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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Scene One |
| 2. The Good Mr. Square |
| 3. She Was Tall, She Was High |
| 4. In The Square |
| 5. The Letter |
| 6. Rain |
| 7. Miss Fay Regrets |
| 8. Cries From The Midnight Circus |
| 9. Grass |
| 10. Sickle Clowns |
| 11. She's A Lover |
| 12. What's The Use |
| 13. Parachute |
| 14. Bonus Track: Blue Serge Blues |
| 15. Bonus Track: October 26 |
| 16. Bonus Track: Cold Stone |
| 17. Bonus Track: Sonte-Hearted Mama |
| 18. Bonus Track: Summer Time |
| 19. Bonus Track: Circus Mind |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The Pretty Things. What a dreadful, career-in-the-dumper name for a group. Even shortened (the "Pretties", anyone?) it's a nonsense. I know it's ironic, but it's also terrible.
The album cover. One of the worst sixth-form paste-and-scissors photomontage crimes ever committed in the name of "art".
So; rubbish name, rubbish cover. And yes, these things matter. So does kicking off the album with a "challenging" (ie dissonant, dreary) opening track. Anyone unfamiliar with this wonderful album is most likely not going to get past these three hurdles. Tough on them, and tough on the "Things", too, because it is one of the few albums that define rock music, as opposed to pop, or whatever, as an art form in itself. Don't sneer. This is art. This is beautiful, and this is timeless. It also sounds fantastic. If it was released today, by some bunch of unknowns, it would effortlessly go to number one. No question. Ther's nothing dated or embarrassing about a single note of it; you don't have to excuse anything. What you won't find; humour, singalong nursery-rhymes, boogie, timewasting. What you will find; the best harmony singing ever recorded by a British band (hearing people SING is just such a treat, isn't it? As opposed to people who think they can?), the best ensemble playing ever recorded by a British band (yes, there are great guitar solos, but this isn't an exercise in nostril-hair guitar histrionics, and everybody's listening to everybody else), and quite possibly, the best rock album ever recorded. There are others as great (Dark Side of the Moon, f'rinstance, and maybe the first Mighty Baby album, and -add your favourite here-) but it really doesn't get any better than this. There's music here so beautiful, so deep, so strong, so subtle ... ahhh ... I'm going to shut up. Really, for once, the cult is right, and what people say about this album has a real basis in the groove. Get this before you get SF Sorrow, if you have nothing yet. Then get their last album (Rage ...). These guys are, incredibly, still out there and still making fine music.
Look at it this way. It's a few quid you'd spend without noticing it somewhere else. Help get this album to number one in the charts, because it deserves the view. What it doesn't deserve is to remain a cult pleasure.
The album cover. One of the worst sixth-form paste-and-scissors photomontage crimes ever committed in the name of "art".
So; rubbish name, rubbish cover. And yes, these things matter. So does kicking off the album with a "challenging" (ie dissonant, dreary) opening track. Anyone unfamiliar with this wonderful album is most likely not going to get past these three hurdles. Tough on them, and tough on the "Things", too, because it is one of the few albums that define rock music, as opposed to pop, or whatever, as an art form in itself. Don't sneer. This is art. This is beautiful, and this is timeless. It also sounds fantastic. If it was released today, by some bunch of unknowns, it would effortlessly go to number one. No question. Ther's nothing dated or embarrassing about a single note of it; you don't have to excuse anything. What you won't find; humour, singalong nursery-rhymes, boogie, timewasting. What you will find; the best harmony singing ever recorded by a British band (hearing people SING is just such a treat, isn't it? As opposed to people who think they can?), the best ensemble playing ever recorded by a British band (yes, there are great guitar solos, but this isn't an exercise in nostril-hair guitar histrionics, and everybody's listening to everybody else), and quite possibly, the best rock album ever recorded. There are others as great (Dark Side of the Moon, f'rinstance, and maybe the first Mighty Baby album, and -add your favourite here-) but it really doesn't get any better than this. There's music here so beautiful, so deep, so strong, so subtle ... ahhh ... I'm going to shut up. Really, for once, the cult is right, and what people say about this album has a real basis in the groove. Get this before you get SF Sorrow, if you have nothing yet. Then get their last album (Rage ...). These guys are, incredibly, still out there and still making fine music.
