Annoying Things On ' Their Satanic Majesties Request '

I agree he with Christgau in this one - a likeable oddity.

 

did he get to rewrite his review a few times?

 

Gomper is the only annoying track.

Less influenced by the Beatles, more by Love, Incredible String Band, Pink Floyd

 

I don’t find Their Satanic Majesties’ Request to be a particularly annoying album, especially when compared to other albums around the same time in a similar style. Sgt Pepper, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Odessey and Oracle, and Smile all have annoying moments, obnoxious sound effects, and weird songwriting moments that really only work in the context of the album. TSMR has the snoring (which does get on my nerves), songs like “Sing This All Together (See What Happens)” and “On With The Show”, and some other pointless sound effects, but that stuff isn’t any more abundant or annoying than what’s on the aforementioned albums.

 

The one thing that annoys me is the fact that the Stones never did another album like this...

 

a time of losing the creative manager, drug use, a little jail time, publicity filled court appearances

a real fear it was all coming to a crashing end immediately with 3 of them seriously facing prison sentences

 

He didn't say it was influenced by anyone...

 

Some Girls is also a piss-take on the trend of the day but they actually played and wrote consistently well for that one

 

On with the Show and Something Happened to Me Yesterday have always struck me as kind of Kinksy.

 

edit: didn't see the earlier page one Dandelion and We Love You comment....

screen jumped to page 2 with another entry

agreed fully!

 

it would have made all the difference to me..

 

it HAD to have aimless canoodling and navel contemplation...

 

I think it is a great album just as it is. People take these things too seriously. Things were moving so fast in the sixties. Probably didn’t think people would be analysing them fifty years later.

 

What annoys me the most is that the kick drum in Sing This All Together on the stereo mix is mixed lower compared to the mono mix where it helps move the song along.

 

My feeling too. This album, both sides of the We Love You single and Child Of The Moon are my fave Stones!

 

I find that this one and Between the Buttons both have some really awkward moments, but this one works better as an album, partly because they really go for broke on the psychedelic thing. My biggest problem with it is really how poor it sounds - kinda brittle and not a lot of depth in the mixes, despite how much sound is in there. It all sounds kinda crammed in.

And I guess I could do without the snoring.

 

Yeah it along with the snoring mars an otherwise fine attempt at psychedelic music.

 

Remove the last song on each side (the long "Sing This All Together" jam and "On With The Show") and replace them with "Dandelion" and "We Love You". Then you'd have a great album. (I'd keep "Gomper" in there - I like it, even though a lot of people don't.)

I'm not sure when "Child Of The Moon" was recorded, but if was done before this album came out, definitely put that on there too.

 

Love the album, just wish it had a fatter sound in places - like Sing This All Together, which is one of my all time favourite songs, but it still sounds really weedy. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing.

 

Love the album. The only thing that annoys me is the fact that the labyrinth is unsolvable....

It's here!

 

I've really never got this - how is the cover similar to Sgt Pepper? Other than that they both feature the band waring bright coloured garish clothes? The settings are completely different and seems more similar to say Chad and Jeremy's Of Cabbages of Kings, though I'm sure that's coincidental.

 

No, but The Stones took what they learned from making Their Satanic Majesty's Request and applied it to the work that followed - Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed - pairing great creative production with truly inspired songs.

 

For my taste - which is varied and myriad - TSMR is the best album that the Stones ever produced.
If you're not into late 60s Psyche, it probably isn't for you.
What would I change about it?
Nothing.

 

The only thing I don't like about the album is the negativity that Mick has towards it.

 

Wonder what he means by the album's obsession being "a sense of distance"? A polite way of saying that the Stones had lost their way and were fooling no one, parading as fey psychedelicists? (That album review has to be one of his most mealy-mouthed.)