The Pretty Things

No amount of scrutiny can disguise the fact that this rock opera -- built around a short story by Phil May -- is ultimately a bit of a confusing effort. Although The Pretty Things' S.F. Sorrow may have helped inspire Tommy, it is, simply, not nearly as good. That said, it came first, and has quite a few nifty ideas and production touches. The CD reissue on Snapper added four valuable songs from their 1967-68 singles ("Defecting Grey," "Mr. Evasion," "Talkin' About the Good Times," and "Walking Through My Dreams"). The version of "Defecting Grey" is the original, long, uncut five-minute rendition, and not of trivial importance; it's superior to the shorter one used on the official single. [The German version on Repertoire included three additional bonus tracks: single versions of "Private Sorrow" and "Balloon Burning" and an acetate recording of "Defecting Grey."] ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide