzz, really enjoyed this listen

Not bad but I feel like this same album has been done better. Some nice guitar work.

pretty forgettable start to the album, Balloon Burning is a banger and makes me want to move at high speed. I listened to the album and looked at the year it came out and thought "I bet this was recorded at Abbey Road" and it fuckin was. the crazy echoey drum break on Baron Saturday makes me want to play Donkey Kong Country and I'm not sure why

Beatles clone nr 4. 3/5

surf rock

Started off good but then got a little weird

This band has a very similar vibe to The Beatles, but they don't possess the charm that The Beatles does. The album tries to be a jack of all trades but is a master of none. The instruments are fantastic. Not a tremendous fan of the vocals and none of the songs really stood out. It was a bit of a slog to get through.

A bit of a Sgt. Pepper/Beatles knock-off without the charm. Not bad music though. A bit over-wrought, especially towards the end.

Correcto

+ nostalgisk, experimentellt , psykadeliskt 60/70 tal, fin sångröst, skön akustisk gitarr i vissa låtar - dålig ljudkvalitet sänker betyg, kaotisk/spretigt, inte bra för ADHD, repeterande ljud Lyssnade på hälften av albumet Bra låt: sf sorrow is born

Uninteresting

S.F. Sorrow resides in the vicinity of Sgt. Pepper's, early Floyd, and late-60s Kinks. It's not in the same neighborhood, mind you. It's on the outskirts of town, across the railroad tracks. The fact that it is allegedly the first "rock opera" earns no bonus points from me. Though I do kind of dig Baron Saturday. By the way, at some point, the album was reissued with four bonus tracks. It seems most streaming services have this version. You only have to listen to the first 13 songs to hear the album immortalized on the 1001 list. I really hope I can reach just one person with this message.

the main thought i had listening to this album is "oh! interesting!" one of the first rock operas? interesting! it was widely panned upon release but was later rehabilitated for it's place in music history? interesting! unfortunately, the final product is a little meh. highlights - balloon burning, death, baron saturday, old man going

This album walked so that Tommy could be an embarrassing mess of an album. This album is good, but not great. High 3.

Bien

Very interesting album, and one I might need to revisit later. At the moment probably too 60s psychedelic for me.

Super fun goofy late 60s concept psychedelic pop album. Total Beatles and I think this had an influence on Tommy. Big fan

This album was freaking awesome hello! The book called it the biggest inspiration to the who for Tommy and I hear that for sure it was awesome. Gonna give it a 5 cuz it was awesome but I kinda forget if it rly was cuz this is like a week later im writing this.

Absolutely bonkers. Always been a big fan of The Pretty Things' amped up R&B, finding it more energising and exciting than the work of either The Stones or The Who (to name two) from the same time. This sees them transition from that proto-punk sound to something far more multi-dimensional, experimental and innovative. The ambition here is laudable, and this warrants close listening (I played it twice in succession). I don't really get the 'story' here (if there is one), but that doesn't seem to matter. This is what Sgt. Pepper could have sounded like if it hadn't been made by a teen pop boy band.

This was a pleasant surprise. I'm not a fan of rock operas. I struggle to keep up with the story. But I was rooting for S.F. Sorrow from the start. The music does well not to stray into Dungeons and Dragons territory.

Its solid but does come off as a bit pretentious, which has morphed into a bit of corniness in spots

I found it interesting at first but maybe a little unfocused for me. I couldn't really stick with it through the record

Ugggghhh, stop it with the obscure, boring old basic British bands. There is so much better music beyond the borders of that island. This sounds like a dime store Pink Floyd

Very good psych. Many have mentioned hearing Beatles, Kinks, and of course The Who in this, but I also hear some Donovan, and towards the end, the fuzzed out tone and style that would emerge a few years later as proto-metal. It's a good album through and through. I really enjoyed this one.

The shittiest Shitty Beatles I have encountered so far.

I like this one

Didn't really care for this. Silly, goofy, unserious.

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.

j'adore comment c'est chanté it's giving beatles mais avais-je vraiment besoin d'entendre ça avant de mourir ?

Interesting album from Sidcup lads The Pretty Things. A rock opera that bridges British blues and psychedelia and makes an early bid for the prog space. Good mix of songs reminiscent of early Floyd and late Beatles. Enjoyed listening to this one as hadn't heard before.

If I was still playing DnD I would have loved this I think. This album art rocks though. Not a big rock opera man myself though.

I have never heard this album before. Never heard of this band. This was a great piece of psychedelic rock. I will listen to this again.

