The Pretty Things’ second album, Get the Picture?, continues where their debut left off, featuring more raw R&B standards alongside a greater amount of original material from the group. But at this point in their career (still 1965), The Pretty Things were less concerned with song craftsmanship than pure expressive energy and aggression. It’s immediately evident from the opening track, “You Don’t Believe Me” and subsequent tunes “Can’t Stand the Pain” and “We’ll Play House” that the group’s range has grown, but singer Phil May still tears it up with a primal yawp that cares little for the finesse of the pop radio song. In its place, the group adheres to a rough, tough sound where guitars do battle and the singer always sounds frustrated, put-upon, surly and agitated. This angst would find its way into the sound of hundreds of garage bands of the era. Comparisons to the early Rolling Stones are inevitable as well (guitarist Dick Taylor played with the group for a spell). “Rainin’ in My Heart” could easily fit on the Rolling Stones’ own 1965 release Now. Reissues of this collection add songs from singles and EPs for a well-rounded look at the era.
- 1968
- 1967
- 2010
- 1972
- 1974
- Apple Music
- The Knickerbockers
- The Shadows of Knight
- The Remains
- Small Faces
- The Strangeloves
- The Real Kids