Hans Edler - Remember The Sixties - Vol 3 (2016 Sw.The Chicks - The Sound Of The 'Chicks' (1965 New Z.VA - Singapore 60's The Definitive Collection (CD.VA - More ! Singapore 60's Treasures From The Va.The Shangri-Las - Leaders Of The Pack (1964-66) 2005.VA - 25 Super OldiesToo Good -To Be Forgott (Vol 1.VA - 25 Super Oldies - Too Good To Be Forgott (Vol.Raphael - Digan Lo Que Digan (1968 OST Spain).
As I quickly run the usual gamut of psychedelic classics of the era in my mind (Sgt. The Stones did embrace psychedelia, but they put their own and nobody else's stamp on it. Two: claims that the Stones were «aping the Beatles» with their psychedelic creativity are ridiculously simplistic. One: even despite all the personal troubles that they had in 1967, Jagger and Richards had only recently reached top songwriting form, and top songwriting form does not go away that easily once it has been reached - even if one finds plenty of things to complain about in the arrangement and production departments, it is hard to deny the sheer quantity of compositional ideas contained in these songs. There are two reasons why, when discussing the Golden Age of the Stones (1966-72, and not one year less), one should never make an embarrassing exception for their psychedelic suite. And seeing Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in kaftans was, after all, no more weird than seeing Eric Clapton with frizzed hair, or The Hollies wielding sitars and playing with tape effects. But these expectations themselves are due to nothing else than the Stones eventually setting themselves in a predictable creative rut with the oncoming of middle age, much like every other artist, and isn't it a bit ridiculous to judge the Rolling Stones of 1967 by the future standards of, say, the Rolling Stones of 1976? In a way, it would almost be weirder if the Rolling Stones did not go psychedelic in 1967, like almost everybody else did at the time, except for a few stubbornly obstinate heroes (Somethin' Else By The Kinks - now there's a truly weird album by that year's standards!). This somehow implies that there are certain things we typically expect of the Stones - and certain things we definitely do not expect of them.
I always feel uncomfortable about joining in the choir and calling Satanic Majesties' Request the Stones' «weirdest» album.