Pretty Things - Silk Torpedo (11 tracks) +Album Reviews

Great 70s comeback album by the 60's seminal Liverpool Rock

Kevin Conway | Cleveland, Ohio | 05/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Pretty Things were key originals of the 60s British Invasion. They had a couple of big hits in 1965 and then fell off the charts in the US, but were always huge in their homeland. Friends of the Beatles and intimates of the Rolling Stones - they even swapped band members back and forth in the early days, as I recall. On iTunes, their reviewer (for another album-this one's not available there) claims that Rolling Stone magazine rated their 1970 album, Parachute, the best album of the year! This group is the all-time sleeper by that measure, since that putative Bible of Rock passed up classic 1970 releases like the Beatles' "'Let It Be', Derek and the Dominoes, and Black Sabbath's epoymous debut album. Also running behind that year were Jimi Hendrix, Traffic, the Allman Brothers, the Doors, The Stooges, Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Pretty Things toured with Electric Light Orchestra in the US in 1978. Perhaps I was the only fan at their concert at Kent State U who came to see the opening act. ELO was OK, too, but I left early- I'd heard the best already. No serious student of Rock history can ignore this band, the Missing Link of British Rock."

WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT???

david gersztyn | warren, michigan United States | 12/03/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I cannot understand how the previous reviewers can pan this album. The songwriting, vocals, and instrumentation are excellent. This is a solid and memorable effort by a severely underrated group."

This is one great band !

Rick J. Phillips | mitchell, indiana United States | 02/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pretty Things was the second band signed by Led Zepplin's label, after Bad Company. They never achieved the commercial success they deserved. The Swansong label had signed a great band that had bad luck. This band was hard to deal with and they would self-destruct, and would keep on messing up. Their music and talent were wonderful though, and they rocked! This is one of my top 10 albums of all time. This to me is Pretty Things at their best, with Savage Eye following. The vocals and instrumentation are great. The Pretty Things are one British band that should not go unoticed in your cd collection. The Cd packaging on this 1974 release is also very good.A great cover for an album!"

Silk Torpedo- Guess What

Janet L. Hill | FLORIDA | 08/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When Silk Torpedo cries out "Joey's in a dream I had today," I know it was true. They sing about their retreat in Georgia that gave them inspiration to write this entire CD; it was well worth it. This band flew under the radar with this CD; however it didn't get past me. Don't let it get past you. I've practically worn it out in the several months I've had the CD. A massive turn on."

The last of the great glam rockers

Mark M. Miller | Wheaton IL | 06/03/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the first Pretty Things album I bought back in early 1975. I was impressed with the vocals, lead guitar, and keyboards. As always, the drumming was great. The Pretties always had great drummers (Vivian Prince who almost joined the Kinks and spent 3 weeks in the Who filling in for a sick Keith Moon; Mitch Mitchell who briefly replaced Prince and ended up with Jimi Hendrix; Skip Alan who plays on this album and all but two of the others-the first and SF Sorrow; and John'Twink'Alder formerly with Tomorrow and then with Pink Fairies)who could play everything from surf music to jazz. The bass playing was weak on Silk Torpedo given that it was overdubbed by lead guitarist Peter Tolson or guitarist/keyboardist Gordon Edwards. Newcomer Jack Green would later learn to play bass. "The Dream/Joey" medley is great with excellent piano/organ interplay. "Maybe You Tried" has a catchy groove with a subtle guitar hook. "Atlanta/LANTA" medley is the weakest part of the LP. However, the coda has the strongest bass playing. "Is It Only Love" demonstrates the softer side of the Pretties with strings and horns. This song is somewhat in the vein of "Over the Moon" from Freeway Madness, but not as good. "Come Home Momma" starts out with an excellent boogie piano and some great rock and roll guitar. It is in the same vein as the Faces "Stay With Me", but better. "Bridge of God" is Procol Harum meets Queen with the piano/organ interplay mixed with glam rock guitar and vocal harmonies. "Singapore Silk Torpedo" shows their comparisons to the Who with power chords, etc. It starts with a piano riff that would make Elton John proud and then has a crash and thunder guitar riff. It's about a sailor on leave in Singapore. A happier song than "Cries from the Midnight Circus" from Parachute. "Belfast Cowboys" (they're apparently good friends with Van Morrison whom Robbie Robertson nicknamed "Belfast Cowboy") starts off like a mellow Neil Young song (think of his Harvest album) with unamplified harmonica. Keyboards used include an electric piano and a harpsichord. The guitar kicks in violently. This is a song about the violence in Northern Ireland. The song segues into "Bruise in the Sky". The first time I heard this album, I liked the keyboards, but was otherwise unimpressed. A few months later I bought it, played it a couple times, and liked it. It certainly was better than a lot of what was out at that time. It is different than any of their previous albums and considerably better than its follow up "Savage Eye". The blues influences (and their comparisons to the Stones and Yardbirds) are somewhat subdued. They have more in common with the Who, Kinks, Faces, etc. The Beatles (and Beach Boys) influence is there with three and four part vocal harmonies."

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