''Sittin' Pretty'' is the second album by the Scottish band

the Pastels The Pastels are an indie rock group from Glasgow formed in 1981. They were a key act of the Scottish and British independent music scenes of the 1980s, and are specifically credited for the development of an independent and confident music scen ...

, released in 1989.

Critical reception

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'' wrote that "while there's nothing new in ''Sittin' Prettys off-key awkwardness and gawky grooves (for the first time, the Pastels sound like they're consciously trying to sound like themselves), this outing from the monsters of twee is not without its gems." ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' wrote that the album "has melodies as simple as nursery rhymes, cut to shreds by brazen, bullying guitar solos."

Martin C. Strong Martin Charles Strong (born 1960 in Musselburgh) is a Scottish music historian known for compiling discographies of popular music including ''The Great Rock Discography''. Strong has been described in broadsheet newspaper profiles as a "compile ...

wrote that the album "featured some of the sweetest, juiciest moments in The Pastels' chequered career." '' The Herald'' called the album "a small but perfectly formed eccentricity in which the spirits of

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...

Jonathan Richman Jonathan Michael Richman (born May 16, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970, he founded the Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key acoustic an ...

, and

the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionis ...

combine in wistful splendour."

Track listing

Personnel

*Stephen Pastel – guitar, vocals, design *Brian Taylor – guitar *Martin Hayward – bass, guitar *Bernice Simpson – drums *Annabel Wright – keyboards, design, vocals *David Keegan – guitar *Sophie Pragnell – viola *

Eugene Kelly Eugene Kelly (born 9 August 1965) Eugene Kelly allmusic biography. is a Scottish musician who is a member of the group The Vaselines, a founding member of the now disbanded Eugenius and has had a number of solo releases. Eugene Kelly formed Th ...

– vocals *Nicole Geddes – cello *Richard Mazda – harmonica, percussion, producer, autoharp *Neil Ross & Mark Smith – engineer *Dougie McBride – photography

References

{{Authority control 1989 albums The Pastels albums Albums produced by Richard Mazda