Pretty Things - Definition and Overview

The Pretty Things are a 1960s and 1970s rock and roll band from London. Guitarist Dick Taylor was an original member of The Rolling Stones before founding the band with singer Phil May. Their only U.S. hit was their first single in 1964, "Rosalyn", but the band had a considerable amount of success in their native United Kingdom and in Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the Netherlands in the middle of the decade.

Their early material was hard edged blues-rock influenced by Bo Diddley and Jimmy Reed, much like that of their contemporaries like the Stones and The Yardbirds. They were known for wild "rock and roll" behavior and shocking the establishment; their song "Midnight to Six Man" defined the Mod lifestyle. Beginning in 1966 they drifted more towards psychedelia, with the 1968 concept album S.F. Sorrow. From this point on they would enjoy less in the way of commercial success but the devotion of a strong cult following, especially with critics and other rock musicians as well. Their material in the early 1970s tended towards more the hard rock and early heavy metal end of the spectrum, on albums like Silk Torpedo, although still blues based. 1980's Cross Talk saw them incorporating influences of punk and new wave into their hard rock sound; like most of their records, it was an artistic but not a commercial success.

Albums

• The Pretty Things (1964)
• Get The Picture (1965)
• Emotions (1966)
• S.F. Sorrow (1968)
• Parachute (1969)
• Silk Torpedo (1971)
• Savage Eye (1972)
• Freeway Madness (1975)
• Cross Talk (1980)