History Music / PrettyThings

[[quoteright:320:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_pretty_things_3562.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:The 1964-65 lineup. Left to right: [[Music/TheRollingStones Dick Taylor]], Phil May, Viv Prince, Brian Pendleton, John Stax.]]

->''"The Pretty Things embody everything that is cool and exciting about the bands and the music of the ‘60s, and rock & roll in general. There was purity to everything they did—they never seemed to be motivated by ego or a hunger for fame, they just sort of let things happen and didn’t care about the consequences. They’re still the same way, and that’s inspiring to me. There’s no compromise at all in their music, be it the early raw R&B records, the psychedelic stuff, or the more progressive records that followed. There were few other bands that could master all of those forms so definitively. There’s something about their image, their lifestyle, their attitude and their whole approach to creating music that I can identify with absolutely."''\\
--'''Mike Stax''' of The Loons and Ugly Things magazine, from [[http://www.newuntouchables.com/nutsmag/mike-stax-interview/ this interview]]

An English rock and roll band from UsefulNotes/{{London}}, who formed in 1963 and are [[LongRunners still active today]]. They're best known for releasing ''S.F. Sorrow,'' the first ever RockOpera- yes, even before Music/TheWho's ''Music/{{Tommy}}''! In the beginning, they were a tough R&B outfit often compared with Music/TheRollingStones (mostly because guitarist Dick Taylor was the Stones' first bassist), although they never achieved the level of fame and success that the Stones did. Built around the core formed by Taylor and lead singer Phil May.

As noted, the Pretty Things began as a hard-edged blues-rock outfit, releasing two albums and several singles in the UK. When that scene began to decay, the band recorded a contractually-required album, ''Emotions'', before switching labels and beginning the ''S.F. Sorrow'' sessions in 1967. The album was released in 1968 to little success, although today it is usually regarded as a groundbreaking work of art. The next album, 1970's ''Parachute,'' continued in the psychedelic/art rock vein and became ''Rolling Stone's'' Album of the Year.

Still failing to attain much popular success, the Pretties recorded a few more albums before disbanding, reuniting several times to release further unsuccessful albums. Today, May and Taylor tour with a new lineup, and several band members (not including May or Taylor) have recently re-recorded the ''Parachute'' album.

!!The Pretty Things' studio albums:
* ''[[SelfTitledAlbum The Pretty Things]]'' (1965)
* ''Get the Picture?'' (1965)
* ''Emotions'' (1967)
* ''Music/{{SFSorrow}}'' (1968)
* ''Parachute'' (1970)
* ''Freeway Madness'' (1972)
* ''Silk Torpedo'' (1974)
* ''Savage Eye'' (1975)
* ''Cross Talk'' (1980)
* ''Rage Before Beauty'' (1999)
* ''Balboa Island'' (2007)
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!!Tropes:

* AllDrummersAreAnimals: Viv Prince, the Pretties' drummer on the earliest records, was even loonier than [[Music/TheWho Keith Moon]]. In fact, he became so erratic and unreliable that he was fired by the time ''Get the Picture?'' was released.
* BadassBeard: Dick Taylor has had one since the 60's.
* CoolOldGuy: What May and Taylor are now.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Just as Music/TheRollingStones were edgier than Music/TheBeatles, the Pretties were even edgier than the Stones.
* DownerEnding: ''S.F. Sorrow.''
* EmphasisOnTheWrongSyllable: The title of "Photographer" is sung "pho-to-GRAPH-er".
* GenreShift: From heavy blues to PsychedelicRock and art-rock.
* HeavyMetal: The album 'S.F. Sorrow' included some proto-metal tracks, most notably [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg5t7T5_rR8&feature=kp Old Man Going]], which may have been heavier than anything that came before.
* RevolvingDoorBand
* RockOpera: ''S.F. Sorrow'' was the UrExample.
* SomethingBlues: "Blue Serge Blues".
* StarvingArtist: "Photographer" is about one of these.
* TitledAfterTheSong: In this case, Music/BoDiddley's "Pretty Thing". Their CoverVersion ends with Phil May doing a [[SpokenWordInMusic spoken]] ShoutOut: "We thank you, Bo, for the name".
----

