Tuesday, July 26, 2005
God Save Our Gracious Psych....
The Pretty Things - Mr.Evasion
Of course, the band I'd really like to be in doesn't exist. It would be called something like The Gorse Trampoline or Lady Made of Jelly and would specialise in brutal covers of British Psych classics. "Corporal Clegg" and "Lucifer Sam" by Floyd, "Lovely To See You" by The Moody Blues (dead spit of The Stone Roses), Quo's "Pictures of Matchstick Men", "We Did It Again" by Soft Machine, "Lazy Old Sun" by The Kinks, and, of course, "Paper Sun" by Traffic.
But the first thing we'd have a crack at is this number by The Pretty Things. It’s an extra on the "S.F.Sorrow" reissue cd, and was originally the B Side of "Defecting Grey".
Jesus! What a single. If one side didn't fry your brain, the other one would. As it says in the sleeve notes, "It's 1966... by the end of the year the 7" single will be dead”. Well, not quite, but by the time this was released in 1967, it was certainly on the way to Bedlam after being signed off by two Doctors as being a danger to itself and to others.
They play like they hate their instruments. That's a plus. The lyrics make no real sense. Bonus. But the best bit is near the end. There's a grinding halt and then it drops into a peculiar, naaarrrrggghh dive bomb bass with the drums building up behind it and the Farfisa or whatever set to stun.
Lovely. It makes me lean slightly to one side. And grin. Good night...
Buy - The Pretty Things - S.F. Sorrow
Visit - The Pretty Things
Mike.
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This here post has now been hijacked by Spoilt Victorian Dad...
Dammit...
Can't help myself Mike....
I've got to post It....
The Pretty Things - Defecting Grey (7" Version)
The Pretty Things - Defecting Grey (S.F. Sorrow Longer Mix)
The Pretty Things - Defecting Grey (BBC Sessions Version)
The 7" inch version has a much heavier mix than the unedited S.F. Sorrow version, but doesn't have as many mental parts... and the BBC Sessions version is the most concise, being 2 minutes shorter than the long version, but has a weaker mix....
Hence I couldn't decide which version to go for...
So you get all three. Lucky Lucky!
I swear you'll not manage to get through all 3 versions without a little headbang or without lurching round the room with a delirious grin on your face.
(I'm having flashbacks...)
I concur with Mike about this being one hell of a seven inch single...
I'd go as far as saying one of the greatest ever.
I'll be in your band Mike, as long as I can be called "Stigson Von Hammer"...!
Simon
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