Muito bom, um rock meio ópera, conceitual e com certeza escutaria novamente

Esta buenoo parece los Beatles, unas cuantas no m gustaron pq eran muy rsndom las demas buenas

I actually quite liked this! I thought it sounded very 60s but I thought it was really good honestly because it sounded kinda like the Beatles

Felt like listening to the Beatles! I liked it, but most of the songs were pretty forgettable.

There’s glimpses of something great here but it’s always just out of reach There’s a reason why you haven’t heard of this

Već se ne sjećam ni sekunde ovog albuma. To će reći da je nespektakularan u najmanju ruku. Pošto je Tommy vrlo sličan album, ovo možda trun više volim.

Entirely unremarkable. 2 stars.

I really enjoyed the experience. A nice concept album with a strong psychedelic twist, like The Beatles on LSD. Sometimes a bit chaotic and nonsensical, you have to embrace the crazyness to fully appreciate it (well, I guess I’m a hippie at heart...). Not a game-changer, but I will probably listen again one day. A solid 3* for me.

This was a cool psychedelic/experimental rock album. Most of the songs had a kind of abstract or avant garde sound to them but I guess that tracks for when it was released. I feel like I would have to be in the right mood to re-listen to this album.

## In-Depth Review: The Pretty Things' *S.F. Sorrow* - The First Rock Opera **Introduction: A Landmark Born in Obscurity** Released in December 1968, The Pretty Things' *S.F. Sorrow* stands as a pioneering yet underappreciated masterpiece of psychedelic rock. Conceived as a narrative song cycle tracing the tragic life of protagonist Sebastian F. Sorrow, it predates The Who’s *Tommy* by five months and is widely regarded as the **first true rock opera** . Despite its innovative ambition, the album was commercially stillborn, overshadowed by *The White Album* and *Beggars Banquet*, and hobbled by disastrous promotion . This review dissects its lyrical depth, musical innovation, production brilliance, thematic richness, and enduring influence. --- ### **1. The Story: A Bleak Odyssey of Modern Alienation** *S.F. Sorrow* follows Sebastian F. Sorrow from birth in a grim industrial town ("grey brickwork soaked up the white sun") through war trauma, love, loss, and spiritual collapse. Key plot points include: - **Industrial Dehumanization**: Born under joyless skies, Sebastian’s childhood is dominated by the "Factory of Misery" . - **War Trauma**: Drafted into WWI ("Private Sorrow"), he escapes reality through dissociation ("Let your mind drift away") . - **Tragic Loss**: His fiancée dies in a Hindenburg-like airship disaster ("Balloon Burning") . - **Spiritual Ruin**: The Voodoo spirit Baron Saturday reveals life’s futility at the "Well of Destiny," leading Sebastian to nihilistic isolation ("Loneliest Person") . **Narrative Flaws**: The story relies heavily on liner notes for coherence, leaving key moments (e.g., Baron Saturday’s motives) frustratingly opaque . An alternate "Jacob’s Ladder" interpretation suggests Sebastian died in war, and the later events are his purgatorial journey—a theory band members neither confirm nor deny . --- ### **2. Musical Innovation: Where Blues Meets Psychedelia** The album merges The Pretty Things’ R&B roots with avant-garde psychedelia, creating a sound both raw and orchestral. Standout elements include: *Table: Musical Style Evolution* | **Song** | **Style** | **Key Features** | |-------------------|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | "S.F. Sorrow Is Born" | Baroque Psychedelia | Mellotron trumpets, acoustic/electric guitar interplay, ascending bassline | | "Bracelets of Fingers" | Dream-Pop | Hypnotic sitar (borrowed from George Harrison), a cappella "love" chants | | "Balloon Burning" | Proto-Krautrock | Motorik two-note riff, explosive chorus, Fripp-like guitar solo | | "Death" | Gothic Blues | Distorted autoharp, funeral-paced rhythm, wordless wails | | "Old Man Going" | Glam Rock Foreshadowing | Punchy power chords, sardonic vocal delivery | **Vocal Genius**: Phil May’s voice shifts from sneering rocker ("She Says Good Morning") to haunted storyteller ("Trust"), while harmonies by Wally Waller and Jon Povey add Beach Boys-esque lushness . --- ### **3. Production: Abbey Road Alchemy Under LSD** Produced by Norman "The Sixth Pretty Thing" Smith (engineer for *Sgt. Pepper*, producer for Pink Floyd), the sessions were anarchic lab experiments: - **Technical Wizardry**: Engineers built custom gadgets (e.g., a kazoo transformed into a "jet engine") and bounced tapes across machines for hundreds of overdubs . - **Avant-Garde Toolkit**: Tibetan drums, recorders, marching snares, and backwards tapes created a hallucinogenic soundscape . - **Drug-Fueled Marathon**: Band and technicians worked 24-hour sessions, sustained by LSD—leading to inspired chaos but live-performance impossibility . **Stereo Spectacle**: Panning effects (e.g., guitars orbiting in "She Says Good Morning") are immersive but polarizing—some critics derided them as "excruciating" . --- ### **4. Themes: Industrial Angst and Existential Dread** *S.F. Sorrow* is a quintessential "angry young man" narrative reflecting British working-class disillusionment: - **Capitalist Critique**: "Factories of misery" symbolize dehumanizing labor . - **War’s Absurdity**: "Private Sorrow" juxtaposes martial beats with lyrics about shells whistling—a bitter anti-war statement . - **Failed Escapism**: Sebastian’s fantasies (the moon, drugs, love) all collapse, mirroring psychedelia’s faded optimism . **Bleakness as Weakness**: The unrelenting gloom ("no happy ending guaranteed") alienated 1968 audiences craving peace-and-love anthems . --- ### **5. Influence: The Blueprint for Rock Operas** Despite its commercial failure, *S.F. Sorrow*’s legacy is profound: - **Paved the Way for *Tommy***: The Who’s manager Kit Lambert urged Pete Townshend to match The Pretty Things’ "operatic" ambition . Musical parallels (e.g., "Old Man Going" vs. "Pinball Wizard") fuel accusations of plagiarism . - **Psych/Prog Foundation**: Its song-suite structure inspired *The Wall* and *The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway* . - **Cult Resurrection**: 1998’s *S.F. Sorrow Resurrection* (featuring David Gilmour) finally delivered the live version the 1969 LSD-derailed shows couldn’t . --- ### **Pros and Cons: Balanced Assessment** *Table: Critical Strengths vs. Weaknesses* | **Pros** | **Cons** | |-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------| | **Musical Diversity**: Seamlessly fuses R&B, folk, psych, and proto-prog | **Opaque Storytelling**: Requires liner notes to grasp plot; Baron Saturday’s role is confusing | | **Production Innovation**: Norman Smith’s studio wizardry birthed revolutionary textures | **Overbearing Bleakness**: Relentless tragedy feels emotionally exhausting | | **Emotional Vocals**: May’s snarling-to-fragile range gives Sebastian depth | **Stereo Gimmickry**: Aggressive panning distracts on headphones | | **Historical Significance**: First rock opera; influenced The Who, Pink Floyd, Kasabian | **Poor Timing**: Released alongside *The White Album*; psychedelia was "out" by 1968 | --- **Final Verdict** *S.F. Sorrow* is a flawed yet visionary album. Its narrative incoherence and unrelenting bleakness prevent universal appeal, but its musical audacity—from sitar-laced dreamscapes to proto-punk fury—and production genius cement its status as a **psych-rock milestone**. While *Tommy* eclipsed it commercially, The Pretty Things’ opus remains the darker, more textured blueprint. For listeners seeking psychedelia’s raw ambition, it’s essential listening. As Dick Taylor reflected: *"I always regarded it as an artistic success. It’s extraordinary it commands so much respect"* .