Look at it this way. It's a few quid you'd spend without noticing it somewhere else. Help get this album to number one in the charts, because it deserves the view. What it doesn't deserve is to remain a cult pleasure.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
i bought this album knowing nothing of the contents.i heard the pretties were dirty r`n b punks.their debut and get the picture ? are just that but this is something else entirely!!i bought s.f sorrow first and was honestly really dissapointed.i thought i`d give parachute a go and its one of my best buys ever.'grass' is one of the best songs ive ever heard.amazing harmonies and melodies and the songs content make every listen like the first.on the limited edition release theres some extra tracks:the breathtaking single that i think preceaded the album,october 26 is like grass,an amazing composition.the wah-wah guitar and sweet,sweet harmonies make this a true timepiece thats just too good to grow old.there isnt a bad song on this one and what a wide range they cover!!WHEWW!!everyone raves about s.f sorrow (everyone being the people who have actually heard of them that is !!) but i`d say this album is their crowning glory.just stunning. "as silver tears,they weave and lace,sad patterns upon her face,she waits for you..." heartbreakingly good.the best discovery ive ever made!!!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Download
Back in 1970, this was the first ever stereo LP I ever bought and, listening to it on a stereo system put together with my brother based on a pair of Mullard 5-10 amps (now they were great!), it absolutely blew my mind and turned me on to psychedelia and all that stuff.
But, listening to it from time to time over the years it continues to affect me and has become one of my all time favourites. Strangely, unlike much from those days this just refuses to age (unlike me...). Some call it a classic, I just call it brilliant.
As a piece of British psychedelic rock it is almost unbeatable and the mixture of smooth vocal harmonies, edgy guitar riffs and magical vocals all backed up by a tight rhythm section pre-dates much of what we have heard since and beats most of it hands down. As has been said elsewhere if many of today's bands could put together songs like these with the range of expression and level of creativity we'd have a much healthier music industry. Whereas many of those that followed found fame and fortune, The Pretty Things fell foul of bad management and bad decision-making - which is a shame because this and "S F Sorrow" really are the peak of their output.There's not a bad song here and the stream of music created by the programming of this album just washes over you.
It's so good I tend to have to ration myself on how often I play it because I'm almost afraid the sheer joy I get when listening to it just might fade, and that would be a shame.
Forget the age of this, forget the history of the Pretties and just give this a try with an open mind as if is was released today and let it take you over.
But, listening to it from time to time over the years it continues to affect me and has become one of my all time favourites. Strangely, unlike much from those days this just refuses to age (unlike me...). Some call it a classic, I just call it brilliant.
As a piece of British psychedelic rock it is almost unbeatable and the mixture of smooth vocal harmonies, edgy guitar riffs and magical vocals all backed up by a tight rhythm section pre-dates much of what we have heard since and beats most of it hands down. As has been said elsewhere if many of today's bands could put together songs like these with the range of expression and level of creativity we'd have a much healthier music industry. Whereas many of those that followed found fame and fortune, The Pretty Things fell foul of bad management and bad decision-making - which is a shame because this and "S F Sorrow" really are the peak of their output.There's not a bad song here and the stream of music created by the programming of this album just washes over you.
It's so good I tend to have to ration myself on how often I play it because I'm almost afraid the sheer joy I get when listening to it just might fade, and that would be a shame.
Forget the age of this, forget the history of the Pretties and just give this a try with an open mind as if is was released today and let it take you over.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Underrated without a doubt
I agree with an earlier reviewer, rubbish name for the band and rubbish record sleeves and that is at the core of their failure to be appreciated for what they were, I guess. Read more
Published 18 months ago by M. A. Stevens
of its time
strongly influenced by the music from Yellow Submarine , and Magical Mystery Tour , with harmonies like Sun King from Abbey Road ... but nowhere near as good
Published 20 months ago by ben
40 Years Old and Still Great
I first bought this as an LP back in '73 purely because the Hipgnosis cover caught my attention in the record shop (Note to Ampar's review! Read more
Published on 12 Dec 2009 by The Music Lover
The Earlies - 1971 Vintage!
Listening to the Earlies new release 'The Enemy Chorus' it struck my ears that the harmonies are real similar to the Pretty Things. Especially on Parachute. Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2007 by M. Thomas
Instant Classic!
I would urge anyone to buy this album. I first heard of the Pretty Things on the Nuggets box set, and reading other reviews on this site decided to get this LP. Read more
Published on 21 Feb 2007 by M. Jones
Unrecognized Achievement
Although the Pretties are now belatedly given credit for having conceived and recorded the first rock opera, SF Sorrow, their equally ambitious follow-up of one year later,... Read more
Published on 22 Mar 2004 by Laurence Upton
mind blowing timeless songs
this c.d is a must buy,every one should own it.
track number 4(in the square) sounds very much like a radiohead song(paranoid android) see ya in court boys...... Read more
track number 4(in the square) sounds very much like a radiohead song(paranoid android) see ya in court boys...... Read more
Published on 24 Oct 2001 by D. K. Wakefield
a near classic!
It's a shame The Pretties never received the recognition they truly deserved as this and the earlier 'S.F Sorrow' are excellent examples of post-'Pepper' late '60s rock. Read more
Published on 7 Sep 2000 by amclutterbuck@brookes.ac.uk
The most talented outsiders in history?
This is a really good album, wonderful melodies, sparkling playing, some cracking tunes (the Good Mr Square, and She Sent Me A Letter particularly stand out of a very good... Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2000
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