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S.F. Sorrow is the title of a 1968 LP
Gramophone record

A gramophone record is an analog signal sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed modulated spiral groove usually starting near the periphery and ending near the centre of the disc....
 by the British rock group The Pretty Things.

One of the first rock concept album
Concept album

In popular music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical". Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being musical improvisation or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing to narrative....
s, S.F. Sorrow was based on a short story by singer-guitarist Phil May. The album is structured as a song cycle, telling the story of the main character, Sebastian F. Sorrow, from birth through love, war, tragedy, madness, and the disillusionment of old age.

Although the album is also a Rock Opera
Rock opera

A rock opera is a musical work that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are unrelated to each other in terms of storyline....
, it has been stated by The Who
The Who

The Who are an England Rock music band formed in 1964. The primary lineup was guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon....
 that it had no major influence on Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend

Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend , is an English rock and roll guitarist, singer, songwriter, composer, and writer, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for The Who, as well as for his own solo career....
 and his writing of their album Tommy
Tommy (rock opera)

Tommy is the fourth album by the English Rock music band The Who. A double album telling a loose story about a "deaf, dumb, and blind boy" who becomes the leader of a messianic movement, Tommy was the first musical work to be billed overtly as a rock opera....
 (1969).

The songs were recorded over several months during 1967 at EMI
EMI

The EMI Group is a United Kingdom music company comprising the major record label EMI Music ? which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in London, England, United Kingdom ? and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York City....
's famous Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios

Abbey Road Studios, established in November 1931 by EMI in London, England, is a recording studio located at number 3 Abbey Road , in St John's Wood in the City of Westminster....
 in London, during the same period when The Beatles
The Beatles

The Beatles were a rock music and pop music band from Liverpool, England that formed in 1960. During their career, the group primarily consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr ....
 and Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd are an English Rock music band who initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock and space rock music, and later, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music....
 were recording Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is Pink Floyd's debut album and the only one made under Syd Barrett's leadership, although he made some contributions to the follow-up, A Saucerful of Secrets....
 respectively.

Working with noted EMI staff producer Norman "Hurricane" Smith (who had engineered the earlier Beatles recordings) and house engineer Peter Mew
Peter Mew

Peter Mew is a British music audio engineer at the famous Abbey Road Studios where he is now senior mastering engineer. He came to Abbey road in 1965 as a tape operator and has nice worked with many famous artists at the studio....
, the group experimented with the latest sound technology, including the Mellotron
Mellotron

The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphony keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin, which was the world's first sampling keyboard....
 and early electronic tone generators, often employing gadgets and techniques devised on the spot by Abbey Road's technicians.

Phil May has emphatically stated that Smith was the only person at EMI who was fully supportive of the project, and that his technical expertise was invaluable to the effects and sounds on the album; May once even referred to Smith as a "sixth member" of the band.






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Encyclopedia


S.F. Sorrow is the title of a 1968 LP
Gramophone record

A gramophone record is an analog signal sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed modulated spiral groove usually starting near the periphery and ending near the centre of the disc....
 by the British rock group The Pretty Things.

One of the first rock concept album
Concept album

In popular music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical". Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being musical improvisation or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing to narrative....
s, S.F. Sorrow was based on a short story by singer-guitarist Phil May. The album is structured as a song cycle, telling the story of the main character, Sebastian F. Sorrow, from birth through love, war, tragedy, madness, and the disillusionment of old age.

Although the album is also a Rock Opera
Rock opera

A rock opera is a musical work that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are unrelated to each other in terms of storyline....
, it has been stated by The Who
The Who

The Who are an England Rock music band formed in 1964. The primary lineup was guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon....
 that it had no major influence on Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend

Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend , is an English rock and roll guitarist, singer, songwriter, composer, and writer, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for The Who, as well as for his own solo career....
 and his writing of their album Tommy
Tommy (rock opera)

Tommy is the fourth album by the English Rock music band The Who. A double album telling a loose story about a "deaf, dumb, and blind boy" who becomes the leader of a messianic movement, Tommy was the first musical work to be billed overtly as a rock opera....
 (1969).

