The Pretty Things – Rage Before Beauty – CD

Reissue, Remastered, Digipak

THE PRETTY THINGS – ‘RAGE BEFORE BEAUTY’ HAS BEEN REMASTERED & IS BACK IN PRINT ON CD

Led by founding vocalist & guitarist Phil May & Dick Taylor, The Pretty Things, iconic 1st wave R&B cult heroes, created some of the most exciting & innovative records of the sixties, early seventies & beyond. Winners of the very first Mojo Hero Award, the band have been a massive success & a huge influence on artists as diverse as David Bowie, The Ramones, Bob Dylan, The Sex Pistols, The White Stripes & many more.

‘Rage Before Beauty’ was the band’s first album in 19 years & the summation of a near two-decade relationship with newfound manager & producer Mark St. John. Phil & Dick had kept the Pretty Things’ name alive through the ‘80’s & ‘90’s, touring Europe with various line-ups & notching up a few low-key releases, but they’d basically been treading water. After years of toiling in the trenches, the Pretty Things were soaring through the skies again. Their triumphant return was emphasised with this release.

More than an hour in length, the album unveiled some of their strongest material in decades, including the rousing, high energy opener ‘Passion Of Love’, the cool, Bo Diddley-grooved ‘Vivian Prince’, the smart, playful ‘Not Givin’ In’, ‘Pure Cold Stone’, ‘Blue Turns To Red’ & the tender acoustic piece ‘Fly Away’, the latter recorded live in one take. Phil, singing with a new-found resonance, bares his soul on ‘Love Keeps Hangin’. Ronnie Spector also makes a memorable guest appearance alongside Phil on ‘Mony, Mony’— a pair of seasoned veterans still at the top of their game.

1. Passion of Love
2. Vivian Prince
3. Everlasting
4. Love Keeps Hanging On
5. Eve of Destruction
6. Not Givin’ In
7. Pure Cold Stone
8. Blue Turns To Red
9. Goodbye Goodbye
10. Goin’ Downhill
11. Play With Fire
12. Fly Away
13. Mony Mony
14. God Give Me This Strength (To Carry On)