* ''S.F. Sorrow'' (1968)

An English rock and roll band from UsefulNotes/{{London}}, who formed in 1963 and are [[LongRunners still active today]]. They're best known for releasing ''S.F. Sorrow,'' the first ever RockOpera- yes, even before Music/TheWho's ''Music/{{Tommy}}''! In the beginning, they were a tough R&B outfit often compared with Music/TheRollingStones (mostly because guitarist Dick Taylor was the first bassist for the Rolling Stones), although they never achieved the level of fame and success that the Stones did. Built around the core formed by Taylor and lead singer Phil May.

[[caption-width-right:320:The 1964-65 lineup. Left to right: Dick Taylor, Phil May, Viv Prince, Brian Pendleton, John Stax.]]

An English rock and roll band from UsefulNotes/{{London}}, who formed in 1963 and are [[LongRunners still active today]]. They're best known for releasing ''S.F. Sorrow,'' the first ever RockOpera- yes, even before Music/TheWho's ''Music/{{Tommy}}''! In the beginning, they were a tough R&B outfit often compared with Music/TheRollingStones (mostly because guitarist Dick Taylor was an ex-Stone), although they never achieved the level of fame and success that the Stones did. Built around the core formed by Taylor and lead singer Phil May.

As noted, the Pretty Things began as a hard-edges blues-rock outfit, releasing two albums and several singles in the UK. When that scene began to decay, the band recorded a contractually-required album, ''Emotions'', before switching labels and beginning the ''S.F. Sorrow'' sessions in 1967. The album was released in 1968 to little success, although today it is usually regarded as a groundbreaking work of art. The next album, 1970's ''Parachute,'' continued in the psychedelic/art rock vein and became ''Rolling Stone's'' Album of the Year.

As noted, the Pretty Things began as a hard-edges blues-rock outfit, releasing an album several singles in the UK. When that scene began to decay, the band recorded a contractually-required album, ''Emotions'', before switching labels and beginning the ''S.F. Sorrow'' sessions in 1967. The album was released in 1968 to little success, although today it is usually regarded as a groundbreaking work of art. The next album, 1970's ''Parachute,'' continued in the psychedelic/art rock vein and became ''Rolling Stone's'' Album of the Year.

* AllDrummersAreAnimals: Viv Prince, the Pretties' drummer on the earliest records, was even loonier than [[Music/TheWho Keith Moon]]. In gfact, he became so erratic and unreliable that he was fired by the time ''Get the Picture?'' was released/

* {{Big Name Fan}}s: Music/LedZeppelin, who signed the Pretty Things to their Swan Song label in the mid-Seventies. The two albums the Pretties recorded for Swan Song, ''Silk Torpedo'' and ''Savage Eye'', were their most commercially successful in America.

* CreatorBacklash: The band hates ''Emotions,'' mainly because of [[ExecutiveMeddling the orchestration added by their record label.]]

->''"The Pretty Things embody everything that is cool and exciting about the bands and the music of the ‘60s, and rock & roll in general. There was purity to everything they did—they never seemed to be motivated by ego or a hunger for fame, they just sort of let things happen and didn’t care about the consequences. They’re still the same way, and that’s inspiring to me. There’s no compromise at all in their music, be it the early raw R&B records, the psychedelic stuff, or the more progressive records that followed. There were few other bands that could master all of those forms so definitively. There’s something about their image, their lifestyle, their attitude and their whole approach to creating music that I can identify with absolutely."''
-->--'''Mike Stax''' of The Loons and Ugly Things magazine, from [[http://www.newuntouchables.com/nutsmag/mike-stax-interview/ this interview]]

* TitledAfterTheSong: In this case, Music/BoDiddley's "Pretty Thing". Their cover version ends with Phil May doing a [[SpokenWordInMusic spoken]] ShoutOut: "We thank you, Bo, for the name".

