THE PRETTY THINGS The Sweet Pretty Things (Are In Bed Now, Of Course…)
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And now ladies and gentlemen for your sheer delight after a seven year hiatus we have for you at last a new album from the celebrated, original, irreverent, naughty boys who allegedly out naughtied the Rolling Stones (a while ago) yes you will put your hands together for The Pretty Things in all their glory.
Very much with a live feel and recorded on analogue equipment this is pure Pretty Things and loaded with energy in their classic way. This is a compulsive album that gets you from the off, it is vital, it is energetic, it is quality that few can match after fifty years. It is classic, rough and ready yet also has the harmonies that the band do so well with the Rock ’n’ Roll music and they have even raised the mellotron up once again so that we have all the classic sounds here, compulsive rhythms, soaring sounds, Dick Taylor’s guitar has not diminished one jot, the playing and solos are classic. Opening with The Same Sun Phil May proclaims ‘the same sun is in the sky’ and indeed it is as this album rises up to shine on us. Nice to see the McGuinn/Crosby song Renaissance Fair included here at last which I believe was an old band and live favourite of some years ago. Dick Greenwood, on drums, lends a terrific solo to Greenwood Tree which he co-wrote and the band really work out on this instrumental that will surely become a live must play for any audience.
Hell, Here And Nowhere with acoustic and vocal intro builds moodily with some typical harmony butting in to make it a bit ethereal and glorious. Tumbling drums and moody bass give rise to a repeating guitar riff and chant that combine to hypnotise for a mere 2.32 minutes of In The South. Closing with Dirty Song that holds all that you could wish for in a BIG number that drags you to the volume control saying up, up, up.
A shining album and a must have! Why are they not headlining at Glastonbury?
FRANK LEIGH
