Grateful Dead audiovisual archivist Dave Lemieux comments in the press release, “In 1969, for their third album, the Grateful Dead eschewed outside producers and created Aoxomoxoa themselves, beginning a run of self-produced albums that would continue until 1977. Scrapping the first sessions, which were recorded to eight-track tape, the Dead now had 16 tracks with which to experiment their psychedelic sound, with an album that included entirely Robert Hunter-penned lyrics for the first time.” The LP introduced such all-time favorites as “St. Stephen” and “China Cat Sunflower.”
Like last year’s reissue of Anthem of the Sun, Aoxomoxoa will include remastered versions of two distinct mixes: the original 1969 version, and the band’s familiar 1971 mix. This CD release marks the first time that both mixes have been made available in one package. The picture-disc vinyl of Aoxomoxoa includes the 1971 mix only.
The bonus disc boasts a host of live tracks recorded January 24-26, 1969 at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, CA, a few months before the release of Aoxomoxoa. Newly remastered by Jeffrey Norman, these shows were among the first live performances ever to be recorded to 16-track tape. Among the nine songs are early versions of two tracks from the album, “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” and “Doin’ That Rag.” The disc also includes the final live performance of “Clementine,” a song the Dead began performing in 1968 but never released on a studio album. The band also played several songs from Anthem. Highlights include a lively “New Potato Caboose” and a rough-and-tumble “Alligator>Caution” jam spotlighting Ron “Pigpen” McKernan at his finest. The full line-up on these live tracks consists of Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Phil Lesh, Tom Constanten, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann.
Disc 1:
Original 1969 Mix (Warner Bros. LP WS 1790, 1969)
- “St. Stephen”
- “Dupree’s Diamond Blues”
- “Rosemary”
- “Doin’ That Rag”
- “Mountains On the Moon”
- “China Cat Sunflower”
- “What’s Become of the Baby”
- “Cosmic Charlie”
1971 Remix (Warner Bros. LP WS 1790 (Repress), 1971)
- “St. Stephen”
- “Dupree’s Diamond Blues”
- “Rosemary”
- “Doin’ That Rag”
- “Mountains On The Moon”
- “China Cat Sunflower”
- “What’s Become Of The Baby”
- “Cosmic Charlie”
Disc 2: Live at the Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco (1/24-26/69)
- “New Potato Caboose”
- “Dupree’s Diamond Blues”
- “Doin’ That Rag”
- “Alligator”>
- “Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)”>
- “Feedback”>
- “And We Bid You Goodnight”
- “Clementine”>
- “Death Don’t Have No Mercy”
