Pretty Things

Complete with six bonus tracks, the Pretty Things's fifth album remains one of their most ambitious and elaborate studio projects, with the opening suite-like flow that runs from "The Good Mr. Square" to "Rain" showing that this was possibly the only band of its time to rival the invention and scope of the Beatles. Containing some of their most accomplished songs, notably such groovy pop ballads as "She Was Tall, She Was High," "Grass," "She's A Lover" and the refined R&B of "Cries From The Midnight Circus," singer Phil May is in splendid form here. This one was chosen as record of the year by Rolling Stone when that paper still possessed immense street cred. Finally, after all these years it's possible to check out Parachute again and to hear why.