Customer Reviews

Aoxomoxoa

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Aoxomoxoa is the best Dead studio album. Period. Imagine the California folk-rock scene if you will...add to it a taste of psychedelia and a dash of experimentation and you get this wonderfully crafted Grateful Dead album. There is no doubt the Dead were at their finest when live, but this studio album shows what the band is capable of when they really sit down and work. The problem with many of the Dead's studio attempts was their lack of focus, but this album is a diamond in the ruff. Often overlooked and under appreciated, it's a Dead classic to be reckoned with. Grab your lava lamp and your incense...your in for a trippy ride into the world of the Dead!!!

The Dead always had the reputation of sounding much better live than in the studio. While I can't say that that reputation was completely undeserved, I can say that this album (and its predecessor, Anthem of the Sun) have some real pleasures that you don't have to be high or tripping to enjoy (I've never done drugs, and I've liked this album since I bought it). The most famous track, "China Cat Sunflower," is even catchier on record than in concert. The other future-Dead-show-standard, "St. Stephen," is a bit ponderous, but has some great CSN-ish harmonies that predict the (very successful) immediate future direction of the group. The same can be said for the folky ballads "Mountains of the Moon" and "Dupree's Diamond Blues," and for two other songs that *should* have become concert standards--"Doin' That Rag" and the gorgeous "Cosmic Charlie." My favorite tracks, however, go off in directions to which the Dead never returned--the surrealistic magnum opus "What's Become of the Baby" and the shorter, more poignant "Rosemary," neither of which the band ever performed in concert to my knowledge. Absolutely compelling, these tracks (allegedly made under the influence of laughing gas and with free hands on the mixing console) are not quite like anything else you will ever hear.

The 1969 version, not yet released on CD, was much better. While some songs sounded almost exactly the same, most sounded more raw, a plus in my book. The 1971 remix (the one you hear on the CD and most vinyl copies) effectively sterilized the sound. "What About the Baby" lost all of the screaming and pots&pans acid sound effects that actually made it cool. If you can get a copy of the 1969 vinyl [ W7(WS1790) -not- WB(1790) ], you owe it to yourself to compare.

There is a market for the '69 version on CD. At least I would buy one.

Man, this album is nutty. "What Becomes Of The Baby" scares me. "Mountains Of The Moon" is wicked. Being a huge blues fan, my favorites are "Dupree's Diamond Blues," and my very fav Dead tune, "Cosmic Charlie." "Cosmic Chuck" is an incredible end to an incredible album.

This is the album that got me hooked on the dead. Before this, I didnt get it. But I smoked a joint, put on the headphones and got BLASTED listening to Tubs' sizzlin' slide guitar on Cosmic Charlie. Yeow, right up and down the spine! And the ominous, unstoppable Saint Stephen, far better that the muddy live version on Live Dead. It is sparkly and scary! And Mountains of the Moon. Ah, just great music, and it still sounds good. Fun stuff, full of life and possibilities. I used to love the Dead. At least until they got Keith and Donna Godcheaux - the piano player and his wife. But that's another story. Hey, anybody got a joint?

The key to this CD is to skip over track 7, "What's Become of the Baby". That one is a drone of sorts that sounds like a Gregorian chant. The two best tracks on the CD are immediatlely before and after it, "China Cat Sunflower" and Cosmic Charlie".

The CD starts off with a version of "St. Stephen" that I always preferred over some of the live versions that I have heard and continues on with two tunes that are very typical of the bluegrass type of sound that the Dead sometimes had, "Dupree's Diamond Blues" and "Doin' That Rag".

One of the more lovely tunes on the CD is "Mountains On the Moon" which is a real mood piece, but doesn't get to the point of being overly long and boring.

I used to have this one on vinyl, but now have it in CD format, as part of the Golden Road collection, so I also get the bonus tracks. If you get a chance to either get the box set that has the extra tracks for Aoxomoxoa or can find one in a Used CD store, go for it. What I really like about my CD is that this is like two different CD's in one. Not only do I get the GD original tracks from it, but I also get a full 35 minutes of some of the best jazz that I have. There are three jams, the best of the three is the just over 10 minutes long "Nobody's Spoonful Jam". The rhythm section on this one alone is a masterpiece and the guitar work that goes throughout the basic riff is very creative but doesn't stray too far.

AOXOMOXOA, the Grateful Dead's first great album, must be heard in it's original mix to be truly appreciated. This CD version is more along the lines of the 1971 reissue: vocals too-far forward, channel shifts, phasing and flanging effects nearly non-existent. If you are a younger fan of this band, you owe it to yourself to seek out a 1969-70 LP or tape of this palindromically titled gem. Clarity of voice is no substitute for the creators' original vision. (When it comes to such matters, always trust an ex-hippie over 50!)

TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 36:07

This is the album that got me hooked on the dead. Before this, I didnt get it. But I smoked a joint, put on the headphones and got BLASTED listening to Tubs' sizzlin' slide guitar on Cosmic Charlie. Yeow, right up and down the spine! And the ominous, unstoppable Saint Stephen, far better that the muddy live version on Live Dead. It is sparkly and scary! And Mountains of the Moon. Ah, just great music, and it still sounds good. Fun stuff, full of life and possibilities. I used to love the Dead. At least until they got Keith and Donna Godcheaux - the piano player and his wife. But that's another story. Hey, anybody got a joint?

At the time of recording this album, the Dead played live with fiery abandon. They seemed to approach the studio like a toy they couldn't quite get to work. A very young Courtney Love appears in the back cover photo.

I have it on _very_ good authority that "What Became of the Baby" was mixed on nitrous -- this would have to be the original release, natch. Apparently you have to review it in the same spirit. Cheers!