TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Aoxomoxoa" - Grateful Dead (1969)

"Aoxomoxoa" - Grateful Dead (1969)

    I've never been a deep-diver of The Grateful Dead, but I do have a handful of their albums, both studio and live stuff.  I like the vibes they give off.  I like the spirit.  I like the mojo.  I've been especially wanting to collect their early stuff from the 60s when the purse strings allow.  I still need "Anthem Of The Sun," but I did pick up "Aoxomoxoa" recently.  I'd been looking for a nice copy for quite a spell, and knew one would show up soon enough, so I forgoed listening to the album until I had one in my hands.  On this square, The Grateful Dead still employ the psychematized strangeness of the late 60s, but now with hints of "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty" which were soon to follow.  Of course, the improvised noodling still remains, and it's almost the best of both worlds.  Apart from one dirtclod on side two, mostly because it's out of place, this would be rated higher.  "Missed it by that much!"

     

    One thing I've learned is that every Grateful Dead album that I have ever spun sounds magically better with frequent spins.  That's been my experience, anyway.  And I remind others not to necessarily give up on the rainbow after one listen.  I mean, the Grateful Dead is an album grower's paradise.  Their albums can fiddle with your mind-clock, so try giving the record another lap or two and see what happens.  I promise, I'm not a real Deadhead, but I do play one on TV. 

"Aoxomoxoa" - Grateful Dead (back)

Favorites include:

"St. Stephen"

"China Cat Sunflower"

"Mountains Of The Moon"

    This "Aoxomoxoa" copy is an original first press/early press before any remix tinkering was done.  It is a Santa Maria pressing on the olive green label.  It has a "boxed W7" logo on the label and jacket.  (This would later change to a WB "shield" logo.)  The "RE-1" in the deadwax indicates the original mix.  I don't know if it was added on later pressings, but there are no song times on the label or jacket.  There are other rabbit holes to explore concerning the remix, but I'll leave those for you to chase.  For those curious, I won a bid on the "Bay" for $22 and some change.

    Interestingly, it was rumored that the young girl on the back cover was Courtney Love.  Her father worked with the band during this period, so the possibility was always there.  Turns out the little girl was identified as the daughter of Grateful Dead drummer and founding member, Bill Kreutzmann.    Still kind of a cool curio legend.  This was also one of the first times a rock album was recorded using 16-track technology.

Warner Bros. - Seven Arts Records label

Cat #  

WS 1790

SIDE 1  DEADWAX

39493 WS 1790 A  RE-1 - 1B. o  B5  S 1

SIDE 2  DEADWAX

39494 WS 1790 B  RE-1 - 1B. o  S 1

"St. Stephen" / Grateful Dead / "Aoxomoxoa" (1969)

TRACKS:

A1  "St. Stephen"

A2  "Dupree's Diamond Blues" 

A3  "Rosemary"

A4  "Doin' That Rag"

A5  "Mountains Of The Moon"

B1  "China Cat Sunflower"

B2  "What's Become Of The Baby" 

B3  "Cosmic Charlie"

PERSONNEL:

Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals

Bob Weir - guitar, vocals

Ron "Pigpen" McKernan - organ, percussion

Tom Constanten - keyboards

Phil Lesh - bass, vocals

Bill Kreutzmann - drums, percussion

Mickey Hart - drums, percussion

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers

Follow me on FACEBOOK