The songs were recorded over several months during 1967 at EMI
EMI

The EMI Group is a United Kingdom music company comprising the major record label EMI Music ? which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in London, England, United Kingdom ? and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York City....
's famous Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios

Abbey Road Studios, established in November 1931 by EMI in London, England, is a recording studio located at number 3 Abbey Road , in St John's Wood in the City of Westminster....
 in London, during the same period when The Beatles
The Beatles

The Beatles were a rock music and pop music band from Liverpool, England that formed in 1960. During their career, the group primarily consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr ....
 and Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd are an English Rock music band who initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock and space rock music, and later, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music....
 were recording Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is Pink Floyd's debut album and the only one made under Syd Barrett's leadership, although he made some contributions to the follow-up, A Saucerful of Secrets....
 respectively.

Working with noted EMI staff producer Norman "Hurricane" Smith (who had engineered the earlier Beatles recordings) and house engineer Peter Mew
Peter Mew

Peter Mew is a British music audio engineer at the famous Abbey Road Studios where he is now senior mastering engineer. He came to Abbey road in 1965 as a tape operator and has nice worked with many famous artists at the studio....
, the group experimented with the latest sound technology, including the Mellotron
Mellotron

The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphony keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin, which was the world's first sampling keyboard....
 and early electronic tone generators, often employing gadgets and techniques devised on the spot by Abbey Road's technicians.

Phil May has emphatically stated that Smith was the only person at EMI who was fully supportive of the project, and that his technical expertise was invaluable to the effects and sounds on the album; May once even referred to Smith as a "sixth member" of the band. This attitude was in marked contrast to Pink Floyd's unhappiness with Smith.

Personnel

  • Phil May - vocals
  • Dick Taylor
    Dick Taylor

    Richard Clifford 'Dick' Taylor was an early bass guitar player for The Rolling Stones. He left to become an art student at Sidcup Art College and while there formed The Pretty Things in September 1963....
     - lead guitar, vocals
  • John Povey - organ, sitar, percussion, vocals
  • Wally Allen (aka Waller) - bass, guitar, vocals, wind instruments, piano
  • Skip Alan - drums
  • John Charles Alder (aka Twink
    Twink (musician)

    John Charles Alder , better known as Twink, is an England drummer, singer and song writer who was a central figure in the English Psychedelic music movement, and an actor....
    ) - drums


Track listing

All songs written by May, Taylor, Waller except as noted.

Original 1968 release

Side 1
  1. "S.F. Sorrow is Born" – 3:12
  2. "Bracelets of Fingers" – 3:41
  3. "She Says Good Morning" (May, Taylor, Waller, Alder) – 3:23
  4. "Private Sorrow" (May, Taylor, Waller, Povey) – 3:51
  5. "Balloon Burning" (May, Taylor, Waller, Povey) – 3:51
  6. "Death" (May, Taylor, Waller, Alder) – 3:05
Side 2
  1. "Baron Saturday" – 4:01
  2. "The Journey" (May, Taylor, Waller, Alder) – 2:46
  3. "I See You" – 3:56
  4. "Well of Destiny" (Smith, May, Taylor, Waller, Povey, Alder) – 1:46
  5. "Trust" – 2:49
  6. "Old Man Going" (May, Taylor, Waller, Povey, Alder) – 3:09
  7. "Loneliest Person" (May, Taylor, Waller, Alder) – 1:29


2003 CD re-issue

  1. "S.F. Sorrow is Born" – 3:13
  2. "Bracelets of Fingers" – 3:41
  3. "She Says Good Morning" – 3:24
  4. "Private Sorrow" – 3:52
  5. "Balloon Burning" – 3:51
  6. "Death" – 3:06
  7. "Baron Saturday" – 4:01
  8. "The Journey" – 2:46
  9. "I See You" – 3:56
  10. "Well of Destiny" – 1:49
  11. "Trust" – 2:50
  12. "Old Man Going" – 3:10
  13. "Loneliest Person" – 1:30
  14. "Defecting Grey" [Bonus Track] – 4:31
  15. "Mr. Evasion" [Bonus Track] – 3:31
  16. "Talkin' About the Good Times" [Bonus Track] – 3:46
  17. "Walking Through My Dreams" [Bonus Track] (May, Taylor, Waller, Povey) – 3:47


