Oh, you Pretty Things....

January 28th – Whatever happened to The Pretty Things? I can still sing their track, “Don’t Bring Me Down’. Excellent record for its day (1965) done by a, seemingly, great band who were, also seemingly, destined for greatness. With Dick Taylor, born in 1943 on this day, on guitar and, eventually, Viv Prince on drums and at a time when the Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac, two bands very much out of the same stable (play ‘I Just Wanna Make Love To You’ – Rolling Stones, ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’ – Pretty Things and ‘Shake Your Money Maker’ – Fleetwood Mac back-to-back to get the grip) and with both these aforementioned bands just getting recognition, the Pretty Things always seemed to be just off the cusp. Their no-nonsense treatment of blues standards and a reputation for hard living (justified or not) meant they were a band to take notice of. Often seems to be the case; that the band most likely to turns out to be the band most likely not to.

All of us know bands that deserved to make it after a most promising start, as well as a list of those that didn't…deserve to make it that is…and for my money, the Pretty Things were in the fist category. They and several others of their time and ilk were the ones who made rock interesting…entertaining even. Who served notice on the suggestion that they don’t make rock stars like they used and laid the trail for Mr. Moon? Well, Viv Prince, Pretty Things’ (drummer, remember) set fire to a bag of crayfish on a NZ internal flight. Nothing wrong with that as I see it; just another day in the life of a rock star – probably fancied a barbie. Nowadays, it seems, most touring bands are tucked up with a hot cocoa at 23.00 after dining in on tofu and wheat germ spread on a crispbread…with plenty of healthy salad. Mr. Zappa would have a field day with that.

Oh, and on this day in 1968, Jim Morrison, of The Doors fame? He was arrested in an adult movie theatre after threatening a security guard; probably with one hand; always thought he was a tosser.

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: - Who Said?

1) “A vile, hideous human being with no redeeming qualities.”

Boy George on Madonna

2) “He looks like Zorro on doughnuts.”

Noel Gallagher on Jack White

3) “A little short ego-ed fucker who, I had a feeling, didn't like people of his own race and wanted to be white and taller.”

Rick James on Prince

4) “They are the dictionary definition of corporate rock. The singer is about as weird as Phil Collins. They are career rock personified. EMI should’ve signed Otis the Aardvark instead. At least he only sucks his thumb rather than corporate cock.”

Alan McGee on Coldplay

5) “He said he wanted to bring ballet to the working classes. What a cunt.”
Paul Weller on Freddie Mercury

6) “I get really tired of their pompousness. We've played some shows with them and they really treat people like shit. People treat them like they’re the greatest thing ever and they get away with it… They have good tunes, but they’re pricks, so fuck ‘em.”

Wayne Coyne on Arcade Fire