Biography
Pretty Things are an English rock band, formed in 1963 in London. They took their name from Willie Dixon’s 1955 song “Pretty Thing”. A pure rhythm and blues band in their early years, with several singles charting in the United Kingdom, they later embraced other genres such as psychedelic rock in the late 1960s (with 1968 S.F. Sorrow being one of the first rock operas), hard rock in the early 1970s and new wave in the early 1980s. Despite this, they never managed to recapture the same level of commercial success of their very first releases. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Things
Album & Cover
Freeway Madness is the sixth album by the English rock band Pretty Things released in the UK in 1972 and in the US in January 1973 by Warner Bros. Records. It’s the second album without founding member Dick Taylor and the first without bassist Wally Waller as a full member, who had been with the band since the band’s 1967 album Emotions. However, he did produce the album, as well as sing vocals on one of the tracks. Since he worked as a producer for EMI at the time, he appears on this album under the alias “Asa Jones”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeway_Madness
The album is about the endless touring around the US for fame and fortune. The cover shows how claustrophobic it is and shows all the different members of the band squashed into the same car. The current members of the band who recorded the album are photographed on the right and all the previous members since the band’s formation are on the left. Aubrey Powell says that the band’s leader Phil May was a regular tennis partner with Storm Thorgerson.
Cover Location: Hipgnosis Studio, London, UK
Who Did What: Cover Design – Hipgnosis/P. May. Photography – A. Powell. Hand Tinting – M. Tate
Label: Warner Bros. K46190(UK), Warner Bros. BS2680(US)
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell
Tracklist
| Side One Love Is Good Havana Bound Peter Rip Off Train Over The Moon |
Side Two Religions Dead Country Road Allnight Sailor Onion Soup Another Bowl? |
Credits
Bass – Stuart Brooks
Drums – Skip Alan
Lead Guitar – Pete Tolson
Pedal Steel Guitar – Gordon Huntley
Producer – Asa Jones
Vocals – John Povey, Phil May
Written-By – Pete Tolson (tracks: A2, A4, B1 to B5), Phil May