I suppose if youre not well versed in 60s psychedelic rock, there would be more to say about this album. But as someone who's heard it already...theres a point where things start to sound repetitive!! If you've heard Sgt.Pepper, early Pink Floyd, the Who, etc. you'll hear it in this. Nothing "new" in my point of view, which doesnt make it bad. But it doesnt make it stand out unfortunately.

Great album. You could really tell this was recorded at Abbey Road, quite Beatlesque. Lot of 60’s English rock infleluence.

Real back in the day

not badd!!!!

6/10…psychedelic rock

This is such a great album that is a psychelic masterpiece. There is definate a a Beatles sound to it and at times sounds like outakes from Sgt. Pepper which isn't a bad thing.

Not that good. Not that bad

i can imagine how this hits if you're a huge fan of the beatles etc but as a begrudging respecter rather of the beatles, this feels like a needless detour. something to dig into for the real 60s psychedelic rock head, but not something that everyone should be listening to before they die (old man going does kind of rock though)

Det här skulle jag kunna lära mig gilla. Helt okej.

Definitely worth listening to and some good songs and music. As a so-called rock opera, it is a general failure in the sense that the overarching story is not that interesting and does not really come through via the album. (I have found this to be true of all the rock operas I've listened to -- the idea might work well for the writers to create a group of related songs but getting the songs themselves to all stick together and be good music and be interesting lyrically is asking for an awful lot). More interesting to me for this album is way it blends blues, rock, and various prog rock styles together.

i saw the words "rock opera" and knew this wasn't going to be fun

Sounded a lot like the Beatles. Did enjoy it.

