Nearly synonymous with the term "psychedelic," the Grateful Dead reached their true peak of psychedelia on their third album, 1969's Aoxomoxoa. The band had already begun work on an initial recording of the album when they gained access to the new technology of 16-track recording, doubling the number of individual tracks they'd used on their last album. Fueled by acid and keeping pace with the quickly changing hippie subculture of the late '60s, the band went wild with this newfound sonic freedom. The exploratory jamming ...
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Nearly synonymous with the term "psychedelic," the Grateful Dead reached their true peak of psychedelia on their third album, 1969's Aoxomoxoa. The band had already begun work on an initial recording of the album when they gained access to the new technology of 16-track recording, doubling the number of individual tracks they'd used on their last album. Fueled by acid and keeping pace with the quickly changing hippie subculture of the late '60s, the band went wild with this newfound sonic freedom. The exploratory jamming and rough-edged blues-rock of their live shows were ornamented with overdubbed choirs, electronic sound effects, and layers of processed vocal harmonies. Rudimentary experimental production took the band's already-trippy approach and amplified it with generously applied effects and jarring edits. In their most straightforward songs, Aoxomoxoa's ambitious production isn't as noticeable. Gelatinous rockers like "Cosmic Charlie" and "St. Stephen" showcase Jerry Garcia's spindly guitar leads and the band's dusty vocal harmonies clearly before detouring into wild studio experiments. Though the studio mix of "China Cat Sunflower" sounds like the different instruments are floating in space, trying to connect from distant individual planets, the core of the song still comes through, and this number would become a live favorite for the rest of the band's lengthy run. This was the first album where the band brought on lyricist Robert Hunter, who would go on to pen some of the band's best-loved lyrics. The early glimpses of the Hunter/Garcia partnership that come through on the bluegrass-inflected "Dupree's Diamond Blues" or the mellow ballad "Rosemary" foreshadowed the complete shift to gentle Americana the band would make on their next studio outing, 1970's masterful Workingman's Dead. The overly experimental production could sometimes obscure the musical ideas, as distorted vocals clashed with acoustic instruments or multiple drum tracks ping-ponged across the stereo field. The eight-minute epic "What's Become of the Baby" was the most glaring example of the album's ungrounded production aesthetic, reaching an almost musique concrète level of weirdness with random electronic sounds and choppy effects swarming on Garcia's isolated vocal tracks. Aoxomoxoa was so out there that the band themselves had second thoughts, returning in 1971 to remix the album in full. The new mix dialed back some of the wilder moments and added clarity, but these eight songs would remain the most adventurous, confusing, and over-the-top productions the band would record. Aoxomoxoa is a prime example of the Grateful Dead's difficult relationship with the recording studio, which would take different forms throughout their long, strange trip. Even leaning wholeheartedly into all the available bells and whistles, the band couldn't quite capture with Aoxomoxoa the depths of cosmic wonder they tapped into organically every time they took the stage. Not without its excellent moments, the album is more a document of late-'60s studio experimentation than a huge step in any sustained path for the band. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi
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Add this copy of Aoxomoxoa to cart. $3.49, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by Warner Bros UK.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Aoxomoxoa to cart. $3.49, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by Warner Bros UK.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Aoxomoxoa to cart. $3.89, very good condition, Sold by Half Price Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by Warner Bros UK.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Aoxomoxoa to cart. $5.99, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by Warner Bros UK.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Aoxomoxoa to cart. $6.90, very good condition, Sold by Salzer's Records rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from ventura, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by Warner Bros Uk.
Add this copy of Aoxomoxoa to cart. $7.32, like new condition, Sold by Streetlight_Records rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Cruz, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by Warner Bros Uk.
Add this copy of Aoxomoxoa to cart. $10.20, like new condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by Warner Bros..
Add this copy of Aoxomoxoa to cart. $11.35, like new condition, Sold by Lake Country Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Excelsior, MN, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by Warner Bros Uk.
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Like New. CD and inserts are MINT, and jewel case is NEW. Inserts are unaltered. Ships in cardboard CD mailer with complimentary Delivery Confirmation. Books, box sets, and items other than standard jewel case CDs and DVDs that sell for $9 or more ship in a box; under $9 in a bubble mailer. Expedited and international orders may ship in a flat rate envelope rather than a box due to cost constraints. All US-addressed items ship with complimentary delivery confirmation.
Add this copy of Aoxomoxoa to cart. $17.50, good condition, Sold by Half Price Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published by Warner Bros. Records.
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Good. Providing great vinyl and media since 1972. All used records are inspected and guaranteed. May have wear and minor issues from previous owner. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Aoxomoxoa to cart. $18.74, very good condition, Sold by MUSICAL ENERGI rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Wilkes-Barre, PA, UNITED STATES, published by WB 1790.
