2000 Light Years from Home

Their Satanic Majesties Request
Track 9
"2000 Light Years from Home" – 4:45




(Excuse the goofy youtube Star Trek video.)

I want to like this track, I really do. I am a big fan of trashy garage rock, and "2000 Light Years" has that vibe. The rhythm section kicks all kinds of ass – I am a sucker for a shaker every time. Those weird swirling Mellotron strings that drop in an out of the song add a hilarious air of sci-fi exoticism. "2000 Light Years" reminds me of something I may have heard on Nuggets or something.

But I just can't commit. See, I know the song is not just some small bit of weirdness by some long haired teenagers who read too much Arthur C Clarke. "2000 Light Years" is a song by the Rolling Stones on an album called Their Satanic Majesties Request – in other words, it's a song about Big Statements and Grand Ambitions, and it's sunk by the pretensions of its own concept.

How long did it take for the Stones to realise that by promising cheap thrills but delivering much more, they would be able to accomplish greater things than by promising more and delivering less? I think it only took them a single album – this one.

I guess I should consider myself lucky that the Stones learned the lesson so quickly. It's a lesson that Bono, for one, has yet to learn.

---

UPDATE: Mondo links to this great mashup in the comments:



These guys have tons of good stuff, much better than the usual mashup fare. Thanks, Mondo!