The Pretty Things - S.F. Sorrow (Japan Remastered) (1968/2006)

S.F. Sorrow has a significant place in rock & roll history, though it's hardly widely acknowledged. Generally considered the first "rock opera," the 1967 opus by erstwhile gritty rockers turned psychedelic visionaries predates the Who's vastly more popular Tommy by a year. (Incidentally, there are significant parallels between the plots of both records.) Some would therefore lay blame for all the theatrical tomfoolery that followed at the feet of the Pretties, but they didn't get much credit for their accomplishment, so they probably don't deserve much reproof. Like most everything that came out of London in the late '60s, S.F. Sorrow owes a debt to the Beatles in its sonic adventurousness (Beatles/Pink Floyd engineer Norman Smith deserves credit) and kaleidoscopic lyrical bent, albeit with darker hues (the protagonist's sweetheart is killed in a hydrogen balloon explosion). If your idea of a night at the opera centers around classic Brit rock, S.F. Sorrow is just the ticket. --Steven Stolder