The unequivocal psychedelic Rock opera gets new life once more in the form of a brand-new reissue via Madfish. Touted as the world’s first Rock opera & one of the great classics of the psychedelic era, the album stands favourable comparison with ‘Sgt Pepper’ & ‘Piper At The Gates Of Dawn’ as one of the defining records of its time.
Recorded at Abbey Road in 1967 & 1968, it was one of the first true concept albums that pre-dates The Who’s ‘Tommy’ by a year. Exploring the life of a single character & his journey in learning to trust people & ultimate disillusionment, ’S.F. Sorrow’ is like none that have come before it. Walking the line between experimental rock, psychedelic pop & even sharing similarities with proto–Heavy Metal the album was years ahead of its time & still stands atop as one of the most pivotal concept albums ever.
Beginning with ‘S.F. Sorrow Is Born’, the track introduces the protagonist via folk leaning acoustic guitar. Later on in the album, proto–Heavy Metal tendencies are revealed on ‘Balloon Burning’. ‘Well Of Destiny’s swirling progressive tendencies bleed into ‘Trust’ before the melancholic yet profound closure of ‘Loneliest Person’
This year the band celebrate their sixtieth birthday and have recently released ‘The Complete Studio Albums’ LP Set that chronicles the band’s storied career.
