Their Satanic Majesties Request should have been the Stones' psychedelic-era Magnum Opus - a kaleidoscope hit-filled masterpiece. Instead of the slipshod and erratic curio that it is in the Stones storied catalogue, if correctly sequenced and properly thought out the album could have been an epochal blast, a genre-defining miracle.

Satanic Majesties had an intensely dark, trippy, druggy feel. Some of the individual numbers were brilliant, some were self-indulgent rubbish that could only be concocted by a band of disconnected Rock Royalty eviscerating their superego with hash and acid and drifting on the dying wave of an ephemeral Zeitgeist. The fact that Satanic Majesties came toward the tail-end of a fading, over-commercialized fad (psychedelia) and that it followed an epoch-defining work by their main rivals (Sgt. Pepper - not to mention the Moody's superb Days of Future Passed, and many other top-notch psychedelic-era offerings from bands as diverse as Pink Floyd and the Byrds) only served to expose its weaknesses. Granted, most of its failings were needlessly self-imposed.

Yet it could have all been so different. Imagine if the Stones had focused and edited, concentrated on quality, and put everything they had into it - including disjointed singles and B-sides recorded in this era - and the album track listing had been:

Side one (Sunrise and Light)

1. We Love You
2. Dandelion
3. Citadel
4. 2000 Man
5. She's a Rainbow

Side two (Sunset and Darkness)

1. Sing This All Together
2. Child of The Moon (recorded July+October 1967)
3. The Lantern
4. Gomper
5. 2000 Light Years from Home

*with hidden last track for the CD age: Sing This Altogether (see what happens)

This album has it all - a distinct feel, potential mega-hits (2000 Light Years, Child of the Moon, Dandelion, We Love You, She's a Rainbow), strange tangents (Gomper, The Lantern, Citadel), narcotized epics (2000 Man, Sing This Altogether, and again 2000 Light Years and We Love You), and a narrative that takes one from beginning to end on a fascinating journey - starting bright and flowery and getting progressively darker and stranger until the final, heroic statement...2000 Light Years From Home.

This Satanic Majesties would be revered today as an absolute masterwork and a precursor to the so-called Golden Era; a bridge from the Stones hit-single-filled early and mid-60's era to their album-oriented full-flowering as the world's greatest rock and roll band. The album would have closed the psychedelic era with a blast of wild color and would have been a worthy bookend to Sgt. Pepper...in fact it might be its smutty, long-lost bastard brother.

Listen to the album with the presented track listing and be astonished at what could have been. It will blow your mind.

Diamond rings, Vaseline, you gave me disease, well, I lost a lot of love over you.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-08-11 05:40 by Turd On The Run.

Not bad, but I'd replace "Gomper" with "In Another Land".

I agree with your review, that's i always thought and i'm agree with Elmo
also In another land is better that Gomper.






HMN

HMN

Satanic Majesties is absolute masterwork !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[www.iorr.org]


honestman check this !!!!!!

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Turd On The Run

This album has it all .

All apart from more than 4 or 5 good songs.

Doesnt matter which way you dress it up or change the track listing. With a small number of exceptions, the Stones simply werent writing many good songs in 1967. Certainly a dip in quality from what had gone before and not a patch on what they put out once they started working with Jimmy Miller .

'Child of the Moon' is a great song and while it was first cut in 1967 but it was very embryonic. The released version wasnt cut until March 1968, as far as I'm aware.

@Vancouver

Too much work to do it...maybe later


@Gazza

I'm always amazed that 2000 man was not mentioned in the reviews.
2000 man is for me the most underated song from this Album.

HMN

HMN

Hmmm... leave Gomper alone. It's a real "Brian Jones - track". His ultimate recording moment.

Long time ago I've found a site only about Their Satanic Majesties Request. It was about the album cover and the tracks on the album. I've lost the site. Does anyone know which site it is and the URL?

For some reason I love this album.

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DiamondDog7
Hmmm... leave Gomper alone. It's a real "Brian Jones - track". His ultimate recording moment.

Long time ago I've found a site only about Their Satanic Majesties Request. It was about the album cover and the tracks on the album. I've lost the site. Does anyone know which site it is and the URL?

Agree for the respect we should have for Brian, but sorry to say that Bill's song is better! for me...

HMN

HMN

Gomper isn't really Brian's song. Those that don't like it should blame Jagger and Richard. I love it though so I ain't looking for anyone to blame.

Satanic could have been a whole lot better(the released and unreleased tracks prove that!), but given the trauma of that year(a lot less crap broke up many a band), the album is cool as f**k!!!

It is my 2nd favourite Rolling Stones album.

should be a masterpiece----but shocked most of their fans who are "with" them from 1963-1967--til december.burried Satanic--I like 3 songs Shes a rainbow---2000 man--in another land, the rest is just shit. They come back in may 1968--with Jumping jack flash---and great albums
Even "We love you" and "Dandelion" could safe "Satanic"
Only the 3 D Cover

under the boardwalk---down by the sea

Always loved this album. I never understood why people got so het up about it. It's part of the Stones' rich tapestry of music. Self indulgent in parts, yes, but then wasn't Sgt Pepper in places too. I mean, Within You Without. The Stones did the whole psychedelic thing magnificently. Had We Love You and Child Of The Moon been on it instead of Gomper and Sing This All Together (See What Happens) it would have been hailed as a masterpiece.
The weirdest thing for me was finding out that Brian hated it and wanted a return to the blues. As a teenager I always thought he was the architect of it.

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Honestman

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DiamondDog7
Hmmm... leave Gomper alone. It's a real "Brian Jones - track". His ultimate recording moment.

Long time ago I've found a site only about Their Satanic Majesties Request. It was about the album cover and the tracks on the album. I've lost the site. Does anyone know which site it is and the URL?

Agree for the respect we should have for Brian, but sorry to say that Bill's song is better! for me...

HMN

Sorry, I've said it wrong. With Brian's song I mean; all those instruments he's playing and solo he's playing. That's what I mean by Brian's song.

I cannot believe you'd get rid of 'In Another Land' for 'Gomper'. 'On With The Show' is another good track that should be on the album. Gomper is a jam that goes on too long like a Led Zep drum solo.

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vancouver
Satanic Majesties is absolute masterwork !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

why??????

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DiamondDog7

Sorry, I've said it wrong. With Brian's song I mean; all those instruments he's playing and solo he's playing. That's what I mean by Brian's song.

Brian played electric dulcimer and recorder on it.

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DiamondDog7

Long time ago I've found a site only about Their Satanic Majesties Request. It was about the album cover and the tracks on the album. I've lost the site. Does anyone know which site it is and the URL?

I assume you mean the site with stuff about the double box sets?

You'll find links to those in my lil Satanic Sessions HQ thread...

[www.iorr.org]

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His Majesty

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DiamondDog7

Long time ago I've found a site only about Their Satanic Majesties Request. It was about the album cover and the tracks on the album. I've lost the site. Does anyone know which site it is and the URL?

I assume you mean the site with stuff about the double box sets?

You'll find links to those in my lil Satanic Sessions HQ thread...

[www.iorr.org]

Thanks, Majesty. That wasn't it.

It was a website , all in style of Their Satanic Majesties Request cover. And what I could remember...; it was about the album of course, but also about the figures/illustrations and drawings on the albums. Each detail with an explanation...
Sorry if it sounds rather vague...

that's a very good thread imo.
love turd's tracklisting!

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DiamondDog7

...It was a website , all in style of Their Satanic Majesties Request cover. And what I could remember...; it was about the album of course, but also about the figures/illustrations and drawings on the albums. Each detail with an explanation...
Sorry if it sounds rather vague...

I've seen this site some years ago,i've tried a search
no result, maybe the site is down

HMN

HMN

hey turd, great post. totally agree. i've got on the Ipod like this...

We Love You
Child of the Moon
Citadel
Sing this All Together
In Another Land
2000 Man

Dandelion
She's a Rainbow
The Lantern
2000 Light Years from Home
Gomper
Jumpin' Jack Flash

a few years back, i learned how to play the first part of Gomper on mandolin. very beautiful tune to play that way. very haunting.

My second favorite Stones-album (Beggars Banquet being number 1). A real freak-out and way cooler than album they tried to copy. For me it's a major inspiration. I love Citadel, 2000 Man, She's A Rainbow and 2000 Lightyears. I even love Gomper! We Love You and Dandelion sure belong on the album.

I think that it's very underrated even though it's getting more credit nowadays. Brian Jones never liked it very much musically. But I strongly believe that he enjoyed recording it since his playing is outstanding. Also, he and Keith is said to have been close during the sessions and Brian would have liked that.

Agree that replacing the most self-indulgent parts would have made it a better effort
Anyway, I like it a lot for what it is. Together with all the Satanic outtakes, it's an intriguing listen

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Honestman
@Vancouver

Too much work to do it...maybe later


@Gazza

I'm always amazed that 2000 man was not mentioned in the reviews.
2000 man is for me the most underated song from this Album.

HMN

Agreed. Its a good song thats probably the most overlooked on the whole record.

Great post!!!

...shoulda, wooulda, coulda.

I agree with a little track tweaking, this would be the "pyschedelic" album all others would be compared too. I think Sing This Song Altogether (See What Happens) dragged this album down. Songs like She's A Rainbow, 2000 Light Years, Citadel, 2000 Man are solid if not great songs. If Dandelion, We Love You & Child of The Moon were added, this would have been a classic. A good album, but a great opportunity lost.

It's so very lonely, you're 2,000 Light Years from home

I like Citadel, 2000 Man, The Lantern, 2000 Light Years from Home and She’s A Rainbow. Basically, there are five good tracks – the rest is tosh of the highest order.

I'd get sub out In Another Land, Sing This All Together (See What Happens), The Lantern and Gomper and sub in Dandelion, We Love You, and Child of the Moon. Not a masterpiece, but a lot better than the released album.

Side 1
We Love You
Citadel
2000 Man
Dandelion
Child of the Moon

Side 2
Sing This All Together
She's a Rainbow
2000 Light Years
On with the Show