Well I actually quite like this album, SF Sorrow, by The Pretty Things. I listened first without research and I have to say that I was expecting more psychedelic tosh like Iron Butterfly but there is something here I quite like. It was clear there was a story emerging from the track listing by just seeing ‘SF Sorrow Is Born’, meeting a girl (‘She Says Good Morning’), joining the army (‘Private Sorrow’), death (the fiancee it emerges), some travel post army tragedy (The Journey) then becoming an old man (‘Old Man Going’, ‘Lonliest Person’). The SF in question is Sebastian F Sorrow.

So the album becomes a lyric driven plot with staccato vibes but it is a complete album. I have since learnt this is in fact one of the first rock operas ever released, inspiring the likes of Tommy no doubt. I note the album was recorded in the Summer of Love at Abbey Road and released the following year, possibly lending some influence to the work.

This album is quite impressive and is worth a few listens. This is the fourth album by The Pretty Things who were, by all accounts, quite prolific (especially in compilation form) in the mid/late 60s and early 70s. Although success has tailed off, there do seem to be dozens of members of The Pretty Things which can’t help, I think there is good music in here somewhere and it is much more digestible than other psychedelic affairs. All in all, glad I listened and this is one of the reasons I’m doing these 1001 Albums, albeit slowly, got a few years left in me, hopefully.

A note on the equipment; the new Moon 390 streaming pre-amp is spectacular, paired with the 330A power amplifier. I’ve received a bunch of Nordost cables, power conditioners and inter connectors with the Moon equipment. A review will follow, when I’ve peeled myself off the walls!

Album – SF Sorrow
Artist – The Pretty Things
Favourite Track – Baron Saturday
Released – 1968
Rating – 7.8 (Vincebus Eruptum also scored 7.8, by co-incidence)
Time – 56’31”
Tracks – 17

Source – Tidal
Player/Streamers – Moon 390 streaming pre amplifier
Amplifier/DAC – Moon 330A power
Output – JERN 14 DS supported by REL T/5i
Cables – Nordost incl. interconnects, speaker and power leads
Next Album – 130 – Music From the Big Pink by The Band