This album was a mixed bag for me. Most of it wasn't bad. The song Balloon Burning might have been my favorite song except for the mixing; aside from the wild asymmetry in the stereo mix, the lead guitar was mixed so hot during the majority of the song that I had to turn it down. The next song Death was also very good. All in all I liked it and might come back to it again some time in the future. 3.4/5

Reminded me of something like Beatles White Album. I enjoyed it alright, but there was some interesting mixing decisions that weren't great. Still, I did enjoy this and wouldn't mind if it was playing again. 3/5

- sf sorrow

Notable as one of the first examples of a rock opera. TBH i doubt i would have even noticed it was supposed to be that had I note read it. I found this a bit boring

Very reminiscent of the Beatles

The story is a bit muddled and confusing in the back half, but otherwise this is an interesting early stab at the “rock opera” before that term was coined.

That's not my taste in music - But ok

Opera Rock

Not for me

3.5/5

Interesting to hear apparently the first rock opera. They're just not for me.

Remembered as the first 'rock opera,' S.F. Sorrow is the transition from The Kinks to Pink Floyd. Rock-n-roll gets caught up w/ the conceptual, refusing to 'roll' off the tongue anymore: 'Your sonnets of life / They are filling the place / High windows inside me / Look down on your face.' A mouthful, to say the least. They aren't necessarily too British, thankfully, but they are skittish: an excitable rush of half-baked ideas, lyrical programs they were all too eager to utter. Mostly, prog made rock a slog, but what saves this album from itself are the song structures and the instrumentation. Better than Tommy b/c it features sweeter vocals and more soulful riffs, it's still a pretentious barrage. The best tracks: 'Trust' and 'Loneliest Person.'

A bit too psychedelic for me… I kept thinking of other songs this album made me think of, and then I was wanting to play those songs instead. 3/5

First time listening and quite liked it. Would listen again.

A psychedelic amalgamation of Syd Barrett-era Floyd and King Gizzard... too bad this album never gained a ton of traction, there's some cool stuff in here, despite its flaws.

A couple good songs, but too long and a bit boring.

Very nice. It gets the sound of the era. You could think it's the Beatles at times. I haven't tried to look or listen at the lyrics, but I read its the first rock opera, so kuddos to that. it redefind teh concept of an album from a list of songs to a whole story. A concept now forgotten with algorhytmes that make (often very well I must say) our playlists.

It’s like the best of the worst of the Beatles after Revolver. Apart from a few rare good vibes and riffs (quickly drowned in hippie nonsense with bloody sitars, boring vocal harmonies, and LSD inspired structures) It’s tough for me. Really tough. And the mix is absolutely terrible, making the whole experience being a bit painful. Do we have listen to every single British band just because they started a thing?

Glad we stopped stereo panning VOCALS TO THE RIGHT CHANNEL

Ahead of then consumed by its time.

so much better than Tommy

Quite good.

Some lovely experimentation in here

Never heard of this before. Overall a pretty good album. Will I go back to it? I'm unsure, but it was a decent listen.

I don't think i'll ever revisit this. it's good but i feel like it was done by others better.

Like a crazed Beatles. Hard to listen too. Should be off the list replaced with something more modern

Back to back Rock operas..unlike The Wall/Tommy they had the common decency to keep it down to a single album but still a tough listen, the production didn't help here.

I thought I’d heard this before. I was wrong. I liked it. Slightly too psychedelic for my tastes these days but it was a nice discovery

This was a really pleasant surprise. I've never heard of this band before, but loved this rock opera, Beatle-esque album. Each song had really interesting instrumental mixes including acoustic, electric, brass, flutes, gang vocals, and more! I thought this was a really creative, experimental album where the band was constantly pushing the envelope where they aimed high, and delivered spectacularly!

Psykedeelinen, Pink Floydmainen, rock ooppera. Ihan siisti ja erikoinen. Ihan en tarinasta saanut kiinni, joku sotilas? Joissakin kappaleissa tosi erikoisia efektejä, kuten jälleen Pink Floydillakin. Parhaat: S.F. Sorrow Is Born, Baron Saturday

It was ok. But that's all. There are too much records sounding the same.

No

Very Beatles like - how have i not heard this music before?

Seemed decent. Need to give it a proper chance.

A strange and weird and wonderful journey through an alternative universe where the Who shouldn't exist and these guys are more popular. That cover is pretty bad though..

