The Pretty Things Greatest Hits Deluxe Edition - 2 cd version (new release)

This was just released. The first disc contains 25 of the Pretty Things Greastest Hits with a few rarities while the second disc on the deluxe edition contains a live performance at the 100 Club of some of their earliest material. I believe the live show originally appeared a few years ago as a very limited edition on lp only.

The Pretty Things religiously stuck to their guns by making great, exciting, challenging and often violently aggressive records that just weren't quite acceptable enough to slot into the breathlessly presented but carefully airbrushed new youth-culture media of the 1960s. This set includes the instantly recognisable likes of Rosalyn, Don’t Bring Me Down, Cry To Me and many other brilliant songs at the forefront of an evolving rock music scene through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

The band's songwriting prowess is best highlighted when, after their brief fling with minor R&B hits alongside such bands as The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Yardbirds and Manfred Mann, they hit the ground running with music that fuelled the "Swinging Sixties" and Mod Culture. The shift to Psychedelic Rock saw The Pretty Things ensconced in Abbey Road studios, alongside The Beatles and The Pink Floyd, to record the world's first rock opera - S.F. Sorrow spearheading the London psychedelic revolution alongside a completely new breed of acts, like The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Jimi Hendrix and the Floyd themselves.

The final track Mr. Tambourine Man was originally offered to The Pretty Things, who turned it down before The Byrd's version was recorded. The band finally recorded their own take in 2016 keeping true to their style of the time.
A truly meaningful historical document of the greatest band with the fewest hits, but with the best music, this version of The Pretty Things' Greatest Hits is presented as a double CD in a 6 panel digipak, complete with an an exclusive recorded gig at London’s 100 Club on the second disc. Band members Dick Taylor and Phil May provide individual track commentary in the 12 page booklet (which also has an introduction from long-time manager Mark St. John).

CD 1:

1. Rosalyn [02:18]
2. Don't Bring Me Down [02:08]
3. Honey, I Need [01:59]
4. Cry To Me [02:51]
5. Midnight To Six Man [02:19]
6. Come See Me [02:39]
7. Can't Stand The Pain [02:41]
8. Sittin' All Alone [02:47]
9. Get The Picture? [01:55]
10. You Don't Believe Me [02:22]
11. I Can Never Say [02:35]
12. L.S.D. [02:24]
13. Defecting Grey (full length demo from acetate) [06:07]
14. Talkin' About The Good Times [03:42]
15. Mr. Evasion [03:30]
16. Walking Through My Dreams [03:37]
17. S.F. Sorrow Is Born [03:07]
18. Trust [02:47]
19. Old Man Going [03:07]
20. Loneliest Person [01:27]
21. Scene One [01:51]
22. Grass [04:20]
23. Cold Stone [03:08]
24. October 26 [04:52]
25. Mr. Tambourine Man [04:21]

CD 2 - Live @ The 100 Club:

1. Roadrunner [03:19]
2. Judgement Day [02:37]
3. 13 Chester Street [03:07]
4. Big City [02:34]
5. Unknown Blues 04:30]
6. Mama, Keep Your Big Mouth Shut [03:01]
7. Honey, I Need [02:17]
8. Oh Baby Doll [03:04]
9. She's Fine She's Mine [05:20]
10. Don't Lie To Me [04:15]
11. The Moon Is Rising [03:49]
12. Pretty Thing [02:49]

https://burningshed.com/store/madfish/the-pretty-things_greatest-hits_2cd?filter_tag=Greatest Hits&filter_category_id=263

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Greatest-Hits-2-Disc-Version/dp/B074R88M6T?tag=smarturl-gb-21

There is also a single disc version without the live show and this is also available on lp.

 

I love the Pretty Things and though my own personal 'hits' would be different, this is an excellent comp.

And any live Pretty Things is worth having.

 

My compilation would be different as well and it looks like they stopped around the time of Parachute.

It misses A House In The Country which charted for one thing.

I like the songs Havana Bound and Singapore Silk Torpedo but they stopped before they got to those.

 

I've got all the studio records. They've been especially great since they picked it up again in 1998. I find myself listening to 1999's Rage Before Beauty a lot lately.

 

When was the live show recorded?

 

At 6:30pm on the 17th of December, 2010 on a freezing night, The Pretty Things and the recording team from the LMS were sitting outside the 100 Club with their fans, waiting to get in to the venue that had been booked for them more than 6 months previously. Doors were set to open at 7:30 pm. And the reason for the delay? At the 11th hour (a few days previously), a certain Paul McCartney had decided to have a lunchtime showcase at the 100 club, and his crew were still breaking down. Hmmm… looks like "The Beatles" still outrank "The Pretty Things" - nothing ever changes - still the outcasts of rock n roll nearly 50 years later.

Setting up for a major London show in 30 minutes? Impossible… Setting up for a major live recording room on the stage in 30 minutes - Ha Ha Ha… You must be joking!

But The Pretty Things have learned a things or two after 50 years in the trenches and - at 7:45 pm, only 15 minutes late, doors were opened (with poor Bobby Whelan still climbing along the ceiling rafters after rigging the audience mice!) and the fans poured in. Mr. McCartney had packed 410 people into the small club - a record for the recent "Health & Safety" years. When the dust settled, the headcount for The Pretties was 418, popular outcasts, then!

