ABKCO US Vinilo y CD

Review: It's not everyday you release an album that goes on to inspire the name of a record label that goes on to be one of the defining UK music institutions of the late-20th Century. And early-21st. Whether The Rolling Stones quite knew how special their seventh studio LP would be when it first dropped in 1968 is something we can ponder until the cows come home, but it certainly represented a musical turning point back then.

Moving on from their previous psychedelic excursions (aurally, if not behaviourally), Beggars Boutique saw the seminal rock 'n' rollers dive two-feet-first into the sound of America's southern states, returning to the old stomping grounds of influences they had originally made a name for themselves with. And by that we mean blues and roots rock.

Review: English rock icons The Rolling Stones dropped Their Satanic Majesties Request in 1967 on home label Decca. It was their 6th British and 8th American studio album and was recorded at Olympic Studio in London. It finds them mixing up psychedelic pop, acid rock, experimental and psychedelic rock thanks to the use of various freaky studio tools including the Mellotron and a load of trippy sound effects, string arrangements and Afro rhythms. It took the best part of a year to record owing to various members being on drugs/in court/sent to jail but generally got favourable reviews when it did finally drop.

Review: If any other band decided to open what's essentially Greatest Hits Vol.2 with a track like 'Paint It Black' you'd probably worry the album was destined for a sharp decline, and wonder how such a powerhouse piece of music didn't wind up on Greatest Hits Vol I. Not so with The Rolling Stones, a band that had already put out more than enough incredible tunes to fill five volumes by the time this collection came along (1969). Representing the first seven years of the seminal English rock group, after the first juggernaut spirals off into semi-psychedelic mania we're treated to several more reminders of exactly why these guys were so good during their early days. 'Ruby Tuesdays', 'Dandelion' and 'Let's Spend the Night Together' reveal stunning pop sensibilities, while fare such as 'Honkey Tonk Woman', 'Jumpin' Jack Flash', and 'Street Fighting Man' celebrating the predominantly Black-made blues they looked to for so much inspiration.