Back in the early and mid '70s when Cleveland's WMMS was a revolutionary radio station, a record came in by a glammy sort of hard rock band called the Pretty Things. The album Silk Torpedo, on Zep's Swan Song label, wasn't super consistent but had some hot songs in "Dream/Joey," "Maybe You Tried" and "Singapore Silk Torpedo."
When I looked into the band I found that they had been among the roughest and toughest of the Brit Invasion R&B-rockers in the early '60s, had recorded the very first rock opera, and that the Silk Torpedo-era was the third incarnation of the band, who were revered in the U.K. So I snagged a copy of a collection of their early stuff called Attention and stood back in awe.
Come See Me is the first CD collection that covers the band's recording career between their earliest R&B-garage hits, their later '60s psychedelic period and the '70s glam/hard rock era, and it's an exceptional introduction to the band.
Led by art school ruffians, wailing lead singer and harp man Phil May (long freaking hair in 1964) - who out-Jaggered Jagger in swagger, aggression and lung power - and ex-Jagger/Richards bandmate Dick Taylor on guitar, the Pretties were the epitome of everything a good English mother hated in 1964, when their classic first single "Rosalyn" snarled out of speakers (they were banned for life from New Zealand after two weeks of touring mayhem there in '65).
With a vicious, percussive backbeat, Taylor's coiling, stinging guitar leads and May's curled lip and screams, more classics followed in "Honey, I Need," Bo Diddley's "Road Runner," and their definitive early hit, "Don't Bring Me Down."
"Midnight to Six Man" rocks with the same authority but a little more polish and was the band's first great original, proudly detailing the time of day the band lived the largest. By late '65 their sonic palette had expanded enough to include the Byrdsy jangle of "You Don't Believe Me," while "Can't Stand the Pain" alternates between subtle beauty and explosive anguish, and "Come See Me" boasts perhaps the most corrosive, fuzzed-out bass on record, propelling a ripping rave up.
Article comments
1 - HW Saxton Jr.
The Pretty Things are great. I honestly
think their early output is right on par
with best of the early Stones.Outside of
S.F. Sorrow their later material really
does not do too much for me though.
Mick Jagger once said that the N.Y Dolls
were the Pretty Things re-incarnate and
I can't think of a higher compliment.
X-cellent post.
2 - Rodney Welch
Eric, your reviews are always models of cogency. Just a thought: I was listening to "Rosalyn" today and it occured to me that the Clash might have just possibly nicked the tune to "Hateful" (on London Calling) from it.
3 - HW Saxton Jr.
Addendum to above post:"Norton Records"
has re-released the best of The Pretty
Things early R & B sides as a series of
10 inch vinyl EP's.They sound great,the
liner notes are informative & funny,the
prices are cheap and the cover art is
sugar shit sharp.
4 - Eric Olsen
Thanks HW and Rodney, really appreciate the kind words and info! Maybe this collection will raise the band's profile - I hope so.
5 - GianLuca
yess i neeed !!!
house in the countryyyyyyy..................