Artist: THE ROLLING STONES
Album: THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES REQUEST REMASTERED (CD)

Release date: 1967/ 2002
EAN/UPS: 00042288232926
Media type: CD

Their Satanic Majesties Request is a psychedelic rock album by The Rolling Stones recorded and released in 1967. Its title is a play on the "Her Britannic Majesty requests and requires..." text that appears inside a British passport.

Richie Unterberger of Allmusic said:
Without a doubt, no Rolling Stones album — and, indeed, very few rock albums from any era — split critical opinion as much as the Rolling Stones' psychedelic outing. Many dismiss the record as sub-Sgt. Pepper posturing; others confess, if only in private, to a fascination with the album's inventive arrangements, which incorporated some African rhythms, Mellotrons, and full orchestration. Never before or since did the Stones take so many chances in the studio [...] It's a much better record than most people give it credit for being, though, with a strong current of creeping uneasiness that undercuts the gaudy psychedelic flourishes. In 1968, the Stones would go back to the basics, and never wander down these paths again, making this all the more of a fascinating anomaly in the group's discography.

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Begun just after Between the Buttons had been released, the recording of Their Satanic Majesties Request was long and sporadic, broken up by court appearances and jail terms. Starting with this release, non-compilation albums from the band would be released in uniform editions across international markets.

Released in December 1967, Their Satanic Majesties Request reached #3 in the UK and #2 in the US (easily going gold), but its commercial performance declined rapidly. It was soon viewed as a pretentious, poorly conceived attempt to outdo The Beatles and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (released June 1967), often explained by drug trials and excesses in contemporary musical fashion, although McCartney and Lennon did provide backing vocals on "Sing This All Together." The album was the first, and only, album produced by the Stones themselves. The production, in particular, came in for harsh criticism from Jon Landau in the fifth edition of Rolling Stone Magazine, and the Stones turned to Jimmy Miller to produce their subsequent albums. The response of the audience and the growing rejection of the flower power scene by Jagger and Richards would mean a turning point for the Stones: in 1968 the Stones would return to the hard driving blues that earned them fame early in their career.

Indeed, admiration and love of the album has grown over the years as a kind of punk rockers' own ragged flipside to the Beatles more cheerful masterpieces from the same period. Songs such as "Citadel" have been covered by a number of young rock bands.

All songs by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, except where noted.


TRACKLIST:

01 "Sing This All Together" – 3:46
John Lennon and Paul McCartney are featured on backing vocals

02 "Citadel" – 2:50
Nicky Hopkins on piano, harpsichord and mellotron

03 "In Another Land" (Bill Wyman) – 3:15
Concludes with a recording of Wyman snoring

04 "2000 Man" – 3:07
Nicky Hopkins on organ

05 "Sing This All Together (See What Happens)" – 8:33
Keith Richards on mellotron for intro, Brian on mellotron for the rest of the track
Contains a hidden coda titled "Cosmic Christmas"

06 "She's a Rainbow" – 4:35
Strings arranged by John Paul Jones

07 "The Lantern" – 4:23
Nicky Hopkins on piano, Brian Jones on organ

08 "Gomper" – 5:08
Brian Jones on electric dulcimer and recorder, Nicky Hopkins - organ, Charlie Watts - tablas

09 "2000 Light Years from Home" – 4:45
Brian Jones on Mellotron
Keith Richards on Bass

10 "On with the Show" – 3:39
Brian Jones on Mellotron and concert harp


LINE-UP:

Mick Jagger - Vocals, Backing Vocals, Percussion, Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards
Keith Richards - Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Mellotron
Brian Jones - Organ, Mellotron, Recorder, Electric Dulcimer, Concert Harp, Backing Vocals, Percussion
Charlie Watts - Drums, Percussion
Bill Wyman - Bass Guitar, Vocals, Backing Vocals, Percussion

Nicky Hopkins - Piano, Organ, Harpsichord, Mellotron
Ronnie Lane - Backing Vocals
Steve Marriott - Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Eddie Kramer - Percussion
Anita Pallenberg - Vocal
John Lennon - Vocal
Paul McCartney - Vocal