Even the greatest bands can fall short at times, and The Rolling Stones are no exception. Despite their iconic status, the Stones have made creative missteps throughout their career—albums that didn’t quite hit the mark, leaving fans and critics questioning their direction. It’s not that the band didn’t try to innovate; sometimes they just wandered too far from what made them great, or stuck too closely to a formula that failed to excite. In the case of Their Satanic Majesties Request, the result was a psychedelic experiment that both the band and its audience have struggled to fully embrace.
The Stones have a rich catalogue of classics, from the groundbreaking Sticky Fingers, which gave us iconic tracks like ‘Brown Sugar’ and ‘Wild Horses’, to Let It Bleed, which boasts monumental hits like ‘Gimme Shelter’ and ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’. But if you dig deeper into their 1960s discography, you’ll find Their Satanic Majesties Request, an album that even the band themselves seem to regret.
A Psychedelic Misfire
After the success of Between the Buttons in 1967, The Rolling Stones took a sharp turn towards psychedelic experimentation. Released in December of that year, Their Satanic Majesties Request strayed far from the Stones’ usual rock roots, diving into the swirling, kaleidoscopic sounds that were taking over the music world. With heavy influence from The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the album dabbled in the trippy, baroque-inspired sounds of the time—creating something that now feels like a parody of late-60s psychedelia.
The album’s reception was mixed at best. Over the decades, critics and fans have alternated between viewing it as a bold, experimental statement and dismissing it as a bloated, derivative attempt to capture the magic of the era’s iconic psychedelic albums. The Rolling Stones themselves, however, have been more blunt in their assessments, with several members expressing outright disdain for the album in later years.
Keith Richards’ Harsh Take
Keith Richards, ever the outspoken critic, did not mince words when discussing Their Satanic Majesties Request. In an interview with Esquire, Richards acknowledged the undeniable parallels between their album and The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper, which was released shortly before. He recognized how easily a band could get swept up in the hype of the era. “If you’re The Beatles in the ‘60s, you just get carried away,” Richards said. “You forget what it is you wanted to do.”
Richards didn’t hold back in his criticism, calling Sgt. Pepper a “mishmash of rubbish” and drawing a direct comparison to Their Satanic Majesties Request. “Oh, if you can make a load of shit, so can we,” he quipped, summing up his feelings on both albums with a dismissive shrug.
Richards wasn’t alone in his negative view of the album. Mick Jagger, the band’s frontman, has also been vocal about his disappointment with the record. In a conversation with Rolling Stone, Jagger admitted that he and the band had taken things too far during the recording of Their Satanic Majesties Request. “I probably started to take too many drugs,” he confessed. “Well, it’s not very good. It had interesting things on it, but I don’t think any of the songs are very good.”
While Jagger did single out the singles ‘She’s a Rainbow’ and ‘2000 Light Years From Home’ as standouts, he described the rest of the album as “nonsense.”
The Endearing Side of Their Satanic Majesties Request
Despite the negative comments from Richards and Jagger, Their Satanic Majesties Request isn’t entirely without merit. While it may not reflect the classic Stones sound that fans know and love, it represents the band’s willingness to experiment and explore new sonic territories. Though it’s often seen as a far cry from the rough, rebellious rock they were known for, the album has a certain charm to it, capturing the spirit of a time when psychedelia was at its peak.
The album’s mishmash of sounds—be it experimental, overindulgent, or otherwise—presents an opportunity to hear a different side of The Rolling Stones, one that was willing to step outside of its comfort zone. And while it may not have been the breakthrough success the band had hoped for, Their Satanic Majesties Request offers listeners a unique, if flawed, experience in the Stones’ catalogue.
Looking Back: A Bold but Misguided Venture
Their Satanic Majesties Request remains a fascinating footnote in The Rolling Stones’ storied career. It’s not the record most fans would point to when asked to name the definitive Stones album. That title likely belongs to the more iconic Sticky Fingers or Exile on Main St.. But Their Satanic Majesties Request serves as an intriguing snapshot of a band trying to find new ways to evolve, even if it ended up being a creative misstep.
In the end, it’s a reminder that not every experiment yields the expected results. For The Rolling Stones, Their Satanic Majesties Request may have been a psychedelic detour, but it’s a part of their history nonetheless—an imperfect moment that ultimately doesn’t define the legendary band, but adds to their rich and varied legacy.
