The Pretty Things - Emotions (1967) Plus Bonus 24-bit/96kHz
Rock, Pop, Psychedelia | 1979 Dutch re-issue | Fontana 6438 215
In accordance with their label's (and not the band's) wishes, the Pretties were teamed with a middle-aged orchestra directed by Reg Tilsley on this album, which saw the Phil May-Dick Taylor songwriting team making an effort to move beyond R&B knockoffs into more sophisticated territory. Sometimes the arrangements (dubbed onto tracks without much involvement from the group) worked; more often, they were an unnecessary hindrance. An interesting failure, it contained some genuinely top-rank originals that saw the group expanding their vision into social observation and tentative psychedelia, including "My Time," "The Sun," and especially the moody, folk-rock-ish "Death of a Socialite." Richie Unterberger, Allmusic.
Track listing:
01. Death of a Socialite
02. Children
03. The Sun
04. There Will Never be Another Day
05. House of Ten
06. Out In The Night
07. One Long Glance
08. Growing In My Mind
09. Photographer
10. Bright Lights In The City
11. Tripping
12. My Time
Bonus tracks:
Fontana single TF 773
13. Progress (1966)
14. Buzz The Jerk (1965)
Fontana single TF 585 (1965)
15. Cry To Me
16. Get a Buzz
Fontana single TF 537 (1965)
17. Honey, I Need
18. I Can Never Say
Fontana single TF 503 (1964)
19. Don't Bring Me Down
20. We'll Be Together
Recorded at Philips Studios, London.
1-13 produced by Steve Rowland, orchestral accompaniment directed by Reg Tilsley.
Technicals:
Knosti RCM.
Michell GyroDec full version.
Funk Firm FXR II Tonearm.
Audio Technica AT33PTG/II MC Cartridge.
Harman Kardon HK990 Integrated Amplifier.
Gold Interconnects. E-MU 0204 Audio Interface.
Recording, split and manual de-click with Adobe Audition 3.0.1
Click Repair 3.9.1
Vinyl transfer by son-of-albion, January 2014