Never heard of this band before and they are really good!

Generally onto a winner with late-60s psych, add to that a bit of a concept and lesser-known discovery and it's one of those days I love about this challenge. At times they sound more like The Beatles than The Beatles, and supposedly inspired The Who's Tommy. I listened to it a number of times throughout the week and enjoyed it on repeated listens. Another one to look out for when record shopping but I would admit it's a shame nobody stepped in and stopped Phil May's drawings from becoming the cover art; if this had a really psychedelic and cool iconic front cover, I guarantee it would be more highly regarded.

Never heard of this before but I wish I would have. Great psychedelic rock album. Will go back to this. 8/10

I enjoyed this a lot. Stand out track might have been 'Trust.'

4 - very good psychedelic album. Only complaints were that it was too long, a few songs could have easily been cut, and the lead guitar tone sometimes was very hard on the ears

New and wonderful.

Concept album psych-outs were all the rage post-Sgt. Pepper, and these British R&B burnouts got there early enough to claim it as the first rock opera—though “opera” may be too generous for what’s basically Tommy in utero, minus the killer riffs. There’s some charming, Beatles-borrowed melodic ambition (“She Says Good Morning” could be a Pepper B-side), and the bookends—“S.F. Sorrow Is Born” and “Old Man Going”—hint at something heavier, with strummy acoustics and unhinged vocals that predict the metal excesses to come (not always in a good way). “Loneliest Person” ends things on a quietly folky note, which might be the most honest moment here. A curiosity worth hearing once, especially if you're tracing the evolutionary tree from mod blues to art rock, but more historical footnote than must-own.

This one raises an interesting question. Is paving the way and serving as an inspiration for some great rock operas that followed it enough of a reason to include an otherwise pretty pedestrian album like this on a list with the greatest albums of all time?

Didnt have high expectations but enjoyed the album. Nice find, didnt love it but would listen to it again.

I feel like the concept of this rock opera is stronger than the opera.

Interesting album.

Gorsh, this sucked. Completely lacking in any ambition or urgency. There wasn’t a single interesting bit. 1/5

top songs: bracelets of fingers, talking about the good times, I see you, S.F sorrow is born, baron saturday

I don't know if I understand this, though it sounds nice-ish?

Kinda good, kinda weird. Very Beatles inspired

What can I say? I am a sucker for a good rock opera, so of course I am going to dig the first good rock opera, S.F. Sorrow.

It’s pretty much the birthplace of the rock opera. Some of the wild ideas might not have worked as well as they do if it wasn’t for the story behind it all - so if you’re not buying into that sort of stuff, this might not be for you.

My best surprise in a while! Never heard of this album, never heard of this band, but this album is GREAT!! Suuuuper tuneful and catchy. Very unified soundscapes while track to track being experimental, but never letting go of the melodies and hooks. Some of these songs could fit perfectly on Sgt. Pepper. I know it’s a “rock opera” but honestly, other than some names being repeated, I didn’t really get a story at all. That’s fine, but the songs are good enough on their own. In addition to the Beatles, I hear The Who, early Pink Floyd…so many bands musta been stealing from this album! Honestly really impressed.

This is a great album with a lot of melodic sounds that edges on what Pink Floyd would do on their first two albums. It also inspired Tommy. Is it as good as both? I'm not sure. I need to listen to this album some more. For now, call me impressed.

Meh pretty boring, and honestly I'll have forgotten this album by the time I've finished this review 3 ⭐️

Sympathisch, psychedelisch, durchgeknallt - aber auch ziemlich anstrengend. Weitestgehend Neuland für mich. 2/5 (5/10)

This might not be the greatest album from the late sixties on this list, but it's certainly not the worst. It covers lots of experimental (for the time) styles and does most of them pretty well. Also if this is really the first rock opera then that alone probably justifies its place on the list. I haven't tried following the narrative closely to be honest (they tend to be pretty tenuous anyway) but, y'know, kudos for doing it. 3.5

Trash. 1001 albums fails yet again.

It’s been a very long time since I last listened to this album. I remember initially thinking of the band and the album as B-tier when compared to legends like Pink Floyd, The Who, or The Beatles. While this band doesn’t quite define themselves as distinctly as the aforementioned icons, this particular album is much better than I originally thought.

Having never heard of this band or the record, I didn't know what to expect. Are they a Beatles copycat band? Is that a Pete Townsend acoustic strum? Are rock operas/concept records ever a good idea? Ultimately I actually enjoyed most of this and upon reading the Wikipedia summary understand the connections (actual, or denied).

