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.
With a stripped back & simplified line up, 'Balboa Island' was completed in 2007 by a core unit of four--Phil May, Dick Taylor, Frank Holland & Mark St. John--at Mark's Cote Basque studio using vintage analogue equipment. Most of the songs were rooted in the blues, the final arrangements hashed out on the studio floor then tracked live with Dick playing bass & Frank handling most of the guitar parts. This organic, back- to-basics approach worked especially well on the deep, expansive numbers.
Outside of its dark, bluesy core, though, the album diverged into other territory. 'Balboa Island' is in many ways a coming-of age album for the Pretty Things, acknowledging their roots & recognizing their past discretions while moving into the future with a newfound sense of dignity. "It's almost a wounded piece rather than a proud piece," Phil confessed at the time. "I think this is a very honest album."