Story/Concept

S.F. Sorrows narrative is different than others in the Rock Opera/Concept Album genre: while Tommy and Pink Floyd's The Wall relay their concept through the lyrics of their songs, The Pretty Things tell the bulk of the story through small paragraph-like chapters which were printed between each song's lyrics in the liner notes of the LP and the CD. These explanatory notes were also read aloud between song performances by Arthur Brown
Arthur Brown (musician)

Arthur Brown is an England rock and roll singer best known for his flamboyant, theatrical style and significant influence on shock-rockers Alice Cooper and Kiss , and for his number one hit in the UK Singles Chart and Canada, "Fire " in 1968....
 during The Pretty Things' only live performance of the opera.

Like Tommy, S.F. Sorrow opens with the birth of the story's protagonist. Sebastian F. Sorrow is born in a small nameless town to ordinary parents in a house called "Number Three." The town is supported by a factory of some sort, referred to as the "Misery Factory." ("S.F. Sorrow is Born") Sorrow, an imaginative boy, has a relatively normal childhood until it ends abruptly when he needs to get a job. He goes to work with his father at the Misery Factory, from which many men have been laid off. This might make S.F. the object of hate in a sense that he might be a scab in the story, or perhaps the young boy who is taking some older man's job. ("Bracelets of Fingers")

Sorrow's life is not yet over, though. Joy still exists for him in the form of a pretty girl across the street. "She says good morning" to him every day, and he thinks about her constantly. This is the factor that keeps him going despite his childhood's abrupt ending. The two fall in love and become engaged, but their marriage plans are cut short when Sorrow is drafted. ("She Says Good Morning")

Sorrow joins a light infantry and goes off to fight in a war, possibly World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
. Sorrow sinks into a daze, living out the entire war in a funk. Soon the sounds of gunfire and artillery become the rhythm to his life in a daydream. He survives the war and settles down in a land called "Amerik" (obviously referring to the country America
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, because the first words of the song Balloon Burning are "New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
"). Sorrow's fiancee travels by a balloon, The "Windenberg" (Hindenberg
LZ 129 Hindenburg

LZ 129 Hindenburg was a large Germany commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship, the lead ship of the Hindenburg class airship, the largest flying machines of any kind ever built....
) to join him, but it bursts into flame at arrival ("Balloon Burning"), killing all aboard. Sorrow is left alone, his beloved fiancee dead ("Death").

Sorrow drifts into a state of depression that leads him on an epic journey to the center of his subconscious. When wandering the streets, he encounters the mysterious Baron Saturday
Baron Samedi

In Vodou or Haitian_Vodou, Baron Samedi is one of the aspects of Baron, one of the loa. He is a loa of the dead, along with Baron's numerous other incarnations Baron Cimeti?re, Baron La Croix, and Baron Kriminel....
 (a figure from Haitian mythology). The black cloaked–Saturday invites Sorrow to take a journey, and then, without waiting for a response, "borrows his eyes" and initiates a trip through the Underworld. ("Baron Saturday")

The trippish quest begins by taking flight into the air, where Sorrow is driven by a whip-cracking Baron Saturday. Sorrow thinks he is flying toward the moon, which would have been lovely as he always had a fascination with it, but instead he sees that it is instead his own face. The Baron pushes him through the mouth of the face and then down the throat where they find a set of oak doors. Saturday throws them open and prompts S.F. Sorrow inside where he finds a room full of mirrors. ("The Journey") Each one of them shows a memory from his childhood, which Baron Saturday suggests that he studies well. After the hall of mirrors comes a long winding staircase which brings him to two opaque mirrors that show him the horrible truths and revelations from his life. ("I See You")

Sorrow is destroyed by his journey; it leads him to understand that no one can be trusted any longer, and that society will only do away with you when you become old and serve it no longer. ("Trust") He is driven into a dark mental seclusion where he suffers from eternal loneliness. Much like The Wall, S.F. Sorrow is the tale of a man who has endured hardships which he uses to build into a mental wall that cuts him off from the rest of the waking world, and leaves them without light. ("Old Man Going") At the end of the album he identifies himself as "the loneliest person in the world." ("Loneliest Person")