I liked this. An interesting experimental 60s sound to it.

Completely unknown to me but I liked it. There's no doubt about when it was made, but it works and I look forward to listening to it again.

Pretty cool

It’s like if Tommy was a little more grounded and less ambitious. Like Arthur if it wasn’t quite as musically tight. I liked it. This is one I probably would not have heard of otherwise. Favorites were Bracelets Of Fingers, She Says Good Morning, Baron Saturday, and Old Man Going.

Feels like a reaction to Sgt Pepper where they thought panning was a big thing. Song wise, it’s decent but not memorable.

Two stars for song writing and musicianship which is there but the aggressive mixing of stereo separation and panning effects is hard to get on board with.

nice

Thought this was fairly decent aside from a few baffling production choices that were possibly a little too distracting. That said in an era that resulted in albums that defined the decade, this maybe feels a little indistinct

A little slow for my taste, similar sound to the beatles, not bad though

Ok

Reminded me of another band, couldn't quite put my finger on it.

This one really flies under the radar, can't remember ever hearing of this band or this record, but I'm certainly here for it!

not enough pinball :/

Big fan. It was consistently interesting, I'm actually quite glad it was a full hour. I'm surprised I never heard of this

Could drop this whole album into the middle of Sgt Peppers and everyone would be none the wiser. Really good if you like that sound, but it’s not my favorite kind of psych rock personally with the sitars and everything. Crazy panning going on tho, definitely listen with headphones for the full effect.

Beatle-like and The Who-like, but not as good as either. 3.

Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

Very much child of the 60' this. Though it has a quality that make me doubt that that was when it was actually born. I haven't looked it up and am not inspired enough to do so. But I did like it. Best we've had for a little while, but still only worth a 3

Not for me at all

This psyche band have been on my to listen list for eternity, and finally I have at long last. It wasn't too bad if you ignore the fact that it is a rock opera with some crappy story. Instrumentally it was excellent in places but over all it was a bit underwhelming.

Apparently this was the first known rock opera, which would explain why some of it was good and other parts of it were grating noise that I could barely get through (looking at you Well of Destiny). Do they actually think people want to listen to that? And then there's Old Man Going, which made me look at my phone to make sure I didn't somehow jump to a Black Sabbath album. So many songs had promise and then just switched to something weird halfway through. Oh well.

Okay, even if The Who copied from this album, they made a much better version anyway. The opening song on S. F. Sorrow was good, but the rest is just like a big opera filler. Disappointing album, very boring.

If you ever wondered what the Beatles would've sounded like if they kept their psychedelic experimentation of Sgt Peppers going you'd get this, but weirder and better. 4/5

Pretty standard post-Beatles Brit rock pop. It does lean in to the more psychedelic sound, but I didn't hear anything that wow'd me.

I need to be tripping on WAY more acid to properly enjoy this.

Really good to hear these classics again. I played this a lot in the 60s but not in probably 50 years. Still quite enjoyable.

I suppose there are elements to this that I enjoy when I hear them in music I’m more familiar with. But this really didn’t grab me. Maybe I need more than a day to sit with this one.

Loved this. Felt very fresh and not at all like it was from 1968.

Ну че, спиздили наш альбом, а, хуесосы? © The Pretty Things в переписке с The Who 8/10

Beatles influenced, psychedelic rock opera. Very creative from a band I hadn’t previously come across. Rock operas normally annoy me, but songs like Balloon Burning / Mr Evasion have a bit more edge to keep interest. Baron Saturday and a few others lose me a little bit with some of the lyrics. Low 3/5

Gonna listen to this when on mushrooms

I'm on the fence about this being a 2 or 3 star album. I've had a friend trying to turn me on to this band for years but it's never fully clicked, though there's something there I should be into based on my other tastes... I'll probably continue to explore their stuff periodically.

Not for me. All the worst bits about British 60s music including the Beatles. Jumps around from idea to idea with no consistency. No soul to it at all. As a stand alone song I didn't mind balloon burning so was tempted to give it 2 stars, but nah 1 you get

felt very, very familiar 🤔

it was fine. apparently it was extremely edgy in its time. it sounded like any other 60s rock.

was every band just kinda The Beatles for several years?

Cool, trippy - sounds Beatles-esque but more punk sound.

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.

rarete, exageradisimo el paneo

A very (very very) Beatles inspired album with some really interesting ideas, but suffers a lot from the recording and production. Some of the songs sound rusty, dusty and a bit muffled, which it is something that throws me out of the immersion. It is a pity I couldn't appreciate that much this album, because I did like some of the ideas and melodies it offers, such as the ones in 'Baron Saturday', 'Trust' or 'Balloon Burning'.