The show was a tribute to the band's first album, entitled "The Pretty Things" and was something that they had never played in its entirety at any point in their career. I won't bang on about it - the show was incredible - 418 people filed in- and floated out. The songs were pin sharp and the band was devastating. Paul (Madden, not McCartney!) captured it brilliantly in impossible conditions.

And here it is for you to enjoy - a piece of rock and roll history - and a band at the height of its' powers, despite the passage of time. Check out the groove of "13, Chester Street" and the thundering energy of "Honey, I Need" - just brilliant.

We chose to wait until the bands 50th Anniversary to release it - it just seemed more appropriate, so it's been sitting waiting for you for a while. Blow the dust off the sleeve, sit back (or jump around!) and enjoy the best band most people never heard of, making real music, in glorious analogue, for the keepers of the flame and lovers of the real truth. Ladies n Gentlemen - "The Pretty Things" playing - "The Pretty Things". Enjoy!

 

It looks like the vinyl has the same track listing as the single disc version.

Madfish | The Pretty Things

 

I can't imagine "Scene One" without "The Good Mr. Square" coming right after it.

 

Any other thoughts on this? I am looked forward to getting it.

 

With the Stones recent blues release we're seeing a revival of these mid 60s jewels. Let's hope more people catch on. More power to The Pretty Things!

 

Does someone know if the lp version of the greatest hits is cut all analogue ? Madfish has done a very good job in reissuing some of the pretties'sixties catalogue in AAA in the last few years. I've only bought the first long player on Madfish and it sound great, very analogue feel. I didn't bought their versions of SF sorrow and parachute as I already have the harvest heritage UK two-fer from 1975 so I was set concerning those two.

Madfish has also made available the Philippe Debarge recordings in the past few weeks. Is this one cut AAA ? I don't know.

 

I have doubts on the Philippe Debarge album being AAA. There's nothing stating it is and they supposedly worked with the tapes a lot. It probably wouldn't have been an easy tape transfer.

 

Wally Waller told me that he worked hard to get Rock St. Trop released and they worked for 3 years on the tapes and getting it released. He is said he is glad that people are enjoying it after all the hard work. He also said there are possibly some more vault releases being discussed but he would give me any hints in case they don't actually get released.

 

Yes! More from the vaults, please.

 

+1

 

I agree, many of the songs off Parachute are blended with each other.

eg. Scene One / The Good Mr. Square / She Was Tall, She Was High
In The Square / The Letter / Rain

 

I`d love to see some more vault releases.

Fruits De Mer Records a UK Psychedelic label is to release two tracks from the last album on a 7" E.P., in January I believe. Link below, the ad for the Pretty Things E.P. is on the right hand side, third row down.

http://www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/

 

Me too! I wonder if they have any vintage live shows on audio or video in the vaults.

I believe Repertoire Records had a compilation release scheduled a year or 2 ago that was supposed to have some rare and unreleased tracks on it but the project was ultimately cancelled.

 

I have Ugly Things CD of the same album. Do i really need to get this new edition? What's the difference?

 

I'm unsure whether the 2LP edition is AAA. I picked it up a couple of weeks ago as one of my regular haunts here in Tokyo had a solitary copy, even though it was not supposed to be officially out. Like you, I have the Madfish vinyl reissue of the debut, and I think it sounds great, too. However, I have their edition of Emotions, and that is not as good, with all sorts of surface noise between some of the tracks. Anyway, there is no information in the 2LP package about whether the pressing is AAA or not, and on first listen there was something about it that didn't quite sit right with me. I've just cleaned it with my Knosti Disco Anti-Stat to see if that helps any. Hope to have another listen at the weekend.

 

2 new tracks were discovered while working on the project and added as bonus tracks on the cd version and it is officially sanctioned by the band. Wally Waller said they worked on the tapes to improve it as best they could. The liner notes are pretty good as well and the booklet has some cool photos.

 

As far as i know UT was sourced from two-sided LP Acetate. Did they found tapes? Anyway, in my opinion this is really weak album

 

Wally Waller talked like they found the actual tapes and worked on them. I actually like the album.

 

The Pretty Things keep rolling on. And long may they do so. I saw the greatest hits CD in HMV but they only had the single disc version and I need the live recording so it looks like going on-line. Will grab the Debarge CD too. I have the Ugly Things version but this looks like a valid upgrade with band involvement so I'm in.

Be wonderful to have some more archive releases if they have the tapes. It is always a joy to find something new from the band. It is such a shame that they are classed as a well-kept secret. They should be a national treasure - well to me they already are.

November looks like being a busy month music-wise so perhaps I should sneak the above releases in straight away. Be nice to hear the Dylan cover before Bob's latest deluxe package arrives.

 

Even after a cleaning the 2LP edition doesn't sound spectacular. Patches of surface noise throughout. Maybe I just got a duff copy. Should have got the 2CD edition. Still, good to have the long version of "Defecting Grey" and the new "Mr. Tambourine Man".

BTW, Mark St. John's sleevenotes unfortunately perpetuate the myth that Parachute was a "Record of the Year" in Rolling Stone. See here for more info, if interested.