Customer Reviews

Through the Past Darkly

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

Since the Stones had at least 30 excellent songs in the years 1966-69, one could quibble with the song choices here. However, there is just something special about this particular collection which really works--this is a truly compelling album. I have known several people who have listened to it again and again, compulsively. I have known several people who got deeply into music generally, because of this album. This is the favorite all time album of my brothers and now my son. Those who picked the songs and order of the songs hit on something great. I do not know anyone who is so enthusiastic about the Hot Rocks album, for example. This album seems to have just the right mix of hits, obscurities, hard rockers and slightly unusual material. There is something magic about this collection.

Get Big Hits (High Tides and Green Grass) and Thru The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol II).

Thru the Past... has "She's A Rinbow" and "Dandelion" AND "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Honky Tonk Women".

Okay, HOT ROCKS has "Brown Sugar", "Wild Horses", "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Sympathy for the Devil", but you own BEGGARS BANQUET, LET IT BLEED and STICKY FINGERS all ready, don't ya?

I'm 16 and love this cd! The Rolling Stones have many great hits. The best songs are "Paint It Black", "Ruby Tuesday", and "Mother's Little Helper". However, all the songs are great!

An excellent sixties greatest hits compilation from Mick Jagger & his Rolling Stones. It has all of their original songs from where the first volume left off like "Paint It Black", "Jumpin Jack Flash" and "Let's Spend The Night Together". Also pays tribute to the late second guitartist Brian Jones who died after when this cd album was made and finished in 1969. All of these tunes are best for Mr. Jones guitar & rhythm solo work on all eleven tracks on it!

Essential for anybody who, like me, listened to the vinyl Decca version, and admired it's strange octagonal sleeve. I don't remember whether it was actually the first Stones record I listened to, but it sure was the first I had in my hands. I'd give it 5 stars if only there were the original line-up of songs with tongue-in-cheek lyrical "You Better Move On" and splendid "We Love You" and "Sitting On The Fence" instead of "Paint It, Black" and "Have You Seen Your Mother...". In the Decca version the band's portfolio sounded more versatile. It is a shame there's no collector's item state-of-art compact disc replica of that one! Thus, the past grows darker and darker.

Back in the day we never considered this anything but another Stones album, and not a boring hits album. Most of the songs were available nowhere else. Through the Past Darkly in its U.S. version just burns the house down. The toned down Euro vynl just isn't the same without Paint it Black & Have You seen Your Mother Baby, Standing in the Shadow?! That combo of songs on the cracked glass octagonal bright blue album is magic, and anything else just isn't the same. The Original Stereo mix on a virgin vintage original London vynl lp is the best sounding too! I'm just not too excited about remixes and bonus cuts; this piece of perfection is best left alone. If you must have a cd; burn it from clean vynl!

A lot of confused or too young reviewers around. This is truly one of the best records you can buy if you want the Stones rolling with powerful raw songs, and sophisticated exercises that certainly were very progressive at the time and still are deligthful now. WHAT IS THIS DVD THEN ? IT IS NOT a DVD of an original vinyl, and neither a recopilation of songs now made from several old records.
The reviewer from Warsaw got it rigth. In september 1969 I bought a strange vinyl record, my first adventure in the Stones, which came in a strange octogonal casing, and had the picture you get in the CD now. Almost all the songs you get in this CD were there, in the original record by Decca (which by the way I lost in the 80's. Anybody out there can help?).
So then if you love the Stones, get the record straigth. Then buy this DVD. It is an outstanding representation of the classic Stones...................

This Rolling Stones collection (covering 1966-69) is often overlooked compared to more grandiose sets like the "Hot Rocks" volumes and the first "Big Hits" collection, with its superb group photographs. But "Through..." gives a quick (less than 40 minutes), exhilarating ride through some essential Stones music.

The LP collects and rearranges an excellent set of singles, so experiments like the psychedelic sci-fi of "2000 Light Years From Home," the medieval balladry of "Ruby Tuesday," or the rock/folk of "Mother's Little Helper" and "Street Fighting Man" slide up to the vicious R&B of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and hard C&W of "Honky Tonk Women." The group includes new instrumentation in its mix (the sitar on the mean raga/rock "Paint It Black," the ocarina on "Dandelion," and "Ruby") but keeps close to its blues roots due to Brian Jones, who died before this album was released and to whom it was dedicated. "Speak of me as you find," the album dedication reads. Or in this case, let the essential Stones music here speak for you.

One of the best compilations of the Stones ever assembled