OK but nothing special

Fun psychedelic album!

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!

This was very interesting, I think the idea of rock operas always appeal to me more than their actual execution, but I did enjoy this one pretty well.

Psychedelic version of the Beatles

The Pretty Things make music that is rougher, tougher and more robust than the more psychedelic elements of The Beatles or early Pink Floyd. Balloon Burning has a little bit of proto-punk bubbling away inside it. I actually had to check that this album was from 1968 on hearing Baron Saturday based on how ahead of its time it is. And (to keep the annoying comparisons going) it's the first time I’ve heard an artist who I’m pretty sure inspired The Fall. Very cool!

- Ikke ofte jeg er så glad i 60-talls, men denne schmalt hardt - elsker track 2, Bracelets Of Fingers - Baron Saturday var fengende

Baron Saturday er mjög töff, annað kallar ekki á aðra hlustun eftir eitt rennsli.

We’re only ~10% into the list at this point and we’ve gotten so much psychedelic rock 😩😩😩😩😩 No thanks

Beatles rip off, meh Srsly, not a bad mix between trippy music and the Beatles.

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

I can hear the Beatles and The Who, but Pink Floyd? No ma’am. Had I been a fan in the 70’s, I probably would’ve enjoyed this more. Now it sounds dated and overindulgent. And the bands that some say are followers of these lads are far better.

Sadly had to listen to this over two sittings, but that told me enough to know that this requires repeated listens and could become a favourite. Lost gem? Exactly why I’m doing this project!

Like wish.com version of the Beatles, it's not bad, but if I wanted to listen to this style I would choose the Beatles evertime

A fun romp through the end of the 60s with light beats and psychedelics.

Didn't do anything for me. I get the eclectic and experimental sounds but I was annoyed with the different sounds coming through on each speaker. I was wearing earbuds and it was more disorienting than anything. Not bad music, just not anything that spoke to me

Interesting.A concept album heavily influenced by Sgt Pepper. Kind of post war angst too

It might be because I didn't pay too much attention while listening to this, but it didn't grab me.

Great if you like the Beetles. Might be ok if you like the Stones.

Psycho rock

Concept albums are tough in this format. That said I listened to Tommy from the Who right after and liked it a lot more

boring

Thoughts before listening: Not really sure...60s psychedelic pop band maybe? Review: I was on the right track with my guess although this is a little more hard edged than I was expecting. I like it quite a bit as well. Apparently these guys were contemporaries of the Rolling Stones and influenced both Bowie and the Who. The sound here reminds me somewhat of something that would have been labeled college rock or indie in the 80s or 90s. I'd consider this a hidden gem. 4-stars

Some pretty interesting production ideas on here, even though the overall products quality is really rough. Couple of good songs, but very often sounds derivative of the Beatles. Didn't hate it as much as some of the other early psychedelia on this list.

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

60’s psychedelic Brit, sounds like a more tripped out Beatles, not really my thing, too hard to follow

Reminded me of the Beatles but not as good. Never heard of them and prob won't listen again.

The first thing I thought was how they sounded a bit like the Who and Queen to me. Later I read that the Who denies any influence. Hmmm Anyway, not something I can to listen to a second time but interesting.

Meh. Heard too much of the Beatles but I suppose nothing is made in a vacuum. Great '60s sound though.

Mediocre version of the Beatles

Solid psych rock, but nothing blew me away

Wow!!! I didn't think I was going to like this but once again I am pleasantly surprised. Listened to this thrice.

9.3/10.

Actually pretty dope! Goes from sounding like the Beatles a la Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds to more of the driving psychedelic rock that grew out of it. Great vintage sound, tight vocals, good artistry. A band I was born in the wrong decade to appreciate.

The opening riff of this album was so cool and the rest of it was a let down.

Definitely fits the 60s psychedelic genre, but I’m not sure they do it as well as others did. Loneliest Person was my favorite because it sounds a bit like 21 Guns by Green Day, but I still didn’t love it, which kind of sums up how I felt about the whole album.

Sure, alright, semi-psychadelic 60s rock.

Sounds like a copy of The Beatles a year or two later. I didn’t catch that all the songs follow a theme.

Another weird album I never heard of, which is quite good.