* RockOpera: ''S.F. Sorrow'' was [[UrExample the first one]].
* SomethingBlues: "Blue Serge Blues"

As noted, the Pretty Things began as a hard-edges blues-rock outfit, releasing an album several singles in the UK. When that scene began to decay, the band recorded a contractually-required album, ''Emotions'', before beginning the ''S.F. Sorrow'' sessions in 1967. The album was released in 1968 to little success, although today it is usually regarded as a groundbreaking work of art. The next album, 1970's ''Parachute,'' continued in the psychedelic/art rock vein and became ''Rolling Stone's'' Album of the Year.

[[caption-width-right:320:The 1964-65 lineup.]]

An English rock and roll band from UsefulNotes/{{London}}, who formed in 1963 and are [[LongRunners still active today]]. They're best known for releasing ''S.F. Sorrow,'' the first ever RockOpera- yes, even before Music/TheWho's ''Music/{{Tommy}}''! In the beginning, they were a tough R&B outfit not unlike Music/TheRollingStones, although they never achieved the level of fame and success that the Stones did. Built around the core formed by lead singer Phil May and guitarist Dick Taylor (formerly of Music/TheRollingStones).

The Pretty Things began as a hard-edges blues-rock outfit, releasing several singles in the UK. When that scene began to decay, the band recorded a contractually-required album, ''Emotions'', before beginning the ''S.F. Sorrow'' sessions in 1967. The album was released in 1968 to little success, although today it is usually regarded as a groundbreaking work of art. The next album, 1970's ''Parachute,'' continued in the psychedelic/art rock vein and became ''Rolling Stone's'' Album of the Year.

An English rock and roll band from UsefulNotes/{{London}}, who formed in 1963 and are [[LongRunners still active today]]. They're best known for releasing ''S.F. Sorrow,'' the first ever RockOpera- yes, even before Music/TheWho's ''Music/{{Tommy}}''! In the beginning, they aspired to emulate Music/TheRollingStones, although they never achieved the level of fame and success their idols did. Built around the core formed by lead singer Phil May and guitarist Dick Taylor (formerly of Music/TheRollingStones).

Still failing to attain much popular success, the Pretties recorded a few more albums before disbanding, reuniting several times to release further unsuccessful albums. Today, May and Taylor tour with a new lineup, and have recently re-recorded the ''Parachute'' album.

An English rock and roll band from London, who hold the honor of releasing ''S.F. Sorrow,'' the first ever RockOpera- yes, even before Music/TheWho's ''Music/{{Tommy}}''! Aspired to emulate Music/TheRollingStones, although they never achieved the level of fame and success their idols did. Built around the core formed by lead singer Phil May and guitarist Dick Taylor (formerly of Music/TheRollingStones).

* GenreShift: From heavy blues to psychedelia and art-rock.

An English rock and roll band from London, who hold the honor of releasing ''S.F. Sorrow,'' the first ever RockOpera- yes, even before [[TheWho Tommy]]! Aspired to emulate Music/TheRollingStones, although they never achieved the level of fame and success their idols did. Built around the core formed by lead singer Phil May and guitarist Dick Taylor (formerly of Music/TheRollingStones).

!!Associated Tropes:

* RockOpera: ''S.F. Sorrow'' was the first one.

An English rock and roll band from London, who hold the honor of releasing ''S.F. Sorrow,'' the first ever RockOpera- yes, even before [[TheWho Tommy]]! Aspired to emulate TheRollingStones, although they never achieved the level of fame and success their idols did. Built around the core formed by lead singer Phil May and guitarist Dick Taylor (formerly of TheRollingStones).

!!This band provides examples of:

* Creator/{{Hipgnosis}}: Did six album covers for the Pretties.