Get the Picture?

Editors’ Notes

The Pretty Things’ 1965 sophomore album showed remarkable growth from their throttled garage-rock takes on American R&B to pre-psychedelic freakbeat innovations. But it was wildman drummer Viv Prince who shone brightest on Get the Picture?. Rock lore has it that before a young Keith Moon came into his own style with The Who, he'd stand near the stage during The Pretty Things’ early shows and study Prince’s frenetic and unhinged drum stylings. You can hear this right from the second song, “Buzz the Jerk,” where Prince releases bombastic bursts of rhythmic temper tantrums in between Dick Taylor’s distorted blues leads and John Stax’s driving bass runs. Though The Pretty Things were exploring territory uncharted by their peers, you can still hear salient influences throughout—the sneering title track sounds highly inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis’ disturbing “It’ll Be Me," save for singer Phil May’s cool mod approach on the vocals. The Stonesy “Rainin’ in My Heart” serves as a reminder that Taylor was an original Rolling Stone, while the bonus cut “L.S.D.” hints at forthcoming psychedelia.