Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol.2)(1969)
1.Paint it Black
2.Ruby Tuesday
3.She's a Rainbow
4.Jumpin' Jack Flash
5.Mother's Little Helper
6.Let's Spend the Night Together
7.Honky Tonk Woman
8.Dandelion
9.2000 Light Years From Home
10.Have You Seen Your Mother Baby,
Standing in the Shadow?
11.Street Fighting Man
The second “best of” compilation, this one following Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass), arrived with the same intent—to corral a bunch of non-album singles and scattered tracks and give fans a tidy, digestible package. Like its predecessor, it’s since been rendered a bit redundant thanks to countless later compilations, but also like its predecessor, it’s a really solid listen from start to finish.
There are a few headscratchers when it comes to song selection. How you leave off Under My Thumb or Sympathy for the Devil is anyone’s guess. Meanwhile, they include 2000 Light Years from Home and Dandelion, both from the band's brief psychedelic phase—interesting choices, especially since Dandelion had never appeared on an album before. It almost feels like the label was unsure whether to aim for the hits or dig deeper for oddities.
Still, back in the day, this set was the only place you could find Jumpin’ Jack Flash and Honky Tonk Women on an LP, which, for any serious fan, instantly justified the price tag. A bit uneven, maybe, but absolutely essential at the time—and still a great way to hear the band’s transition from pop troublemakers to full-blown rock and roll icons.
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