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Rating: The Rolling Stones are not my favorite band: in their best lineup (the one with Mick Taylor), they would be around the 10th place among those I listen to most.
However, they are certainly the ones I've been listening to the longest: after all, a first love is never forgotten!
So now that we are talking about them again, both, unfortunately, because of the loss of Charlie Watts and because of the encounter with Maneskin (the Italian group of the moment), I thought of reviewing some of their albums: partly to have the chance to listen to them again, and partly, I hope, to help some younger friend who would like to deepen their knowledge but feels a bit lost given their vast production (the truth is their best period is relatively short).
Why start with "Their Satanic Majesties Request," an album criticized by critics, disowned by the Stones themselves, and not even with my favorite lineup?
Well, for sentimental reasons (it was, among other things, the first LP I bought), because it is a unique example in the British group's production, but above all because it is emblematic of a period when all of Rock was evolving from a phenomenon of pure entertainment to a phenomenon with artistic aspirations. I talk about aspirations because everything began by following a trend: Psychedelia. However, this trend was demanding: it required more expensive instruments, increasingly sophisticated electronic effects were used, complex arrangements with entire orchestral sections were required, song durations were longer, etc. Moreover, psychedelic music presupposed greater involvement of the listener: hence more importance to live concerts, along with the need to replicate fairly faithfully live what had been created in the studio.
This is how evolved Rock genres were born: Progressive, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Jazz Rock, etc. But many were the groups that preferred to return to the origins: to Blues, perhaps enriched with new elements taken from Folk, Country, and World Music. Among these, of course, are our friends, the Rolling Stones.
In "Their Satanic Majesties Request," precisely to incorporate the experiments suggested by the psychedelic trend, much space was given to Brian Jones: the multi-instrumentalist, in search of his role within the group, manages to make his most significant personal contribution here (it will be the last time, then he will end up excluding himself from the project he was one of the founders of).
Bill Wyman will also have the (unique) opportunity to make a contribution as a musician at 360 degrees: afterwards, he would return to limit himself (so to speak) to his role as a bassist.
But despite these elements of uniqueness, in some tracks of the vinyl, the unmistakable "sound" of the Stones of the origins is still recognizable: I am referring especially to "Citadel" and "2000 Light Years from Home" (which will remain for years in the live concert setlist). In other tracks, folk and country elements are inserted, which will be more present in the subsequent album "Beggars Banquet": I am referring to "2000 Man" (of which a cover will be made by Kiss), "The Lantern," and "Gomper."
Finally, noteworthy is "She's a Rainbow" for the use of the mellotron, played by Brian Jones, the piano part performed by Nicky Hopkins, and the string arrangement by John Paul Jones, future bassist and keyboardist of Led Zeppelin.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Citadel (02:53)
(Jagger/Richards)
Men are armed shout who goes there
We have journeyed far from here
Armed with bibles make us swear
Candy and Taffy, hope we both are well
Please come see me in the citadel
Flags are flying, dollar bills
Round the heights of concrete hills
You can see the pinnacles
Candy and taffy, hope we both are well
Please come see me in the citadel
In the streets are many walls
Hear the peasants come and crawl
You can hear their lovers call
Candy and Taffy, hope we both are well
Please come see me in the citadel
Screaming people fly so fast
In their shiny metal cars
Throug the woods of steel and glass
Candy and Taffy, hope we both are well
Please come see me in the citadel
03 In Another Land (03:15)
(B.Wyman)
In another land where the breeze and the
Trees and flowers were blue
I stood and held your hand.
And the grass grew high and the feathers floated by
I stood and held your hand.
And nobody else's hand will ever do
Nobody else will do
Then I awoke
Was this some kind of joke
Much to my surprise
I opened my eyes.
We walked across the sand and the sea and
The sky and the castles were blue.
I stood and held your hand.
And the spray flew high and the feathers floated by
I stood and held your hand.
And nobody else's hand will ever do
Nobody else will do
Then I awoke
Was this some kind of joke
Much to my surprise
When I opened my eyes.
We heard the trumpets blow and the sky
Turned red when I accidently said
That I didn't know how I came to be here
Not fast asleep in bed.
I stood and held your hand.
And nobody else's hand will ever do
Nobody else's hand
Then I awoke
Was this some kind of joke
I opened my eyes.
Much to my surprise.
06 She's a Rainbow (05:18)
She comes in colours ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Everywhere
She comes in colours
She comes in colours ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colours
Have you seen her dressed in blue?
See the sky in front of you
And her face is like a sail
Speck of white, so fair and pale
Have you seen a lady fairer?
She comes in colours ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colours
Have you seen her all in gold?
Like a queen in days of old
She shoots colours all around
Like a sunset going down
Have you seen a lady fairer?
She comes in colours ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colours
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colours
07 The Lantern (04:25)
(Jagger/Richards)
We, on our present life,
Knew that the stars were right.
That if you are the first to go,
You'll leave a sign to let me know,
Tell me so.
Please, carry the Lantern lights.
You crossed the sea of night,
Free from the spell of fright
Your cloak it is a spirit shroud.
You'll wake me in my sleeping hours,
Like a cloud.
So, please, carry the Lantern high.
Me, in my sorry plight,
You waiting ev'ry night.
My face it turns a deathly pale,
You're talking to me, through your veil,
I hear you wail.
So, please carry the Lantern light.
The servants sleep,
The door's are barred.
You hear the stopping of my heart-we never part.
So, please carry the Lantern high.
08 Gomper (05:09)
(Jagger, Richards)
By the lake with lilly flowers
Wallow away the evening hours
To and fro she's gently gliding
On the glassy lake she's riding
She swims to the side
The sun sees her dried
The birds hover high
I'd stifle a cry
The birds hover high
She moans with a sigh
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