I'll be real, I don't know if it was just because I was oddly tired today or this album actually really didn't hit me that well... But, wow, I did not really feel this thing at all. And it's like, I was honestly a little excited for this thing. This is pretty much the first rock opera ever! I love a little bit of story connecting a whole buncha songs together! This shoulda been right up my alley. And yet, I'unno — besides the awful 60's stereo mixing that made me hafta put my phone on mono, I needa remember I'm not very much a "lyrics first" girl anyway, so leaving me with just the music... Yep! That's sure 60's psych rock! Like, please, believe me, I get that I didn't exactly listen to this the "right way," and it's more than possible I was just too tired to appreciate this thing right. Even giving all of those benefits, though, gawd, this thing just washed the hell over me. I just didn't terribly enjoy it too much. I can recognize its historical importance, but... Ah, whatever. I don't care. I'm gonna go take a nap.

Pretty good psychedelic rock, but not much else to state that hasn't been said already. Solid 4 Stars.

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.

Totally unknown band again. Run of the mill rock and roll. A good album overall.

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.

6/10 Probably need to listen to this many more times to fully appreciate it. Unfortunately thats not likely to happen. Highlights: Trust

Not bad

Dificil destacar en Inglaterra en el año 1968. No llegan al nivel de los grandes.

Surprisingly diverse album with a lot of interesting sounds. Ran a little long for my taste.

Trying to hard to be like The Beatles, don’t quite get there.

No en kyllä osannut kuunnella tätä rockoopperana, vaikka nyt jälkikäteen tajuan, että eka biisihän antoi ohjeen siihen. Muuten basic 68-levy siinä että kuulostaa vähän Beatlesilta.

En tiedä millä tavalla tämä on rock-ooppera, enkä haluakaan tietää, mutta pidin paikoin levyn melodisesta sisällöstä. Se yksi kitarakuvio toimi.

You can't knock the ambition of the record. The production is a bit clunky at times especially the stereo panning but it's the sound of a band doing exactly what they want to do

Wasn't expecting to like this much at all, but I'm somewhat pleasantly surprised to find that it's not completely terrible. The album art, however, is. Additionally, it's a bit tiresome to listen to some of this reverb-laden early psych for very long, let alone an hour. Of course, there's the obligatory sitar. That said, the writing seems pretty good for a band that is mostly forgotten. The arrangements are decent and there's some breadth to the sound throughout. I won't come back to this, but I can understand why some would enjoy it.

Good album. Like the Who anyway but this more conceptual album is well worth alisten

These guys don't look very pretty to me

Sounded like some 60s British Invasion music, but nothing special about it at all, just a worse version of music I already knew

Well that was fun and interesting. It was doing some strange things in the beginning with the music and lyrics split between my two earbuds, but overall I thought it was a cool concept and would love to come back to it sometime.

I love this

Really enjoyable, particularly: Balloon Burning - great riff Death - eerie Trust - echoes of the Beatles Defecting Grey - love the different sounds in this, like three songs at once. Dreamy intro, echoes of the Rolling Stones in the middle, and the quintessential psychedelic rock album whimsy song interspersed throughout. Mr. Evasion - echoes of the Beatles again Walking Through My Dreams - "I never worry 'cause I never get the time" - so good. Great harmonies before and during the fade out. Great end to the album too, which has proven unusual for albums on this list!

I find it difficult to rate albums like this, when they are so clearly inspired by and/or emulating another band, in this case The Beatles. And while it’s not bad, I am more likely to just listen to the Beatles instead of this. Some of the songs do break from the Beatles mold a bit and have a generic classic rock sound, but there-in lies another problem, it’s just generic rock. All and all this isn’t a bad album, it’s just not good enough to stand on its own.

Day 26 Lovely sound but no real hook 3/5 #musicsky #albumsky

Psychedelic.

another pleasant surprise. psychedelic is the wordier the album. Enjoyable and unique.

It's a pretty nice rock opera album, although thematically it doesn't feel all that unique and the production can be a bit messy at times. Still, there are a couple of tracks I really enjoyed and saved, like "SF Sorrow is born", "Balloon burning" or "The loneliest person". Overall, it is a record I would recommend. 3.5 stars

Hard to believe I once loved this kind of thing, though never this exact thing.

Never heard of them before, but it's pretty decent psychedelic rock. Evidently they invented the rock opera...which I'm not sure the world needed.

Wow, this is freaky--it's like I landed in an alternate universe where the Beatles, the Who, and Pink Floyd didn't exist. Maybe psychedelic rock operas are like lightbulbs or intermittent wipers--if one person hadn't invented them someone else would have, so you can't give anyone the patent. This one is fine, if you're in the mood.

This should be right up my street, but it doesn’t quite land. Reminded me in parts of a greatly inferior ‘Days of Future Passed’ which I think is a massive omission when this album is included.