The Rolling Stones Their Satanic Majesties Request (180g Vinyl LP) * * *

Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967) was the first Rolling Stones album to be released on both sides of the Atlantic with the same running order and inside the same record sleeve. The title was a satirical take on the words inside a British passport: "Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary Of State requests and requires..." Coming to fruition during a transformative year in music, the summer of 1967 had been dominated by The Beatles' pop art masterpiece Sgt Pepper's, Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced and Pink Floyd's The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. Bands the world over wanted to be part of the psychedelic revolution that was changing pop music and the Stones were no different.

A tangle of psychedelic sounds and influences, Their Satanic Majesties Request reached No. 3 in the UK charts and remains a charming curiosity. Though the band went straight back to their rock and blues-based roots the following year with Beggars Banquet, their foray into flower power was a bold and fruitful attempt to branch out. "She's A Rainbow" is a sweet chorus-based pop song that features Brian Jones on Mellotron and deft string arrangements from future Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. Another success is "2,000 Light Years from Home," while the haunting "The Lantern" is arguably a forerunner of "Shine A Light" from 1972's Exile On Main St.