#293 - Their Satanic Majesties Request by The Rolling Stones (1967) - Album Archives | The Vault of Music History

Episode Transcript
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(00:34):
Let's set the stage.
The Rolling Stones were in turmoil.
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were both facing drug charges.
Long time manager Andrew Oldham, who shaped their rebel image, was out the door.
In the studio sessions, total chaos.
Olympic studios in London became a circus of hangers on, drugs and endless jamming.

(00:57):
Keith later called it a mess.
In Brian Jones, the band's resident eccentric, he was spiraling.
Contributing flashes of brilliance but barely holding it together.
By 1967, the Rolling Stones were rockin' Rolls-Bad Boys.
Turning out gritty hits like satisfaction and paint a black.
But the summer of love was in full swing, and the Beatles had just dropped Sergeant Pepper's

(01:19):
Lonely Hearts Club band.
Rewriting the rulebook for what a rock album could be.
The Stones, and never one to be outdone, decided to take a sharp left turn from their bluesy
roots and plunge headfirst into psychedelia.
Their result?
Their satanic magisties request, an album that's as divisive as it is fascinating.

(01:39):
Welcome to Album Archives, where we dive into the top 300 albums of all time, as voted

(02:02):
on by fans of the music rewind podcast.
I'm your host Steve Epley, and today we're stepping into the kaleidoscope chaos of 1967
with number 293.
Their satanic majesties request by the Rolling Stones.
This is the Stones like you've never heard them before or maybe since.
So grab a seat, turn up the volume and let's get weird.

(02:22):
The album kicks off with Sing This All Together, a communal chant that feels like a hazy
invitation to a cosmic campfire.
It's got tambourines, horns and a vibe that screams "we're all in this together" but
let's be real.
It's a bit unfocused.
Like the Stones were, trying to channel hate asbury without leaving London.

(02:42):
The track sets the tone though, ambitious, experimental, a little sloppy, completely fascinating.
What makes this album stand out is its sonic palette.
Brian Jones was the secret weapon here, pulling out every instrument in his arsenal.
The guitar, melaton, flute, even a thereman.
Listen to In Another Land, where Bill Wyman takes lead vocals for the only time in Stone's

(03:06):
history.
It's a dreamy underwater soundscape with harpsichords and phasing effects.
Wild.
Wyman wrote it as a joke, but Jagger and Richards encouraged its inclusion after adding their
own touches, becoming one of the albums hidden gems.
Then there's 2000 light years from home.

(03:37):
This is the Stones at their psychedelic peak, spacey, sinister and cinematic.
Mix vocals drift over a droning baseline and Brian's haunting melaton.
A music video was made, shot in greeny color with fish eye lenses, pure acid trip goodness.
It's no surprise this track became a staple for sci-fi soundtracks later on.

(03:58):
I encourage everyone to find that one on YouTube.
But not everything lands.
Gompere feels like a stone jam that went on too long, and the lantern is pretty forgettable
to be honest.
The albums closer, on with the show, is a music hall romp that feels like a wink, like the

(04:23):
Stones saying "Alright, back to business."
It's charming but a bit out of place.
And finally there's Shizu Rainbow, an absolute burst of technicolor brilliance.
This track is pure joy, with a sparkling piano dancing around mixed playful vocals.
The strings are ranged by John Paul Jones.
Yes, that John Paul Jones.

(04:43):
At a lush, almost baroque finish.
It's the Stones that their most unapologetically pop, yet it never feels out of place in this
psychedelic stew of an album.
The songs vivid imagery and infectious melodies make it a timeless anthem, one that still lights
up playlists, commercials, and even movie soundtracks.
It's proof that the Stones would go toe-to-toe with the Beatles, and crafting a perfect pop

(05:05):
jam.
So why this mixed bag of songs?
Part of it is the band's lack of focus.
Without olden discipline, sessions dragged on, and making Keith were often at odds.

(05:26):
They were also playing catch-up to the Beatles, and sometimes it shows.
Sergeant Pepper was a tightly crafted masterpiece.
The Titanic Majesty's feels like a glorious experiment that didn't always gel.
Critics at the time were brutal, calling it a knockoff.
Even the band distanced themselves later, Keith famously calling it "a load of crap."
But their Satanic Majesty's request does deserve a second look, and here's why.

(06:09):
It's the Stones that their most adventurous, taking risks like they'd never take again.
Sure, it's messy, but the raw energy gives it charm.
The album's 3D cover, a lenticular image of the band and wizard rose with hidden Beatles
faces, screams 1967.
It's a time capsule of a moment when rock was limitless.

(06:29):
Let's touch for a moment on that album title, too.
Their Satanic Majesty's request got its name from a playful and provocative phrase inspired
by the text found inside British passports at the time.
The passport wording read, "Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests to the name of
her Majesty."
The band tweaked this formal language to create the album title as a tongue-in-cheek nod to

(06:53):
authority while evoking a mischievous, almost devilish vibe that aligned with the album's
psychedelic and experimental tone.
The Satanic part was likely added to reflect the counter-culture rebellion of the era, as
well as to capitalize on the mystiques surrounding the Stones' darker image, though it was
more satirical than literal.

(07:13):
Now where does Satanic Majesty's fit in the Stones' massive catalog?
It's not their best.
That's a battle between aftermath, exile, or sticky fingers, in my opinion, but it's
their boldest detour, a snapshot of a band throwing caution to the wind.
After this, they'd returned to their roots with beggars banquet and cement their legend.
But for one fleeting moment, they were cosmic explorers, and we are lucky to have that

(07:37):
evidence.
That's it for this edition of Album Archives.
If you enjoyed it, please share it with a friend or leave a review wherever you listen.

(08:01):
Next up is #292.
Come Away With Me by Nora Jones.
Check out the top albums list on musicreewindpodcast.com to see where we are and where we are headed.
For now, I'm Steve Epley, and as I always say, listen to the full album.
Until next time.

(08:24):
A Podcast from the Sidereal Media Group, Back To You Anchors

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#293 - Their Satanic Majesties Request by The Rolling Stones (1967)

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