SE 5, EP 2: The Pretty Things - S.F. Sorrow

Send us Fan Mail This week we dive head first into the 1968 psychedelic rock opera by the Pretty Things, S.F. Sorrow. Ask any music fan what was the first rock opera was and most would say Tommy by the Who. That answer would be wrong. Recorded on S.F. Sorrow started a year before the Who even went into the studio to begin Tommy. Unfortunately the release of the album was delayed and was released after Tommy, placing S.F. Sorrow into the "also ran" category for the vast majority of critics and the music buying public at the time. Which is unfortunate because the S.F. Sorrow is a wonderfully imaginative album, and the blueprint for many a concept album to come. One listen illustrates how inventive and influential it was for many albums at the time, including Tommy. Starting out life as a blues-based band in the vein of the Rolling Stones (one time Stone's guitarist Dick Taylor was a founding member), by the time the Pretty Thing were set to record their fourth LP, they had become much more divers in the music they made, incorporating such diverse element as pop, psychedelia, folk, and even proto-metal) into their sound. And while the concept of S.F. Sorrow is a sad one, the music is remarkable and the lyrics compelling making repeated listens a must. S.F. is a true underrated masterpiece. Visit us at

You can listen to SE 5, EP 2: The Pretty Things - S.F. Sorrow online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

SE 5, EP 2: The Pretty Things - S.F. Sorrow is an episode from This is Vinyl Tap by This Is Vinyl Tap.

This episode is 111:25 long.

This episode was published on Dec 22, 2024.

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