Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) [Original recording remastered]

The Rolling Stones | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 27, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 1969
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Abkco
• ASIN: B00006AW2H
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,986 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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  • #87 in Music > Classic Rock > Supergroups

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This second greatest hits collection serves up the band's classic mid- '60s period, capped off by the death of Brian Jones for whom this collection is dedicated. Having made their breakthrough with hits that challenged the status quo, the Stones were in no mood to calm down. The insistent chaos of "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?" "Jumping Jack Flash," and "Street Fighting Man" display the Stones at their most powerful, while "Dandelion" and "She's a Rainbow" are the Stones succeeding with psychedelia. "Paint It, Black" and "Ruby Tuesday" strike a perfect balance. A decent introduction to an essential period of Stones music. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential for a complete Stones collection, February 10, 2003

By 

FairiesWearBoots8272 (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) (Audio CD)

Through The Past Darkly is an important release that belongs in every Rolling Stones fan's collection. The reason is that many of these songs are essential non-album singles such as Jumpin' Jack Flash and Honky Tonk Women. These two songs do not appear on any LP. For casual fans, or those interested, here's how the tracks break down:

Paint It, Black - Featured only on the US version of "Aftermath". Not on UK version.

Ruby Tuesday - Featured on US version of "Between The Buttons". Not on UK version. Also featured on "Flowers".

She's A Rainbow - Appears on "Their Satanic Majesties Request".

Jumpin' Jack Flash - Non-LP single.

Mother's Little Helper - Appears on U.S. and UK versions of "Aftermath". Also appears on "Flowers".

Let's Spend The Night Together - Appears only on US version of "Between The Buttons". Not on UK version. Also appears on "Flowers".

Honky Tonk Women - Non-LP single.

Dandelion - Non-LP single.

2000 Light Years From Home - Appears on "Their Satanic Majesties Request".

Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby Standing in the Shadow? - Appears on "Flowers".

Street Fighting Man - Appears on "Beggar's Banquet".

So, if you pick up Through The Past, Darkly and the UK versions of Aftermath and Between The Buttons (and avoid Flowers), then you'll have all of these tracks with as little redundancy as possible.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Differences Between This U.S. Version And The U.K. Version, September 8, 2002

By 

Richard R. Carlton (Ada, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) (Audio CD)

This is the remastered September 12, 1969 - U.S. London release that was dedicated to Brian Jones. This US version covered their American hits from 1966-1969. Here are the songs on this album, in the order they were released as singles in the U.S.:
5-6-66 Paint It, Black
7-1-66 Mother's Little Helper
9-23-66 Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?
1-13-67 Ruby Tuesday
1-13-67 Let's Spend The Night Together (B side of Ruby Tuesday)
8-18-67 Dandelion
12-22-67 She's A Rainbow
12-22-67 2000 Light Years From Home (B side of She's A Rainbow)
5-31-68 Jumpin' Jack Flash
8-30-68 Street Fighting Man
7-3-69 Honky Tonk Woman

For some reason the album did not include the US single release of In Another Land or We Love You (the B side of Dandelion).

All the songs on this album are different from those that appear on the 1st compilation album Big Hits (High Tide & Green Grass).

This album is different from the album released by U.K. Decca the same day. There were 2 tracks that were not included on each release. Here are the differences:
U.S. London release included:
.....Paint It, Black
.....Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?
U.K. Decca release included:
.....We Love You
.....You Better Move On

At the time of the release, it was the only album that included the following tracks:
In the U.S.:
.....Jumpin' Jack Flash
.....Mother's Little Helper
.....Dandelion
.....Honky Tonk Women
.....Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?
In the U.K.:
.....Jumpin' Jack Flash
.....Let's Spend The Night Together
.....We Love You
.....Ruby Tuesday
.....Dandelion
.....Sittin' On A Fence
.....Honky Tonk Women

This information comes from "It's Only Rock And Roll: The Ultimate Guide To The Rolling Stones" by Karnbach and Bernson and from my own collection.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fave Stones compilation given a sonic sprucing-up, September 11, 2002

By 

Scott E. Miller (Fort Collins, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) (Audio CD)

I've always had kind of a soft spot for this album; it was the third Stones album I ever bought (after the first "Big Hits" and "Let It Bleed"), mostly because it had "Paint It Black" and "Jumping Jack Flash" on the same record, and I've always liked the way the songs were sequenced--it just seems to have a nice flow, at least for me. There are more complete Stones comps, but if you like the late '60s Stones, you'll probably like this album.

As with the rest of the ABKCO remasters, the sound has been improved a great deal over the old '86 CDs--there's a lot more detail audible in the mix on this CD, at least on most of the tracks. "Honky Tonk Women" in particular sounds a lot better, at least to these ears--the guitars are nice and scuzzy, the drums boom, and the bass thuds along in the middle of the mix... and it's in stereo, for once. (The cowbell still sounds tinny, so to hear it in all its proper glory, you'll just have to find the old vinyl single.) And it sounds like they also used the speed-corrected "Street Fighting Man," which has never sounded this good on CD before (except maybe on the new "Beggars Banquet" CD). And the packaging has also been restored to its proper glory--the photos are now all in color, and the tribute to and epitaph for Brian Jones has also been put back.

Unfortunately, I still have a few minor issues to pick with the nice people at ABKCO. I don't care that "Have You Seen Your Mother Baby" is in mono, as no stereo mix of the track apparently exists, and at least it sounds a little less messy and chaotic than on previous vinyl and CD issues. On the other hand, it seems odd that "Aftermath UK" is the only new Stones CD to carry a stereo mix (however wonky) of "Mother's Little Helper," and even more odd that while on other CDs it has been speed-corrected, on this one it seems to play at the old slower speed, with a lower pitch. And would it really have hurt ABKCO to note that "tracks 5 and 10 are in mono and the rest are stereo," rather than just slap a "stereo" label on the CD? Regardless, this CD is a great listen. It's not an indispensable part of the catalog, and it just missed out on being a definitive collection of their late '60s singles by being released just a couple of months before "Let It Bleed" (making the B-side of "Honky Tonk Women," "You Can't Always Get What You Want," unavailable), but it's still a pretty fine record. Any record with both "Paint It Black" and "Jumping Jack Flash" would have to be.