The Pretty Things
Studio album by
Pretty Things
ReleasedMarch 12, 1965
Genre
Length35:29
LabelFontana
ProducerBobby Graham
Pretty Things chronology
The Pretty Things
(1965)		 Rainin' in My Heart
(1965)
Singles from Pretty Things
  1. "Rosalyn"
    Released: May 1964
  2. "Don't Bring Me Down"
    Released: 1964
  3. "Honey I Need"
    Released: 3 March 1965
  4. "Road Runner"
    Released: March 1965

The Pretty Things is the self-titled debut album by the English rock band Pretty Things. Released in 1965 in alternate track listings in the United Kingdom and United States, the album demonstrated the band's raw, loud sound, influenced by American rock and roll musician Bo Diddley.

Recording

Fontana Records booked two days worth of recording sessions with Pretty Things for their debut album.[1] 30 minutes into the first recording session, the original producer, Jack Baverstock, the head of the label, quit over the band's behavior and alcoholism, and was subsequently replaced by the more sympathetic Bobby Graham in order to salvage the sessions.[1]

Composition

The band's playing was noted for being exceptionally loud for the time period, with their performance on "Road Runner" being described as being "about as raw and loud as British rock & roll ever got up to that time" by AllMusic.[1] The final three minutes of "Mama, Keep Your Big Mouth Shut" is composed of feedback and distortion held together by a repeated bass guitar rhythm; the use of such elements was considered unusual for the time.[2]

A third of the album's compositions were written by American blues and rock and roll musician Bo Diddley, and the rest of the album's performances were inspired by his works, with AllMusic saying that the band's cover of Chuck Berry's "Oh, Baby Doll" sounded like it was performed in Bo Diddley's style.[1] "13 Chester Street", a homage to a house that Pretty Things shared with the Rolling Stones' Brian Jones, is musically a cross between the Stones and a lead influenced by Slim Harpo.[1] The album includes a cover of "Pretty Thing", written by Willie Dixon, which the band was named after.[3]

Release

The album was released in 1965 with alternate track listings in the United Kingdom and United States.[3] The US version included the singles "Rosalyn" and Don't Bring Me Down", both of which were covered by self-professed fan of the band David Bowie on his 1973 album Pin Ups.[3] In 2023, all 13 of the band's studio albums (with The Pretty Things being in its UK version) were released in a box set under the title The Complete Studio Albums 1965-2020.[3][4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Select[5]

The album reached number six and spent 10 weeks on the UK Albums Chart in 1965.[6] AllMusic said that the album's raw sound paved the way for garage rock bands like MC5.[1] In a review of The Complete Studio Albums 1965-2020, Mojo said that "May’s lusty Road Runner was a calling card, but the remainder of their self-titled 1965 debut lacks sizzle."[4]

Track listing

UK version
Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Road Runner"Ellas McDaniel3:14
2."Judgement Day" (adapted and arranged by the Pretty Things)Bryan Morrison2:49
3."13 Chester Street"
2:22
4."Big City"
2:02
5."Unknown Blues"
  • May
  • Taylor
  • Pendleton
  • Stax
  • Prince
3:49
6."Mama, Keep Your Big Mouth Shut"Ellas McDaniel3:03
Total length:17:15
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Honey, I Need"
  • Dick Taylor
  • John Warburton
  • Peter Leslie Smith
  • Ian Stirling
2:00
8."Oh, Baby Doll"Chuck Berry3:01
9."She's Fine, She's Mine"Ellas McDaniel4:24
10."Don't Lie to Me"Tampa Red3:53
11."The Moon Is Rising"Jimmy Reed2:33
12."Pretty Thing"Willie Dixon1:39
Total length:17:30
US version
Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Honey, I Need"
  • Taylor
  • Warburton
  • Smith
1:58
2."Rosalyn"
  • Jimmy Duncan
  • Bill Farley
2:20
3."13 Chester Street"
  • May
  • Taylor
  • Pendleton
  • Stax
  • Prince
2:20
4."I Can Never Say"
  • May
  • Taylor
  • Pendleton
  • Stax
  • Prince
3:00
5."Unknown Blues"
  • May
  • Taylor
  • Pendleton
  • Stax
  • Prince
2:35
6."The Moon Is Rising"Reed2:30
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Don't Bring Me Down"Johnnie Dee2:09
8."Road Runner"McDaniel3:13
9."We'll Be Together"
  • May
  • Taylor
  • Stax
2:09
10."Judgement Day"
  • May
  • Taylor
  • Pendleton
  • Stax
  • Prince
2:45
11."Big City"
  • Duncan
  • Klein
2:30
12."Pretty Thing"Willie Dixon1:39

Personnel

The Pretty Things

Charts

Singles
Year Single Chart Position
1964 "Rosalyn" / "Big Boss Man" UK 41
1964 "Don't Bring Me Down" / "We'll Be Together" UK 10
1965 "Honey I Need" / "I Can Never Say" UK 13

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Eder, Bruce. "The Pretty Things [UK] Review by Bruce Eder". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  2. ↑ Dale, Jon; Stratton, Jon; Mitchell, Tony, ed. (9 January 2020). "The Missing Links". An Anthology of Australian Albums. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 13. ISBN 978-1501339882.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
  3. 1 2 3 4 Watts, Peter (5 May 2023). "The Pretty Things – Complete Studio Albums 1965-2020". Uncut. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  4. 1 2 Wirth, Jim (30 March 2023). "The Pretty Things Reviewed!". Mojo. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  5. ↑ Perry, Neil (October 1990). "The Pretty Things: The Pretty Things". Select. No. 4. p. 133.
  6. ↑ "Pretty Things – Pretty Things". Official Charts. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
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