OFF: Burg Herzberg

[Douglas Pearson]

On Mon, 23 Apr 2001 16:02:30 -0400, K Henderson <henderson.120 at OSU.EDU>
wrote:
>P.S.  Doug...what are Pretty Things like these days?  I only have SFSorrow
>and another disc from c. 1975 (?)...do they have any recent stuff that I
>should hear before seeing them?

They are quite excellent live, both at their psychedelic-era stuff ('S.F.
Sorrow') AND their earlier raunchier-than-the-Stones/Yardbirds/etc.
R&B/punk sound.  Pretty amazing for a bunch of 60-year-olds, and it was
quite a revelation to see/hear Dick Taylor playing psychedelic guitar leads
which demonstrated he was *definitely* a major influence on Dave Brock's
transition from acoustic busker to electric spacerock diety.

The latest PT recording ('Rage Before Beauty') is surprisingly good for
a "reunion" album, but none of their post-'Parachute' (the album after S.F.
Sorrow) material is as essential as (chronologically):

'The Pretty Things' - snarling R&B/punk, lotsa Bo Diddley covers
'Get The Picture' - like the first, but with quieter/folk influences, too
'Emotions' - out-of-place orchestra overdubs, but good songs
'S.F. Sorrow' - psychedelic masterpiece & the first "rock opera"
'Parachute' - another good psych album, but with Victor Unitt (Edgar
Broughton Band) replacing Dick Taylor

    -Doug
     ceres at sirius.com