- 17
- Tracks
- 57 min
- Runtime
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17 tracks · 57 min
S.F. Sorrow is the title of the fourth LP by the British rock group The Pretty Things, released in 1968. One of the first rock concept albums, S.F. Sorrow was based on a short story by singer-guitarist Phil May. The album is structured as a song cycle, telling the story of the main character, Sebastian F. Sorrow, from birth through love, war, tragedy, madness, and the disillusionment of old age. Although the album is a rock opera, it has been stated by members of The Who that the record had no major influence on Pete Townshend and his writing of Tommy (1969). The Pretty Things, however, have suggested otherwise, as have some critics over the years.
Recording began at Abbey Road Studios in November 1967 with work on "Bracelets of Fingers". Two tracks that had been earmarked for the album, "Talking About the Good Times" and "Walking Through My Dreams", were instead released as a single in February 1968. In March 1968, drummer Skip Alan suddenly quit the band thanks to a whirlwind romance, and Twink (born John Charles Alder), whose band Tomorrow had recently split up, took his place. Working with noted EMI staff producer Norman "Hurricane" Smith (who had engineered the earlier Beatles recordings and produced Pink Floyd's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn) and house engineer Peter Mew, the group experimented with the latest sound technology, including the Mellotron and early electronic tone generators, often employing gadgets and techniques devised on the spot by Abbey Road's technicians. Phil May has emphatically stated that Smith was the only person at EMI who was fully supportive of the project, and that his technical expertise was invaluable to the ambitious, experimental sound of the album; May once even referred to Smith as a "sixth member" of the band. This attitude was in marked contrast to Pink Floyd's unhappiness with Smith. Work on the album concluded in September 1968 with the recording of what would be its closing track, "Loneliest Person". "Private Sorrow" and "Balloon Burning" were extracted for an October 1968 single, and the album was released the following month, in the same week as The Beatles' White Album, and The Kinks' The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. EMI did little to promote the album, and it was not released in the US by any EMI affiliate. Over six months later, Motown, of all labels, picked up the album for the US and issued it as part of the first batch of album on their newly created Rare Earth label, a label meant for rock music. The album was poorly mastered (with a one channel volume drop on "Baron Saturday" running over 30 seconds), coupled with no promotion, and Motown's complete redesign of the album artwork guaranteed the album to sell very poorly.
