I first stumbled upon The Pretty Things while I was bored out of my mind looking through my friend's music collection for cool album covers. When I came to S.F. Sorrow, I put it in the "I'll check this out to see if the music is as cool as the cover" pile. What I didn't know, was that I had inadvertently discovered a gem. We have all come across them, an album you weren't sure about turning into your latest obsession. S.F. Sorrow is a diamond in the rough, and came from a band who were once commissioned to write and record an album for a French millionaire for his own personal use.
The album was recorded in 1968 at Abbey Road at the same time the beatles cranked out their white album. The intense 3 and 4 part harmonies in "Bracelets on Fingers" share similar compression and right panned stereo mixing with tracks like "Happiness is a Warm Gun" off of the White album. Coincidence? HELL NAW. S.F. Sorrow is a rock opera (which came out before the who's "tommy"), and the story is pretty damn depressing. Why are rock operas always so depressing? Just because. The album follows the life of S.F. Sorrow, who is one messed up mofo. Psychedelic drug induced wah-wah guitar riffs play behind the lush intricacy of a choir of voices creating a rich warm blend of sound tracking Sorrow through his very depressing life.
Sorrow has to work in a "misery factory" at a very young age, but finds true love as he reaches adolescence in "She says good morning". This tune is surprisingly heavy and is reminiscent of Revolver-era Beatles. I stand by that comparison. Unfortunately for Sorrow, he is drafted into world war one. He miraculously escapes death, but when his lover comes to visit him after the war, the zeppelin she is in ignites and everyone aboard dies. Life continues to suck for our dear Sorrow, as ambient noise, feedback, and a sitar lead him through deep depression in "Death". It is important to note that at this point the album isn't half way done... Its cool though, because Sorrow discovers black magic (Its 1968 remember?). This storyline is significant in creating a cohesive focused album that flows nicely. Sorrow's story is patched together into a neat and unified package.
A side note: Someone should totally sample the drum groove at 1:41 of Baron Saturday, wink wink Just Wulf.... That shit is the shit.
In conclusion, if a 60's british rock opera is your cup of tea (<-cleverness), then pick up S.F. Sorrow. It's really not THAT depressing. The tunes tend to be upbeat, and the lyrics can be very "out there", so you probably won't know whats going on anyway.
This has been a blast from the past.
-Heiner
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment