I've noticed that myself and childjjf are the only two people who listed this in their top 5 favourite RS albums.
Why does this album not make your top 5? How does Tattoo You, Emotional Rescue, VL and Steel Wheels beat this gem of an album?
I relize that the poll is subject to peoples taste, but I'm somewhat bewildered that TSMR is getting no respect. I'd just like to hear opinions on why....thanks.
Lets face it, it's crap. It was a silly phase the boys went through and with the exception of She's A Rainbow and 2000 Light Years from home, they've rightfully forgotten about it. Personally, I'm not even TOO keen on those two songs!
Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. Now that’s a TRUE psychedelic masterpiece.
Citadel has a nice meaty riff, but not a lot else for me. On With The Show has a certain charm to it, but the LP just reaks of hours upon hours of wasted opportunities as far as I'm concerned.
If We Love You and Dandelion had been thrown on the album (as was planned until the last minute, I read somewhere), if Sing This Altogether (See What Happens) was dropped or shortened or improved, if Child of the Moon also made it to the album (hmm ... don't know if COTM was recorded in '67 or '68), if Gomper was given a more dignified name, if 2000 Man opened Side 2, and if Bill's snoring closed Side One instead of Cosmic Christmas . . . I think Satanic might be more appreciated today.
The rock'n'roll groove we hear on Citadel is another thing I wanna mention. Me I like the era, with Dandelion, Child Of The Moon (recorded in 67 but released in 68) & the whole Between The Buttons-album & Flowers And 2,000 LYFH is like a magnet, which attracts hobos like me to the band. It's mystical suggestiveness is not too far away from Gimme Shelter's. Wanna place PIB in the same category... Even Satisfaction has that magical, glimmery touch... But I understand they had their weak periods live also in 67. Too much media fuzz I reckon... The period 1965-69/70/72 in Stones/Glimmers song writing history is just untouchable. We probably agree, 99,9% of us, that Majesties has some way way too long partly fillings of trash, thats not the point.
The problem is, it is not a freaked out record at all, it tries to be. Brian is great as always and I love the Lantern and Gomper becasuse it is good music. They are the two best tracks on that record for me. Citadel is nice and 2000 light years is the hit. Shes a rainbow is ok but too childish. Mick tried to be hip and cool but wasnt and blamed the project on Brian whichj is nonsense of course. Brian made great music on this one too but it is Micks idiotic attempts at being a leader that ruins it. On with the show, bla bla bla.
Shes A Rainbow is ruined by that minute of noise at the begining. I never like the song much anyway and have never unsderstood the apeal of 2000 Light Years From Home.
We Love You was their finest moment in '67. I'd of thought the boys were pretty dissapointed when it flopped in the singles chart on both sides of the Atlantic. In the UK at least, it was their poorest performing single since I Wanna Be Your Man in 1963.
Thank ya, LA, forgot The Lantern... And Bill's In Another Land really smokes, although its the most genuine psychedelic piece on the album.
Heres a nice piece of lyric from the period:
The wind blows rain into my face The sun glows at the end of the highway Child of the moon, rub your rainy eyes Oh, child of the moon Give me a wide-awake crescent-shaped smile
She shivers, by the light she is hidden She flickers like a lamp lady vision Child of the moon, rub your rainy eyes Child of the moon Give me a wide-awake crescent-shaped smile
The first car on the foggy road riding The last star for my lady is pining Oh, child of the moon, bid the sun arise Oh, child of the moon Give me a misty day, pearly gray, silver, silky faced, Wide-awake crescent-shaped smile (From Keno´s)http://www.keno.org/stones_lyrics/childofthemoon.html
It's REALLY grown on me and the better the re -released CD's sound the better I like it. A few songs kinda suck but the rest bring something to the party...a few are in the "top Notch" group of Stones songs - love the cover BTW. Yo Bingo, did not forget about you, did some research on your hotel and such, E coming back within 24 hours with a lot of info.....effing board is dead today, think EVERYONE went to London......
Wow I like Monkeylad comment about if a few singles around that time were on Satanic. We Love You, Dandelion & Child Of The Moon in place of Sing all together reprise.& On With Show. Now that would of been a good album.
We Love You, Citadel, 2000 Man, Child Of The Moon, Lantern, 2000 Light Years, Dandelion, In Another Land, Gomper, She's A Rainbow
Of course thats all history & 20/20 hindsight but it would of really moved that album up to very very good. MEZ
good album just didn't make my top 5. i love sing this song altogether, citadel, she's a rainbow, gomper, 2000 man and dandelion, we love you and child of the moon from the same period. bill wyman's song literally kills the album lol.
i think ace frehley does an excellent cover of 2000 man.
love it or loathe it I think it represents the times during which it was recorded, an exciting and yet threatening period within the band and globally. I think one of the reasons the world at large is dismissive of Satanic Majesties is the tiring and tiresome comparisons with the Beatles output Sgt Pepper. I still think Satanic Majesties stands the test of time at least for me it does, and music like everything else is subjective and personal; "Before they make me runnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn"
It's my favourite album of all time. I think Beggars, LIB & Fingers are probably better musically but Satanic Majesties just floats my boat every time.
The reasons I think this is a gem, start from the begining to the end of the album.
SING THIS ALL TOGETHER...is a nice way to open the album, I like the hippyish feel to it, would make a nice show opener.
CITADEL...has that nice guitar crunch sound with nice phrasing from Mick. Candy and Taffy.
IN ANOTHER LAND...you either love it or hate it, I like the bridge in this song, continues on the feel of the 60's.
2000 MAN....this is a classic, why The Stones don't play this in concert is a mystery. This could alternate in the slots that As Tears Go By and Ruby Tuesday take up.
SING THIS ALL TOGETHER (SEE WHAT HAPPENS) ...Hippyish Indian feel, classic 60's stuff.
SHE'S A RAINBOW...I agree, the vocal begining part should have been canned, they add nothing to an otherwise great song. This is another song that should see life in concert.
THE LANTERN...I love this spacy song, as most of the songs on this album, LSD seems to been an influnce.
GOMPER...Like In Another Land, you either hate this song or like it...it is what it is.
2000 LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME...LOVE this epic Rolling Stones tune, I was glad when they paired this up with SFTD during the Steel Wheels tour. A great 1-2 punch live.
ON WITH THE SHOW...weak song of the album, goofy.
I love this album, probably because I was introduced to it in the late 70's when we were smoking a ton of weed and enjoying other substances. I never lost my love for this psychedelic album, I just wish they would be adventurous and play more of these songs live.
I like this album, with the exception of Sing this all together. Light years is magnificent and She´s a rainbow is lovely (but who ruins it with some awful noise in the end?), I have always had a thing for Gomper (at least the first half), Citadel is cool and WHY do they not play 2000 Man!? Great song! Hmm. Have to listen to it again very soon.
I really dig Sing This All Together for some reason. I can just imagine the Stones all sitting in a circle with their instruments singing this. It's a pure and simple song that I interpret as being about making music. Imagine if a concert were opened with this, albeit in a somewhat different format.
You'd get everyone singing together and having a wonderful time!