Homestead Productions (Hawaiian)
1989
Sittin' Pretty
About This Album
Two sides of the same C-86 coin they may be, but throughout their career, the Pastels produced far more interesting sides than sometime Creation labelmates the Jesus & Mary Chain. Consider the latter's Darklands, a watered down version of their landmark debut, whereas the former buckled up for the bumpy ride of Sittin' Pretty, their notably harder-edged sophomore effort. The record successfully marriages the Velvet Underground's signposts to the breakneck speed of the Ramones, with a big wink to the rockabilly assault of the Cramps. Shop Assistant guitarist David Keegan -- Stephen Pastel's co-label owner at 53rd and 3rd and avid Ramones fan -- is along for the ride, and so is Eugene Kelly, most likely returning the favor of Pastel producing the Vaselines' debut EP. Sittin' Pretty couldn't be mistaken for twee or fey, as the album's original A-side consists of mostly prime garage rockers like "Holy Moly" and "Sit on It Mother." The second half of the record revisits "Baby Honey" territory with the hilarious, but nonetheless menacing "Ditch the Fool." However, the real winner is the album's single that never was: the brilliantly laconic "Nothing to Be Done," with its starring role for sometime Shop Assistants keyboardist Annabel "Aggi" Wright.
Track List

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