Review Summary: A very significant album. It’s regarded as the first rock opera.
“S.F. Sorrow” is the fourth studio album of The Pretty Things and was released in 1968. The line up on the album is Phil May, Dick Taylor, John Povey, Alan “Wally” Waller and Twink (John Charles Alder).
The Pretty Things is a British rock band formed in London in the early of the 60’s. They seemed like rivals to The Rolling Stones at the time. Their guitarist Dick Taylor played bass in the first incarnation of The Rolling Stones, not long before he teamed up with Phil May to form The Pretty Things in 1963. But Taylor tired of bass, left it to concentrate on art. Soon, he was convinced by fellow Sidcup Art School student May to form The Pretty Things. The duo brought in the bassist John Stax, guitarist Brian Pendleton and drummer Pete Kitley. The latter would soon be replaced by Viv Prince.
The Pretty Things was one of the pioneer bands of what became known, in the 60’s, as the British Rock Invasion. But, The Pretty Things was a band that never got the recognition that they deserved like many contemporary countrymen such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who. However, despite this lack of recognition, they were never quite ignored. They were able of cultivating a passionate following cult of fans that stuck with them through the decades, a cult that was drawn to either their earlier albums, especially their great masterwork “S.F. Sorrow”. The Pretty Things shifted a bit with the times but despite these changes in style, they rarely racked up hits on either side of the Atlantic.
The Pretty Things is the band responsible for the first rock opera album, which was “S.F. Sorrow” and not “Tommy” of The Who. “S.F. Sorrow” was recorded on the legendary Abbey Road studios, six months after “Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band” of The Beatles and “The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn” of Pink Floyd. It was highly acclaimed by the public and critics. It’s been said that Pete Townshend was influenced by “S.F. Sorrow” to write “Tommy” one year later.
“S.F. Sorrow” is a conceptual album. It tells the story of Sebastian F. Sorrow, a sort of a British common man from the cradle to the grave whose beleaguered life is mired in tragedy and misfortune. 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 confusing effort. The narrative of “S.F. Sorrow” is different from many others in the rock opera concept genre. While “Tommy” and “The Wall” relay their concept through the lyrics of their songs, the Pretty Things tell the bulk of the story through some small paragraph-like chapters that were printed in the liner notes, alternating with the song’s lyrics.
“S.F. Sorrow” isn’t an album with a great load of melodies and there isn’t a single instantly memorable riff or a single smashing vocal melody on the album. But, thre’s an incredible and exciting atmosphere all over the album. Somehow, “S.F. Sorrow” takes a little bit of everything Britain was living on at the time, pop, psychedelia, hard rock, magic and mystery, illusions and naiveness, beauty and ugliness. We can feel everything that the band raised on, the Beatlesque harmonies, Rolling Stones grittiness, Kinks humbleness, Hendrix guitars and the early Pink Floyd schizophrenia.
“S.F. Sorrow Is Born” features intricate acoustic bending, driving rhythm, and vibrant flourishes. “Bracelets of Fingers” begins with a vocal harmony and precedes a standard rock format. “She Says Good Morning” livens up the mood and carries a rich sound. “Private Sorrow” is a march-like psychedelic beat. It has nice vocals and is quite complex. “Balloon Burning” is a hard-rock upbeat. It has great guitar and nice vocals. “Death” has a harrowing, eerie and melancholic atmosphere thanks to the doom-like blues riff. It’s a dark instrumental. “Baron Saturday” is an eccentric track with quality. “The Journey” starts with its weave of acoustic and electric guitars before going out with an acid trip in the ending. “I See You” enhances the mood with its slow, lumbering rhythm augmented by haunting vocals and a scathing lead guitar. “Well Of Destiny” disturbs the brooding effect of the previous tracks and transitions into the piano song, “Trust”. “Old Man Going” is a high point with a touch of glam-rock. It has great guitar work and gentle choral work. “Loneliest Person” is the ballad-like closer that uses a pretty acoustic arrangement. It’s nice, simple and mellow.
Conclusion: It’s usual to think that “Tommy” was the first rock opera, but “S.F. Sorrow” was the first. I’m not getting into the discussion if “S.F. Sorrow” is most important than “Tommy”. But, since “S.F. Sorrow” came out first, “Tommy” was influenced by the storyline and the concept. If you think “S.F. Sorrow” has no pretensions and no bombast as opposed to Townshend’s project, don’t believe it. It has an equally mystical and convoluted story with a plot that’s even harder to guess. While the subject matter of “S.F. Sorrow” be a wee bit more grounded, the overall message is even less clear than of “Tommy”. It’s a pity that “S.F Sorrow” be an underrated work. I really think that took a lot of guts for The Pretty Things make an album so out of sync with time and the collective imagination that went into its creation.
Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)
