Pretty Things

One of the greatest psychedelic albums of all-time, and the first rock opera (predating the Who's Tommy by more than a year), the Pretty Things' magnificent S. F. Sorrow was greatly underappreciated upon its release. Recorded at London's Abbey Road studios during the summer of 1967, it is one of three major psychedelic albums finished on site during said summer — the others being Sgt. Pepper's and Piper At The Gates of Dawn — and is the least well-known. Part of that may have to do with the fact the band never played it live until some 30 years later. This DVD collects that night's performance in a multi-camera, 5.1 surround sound mix that is a pleasure to watch. In order to perform the rock opera properly, the band is joined by a number of special guests, including narrator Arthur Brown and Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, who adds some nice colour with some tasty leads and well-played rhythmic layering. If you've never heard the album, check out the original studio version before diving head-first into this, but if you know and love the album, you'll want to search this out. Plus: two-song encore, interviews with band members. (Snapper/Navarre/EMI)