The Pretty Things – THE PRETTY THINGS***

Roadrunner/Judgement Day/13 Chester Street/Big City/Unknown Blues/Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut/Honey I Need/Oh Baby Doll/She’s Fine She’ Mine/Don’t Lie To Me/The Moon Is Rising/Pretty Thing

R & B group The Pretty Things only top twenty album chart entry came with their eponymous debut LP. Contains the UK No. 13 hit single Honey I Need. Seen at the time as direct competitors to The Rolling Stones, they would soon be comprehensively outclassed by them. The group continued to record with limited commercial success into the 1970s. (UK:6)

"A decent Stones-like slice of Brit R & B, this 1965 album was one of the saddest cases of being criminally unknown outside of the UK. That isn't to say that this album is a diamond in the rough by any means. However, this is a pretty heavy (for the time) album that features some great originals and fantastic covers. Definitely not a masterpiece or for everyone, this still deserves a place in the music collection of any fan of this period."

"The music is the similar to the rhythm 'n' blues made by The Stones, Them, Kinks etc. It's quite interesting but not outstanding."

"This, their debut, is raw Brit R & B played with swagger and attitude. Think early Stones but with more personality. This and The Who's My Generation are two of my favourite debuts because both are played with such abandon. The sense of aggression and good times comes through in the grooves. Although mostly, if not all, covers, The Pretties' take what was standard and clearly make them their own songs."

"The Pretty Things were certainly an entertaining and mildly recommendable band, but at every stage of their career they only managed to drag behind The Beatles and The Stones, always trying to catch up but never even making No. 3 in the race."

"Consisting entirely of R 'n' B covers and originals that are in fact disguised covers as well, the record is little more than a vain attempt to outstone The Stones in their brand of ugly rhythm-and-blues making. Phil May tries to ape Jagger's approach to the material, with wild screams, 'evil' intonations and gloomy vocal overtones everywhere, but his voice, unlike Jagger's, isn't really suitable for such things, and he ends up over emoting and producing a really bad effect."