Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Aoxomoxoa", February 19, 2004
The Grateful Dead's third studio album "Aoxomoxoa" serves as a bridging gap between the band's psychedelic experiments and the harmony-laced folk-rock they would adopt a few years later. The album still remains a favorite amongst Deadheads and includes concert staples such as "Saint Stephen", "China Cat Sunflower" and "Cosmic Charlie". There are also some fun sing-along moments such as the memorable "Dupree's Diamond Blues" and "Doin' That Rag". "Rosemary" and "Mountains of the Moon" are beautiful acoustic pieces that fuse folk and baroque influences into the mix. Then, there's the infamous "What's Become Of The Baby" which is nothing but 8-minutes worth of Jerry Garcia chanting with vast amounts of echo plastered on his voice. Depending on who you talk to, this track is either the Dead's finest studio moment or their absolute worst. Either way, the track certainly is different.
The Rhino/Warner remaster includes four additional tracks which brings this album to more than double of its original length. The first three bonus tracks are extended instrumental jams recorded live in the studio. Like always, the band's musicianship and ability to play off each other comes through effortlessly in these jams. There is a definite jazz-fusion feel to these improvisations. "The Eleven Jam" is particularly striking with it's use of odd time signatures (mostly 11/8). The bonus material closes with a rare live recording of "Cosmic Charlie" which is a bit raw and rough but solid.
Since it's initial release 35 years ago "Aoxomoxoa" has become an instant Dead classic. With its diverse range of styles (everything from standard rock, to avant-garde, to acoustic and now with the bonus tracks, improvisation and jazz), "Aoxomoxoa" remains a highly entertaining album. On a technical and historical note, this album was also the very first in history to be recorded using 16-track technology which is the reason for its sharp pristine sound.
From here, The Grateful Dead's Long Strange Trip only got better.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
an underrated masterpiece of oddness, June 20, 2004
though "blues for allah" is probably the most accurate studio representation of what the dead truly were and are, "aoxomoxoa" is still my favorite dead record. it was recorded right when the band was making the natural transistion from bluesy psychedelic music and into a more folkish country sound. you can really hear the two musical realms butt heads. even the simple folk songs like "rosemary" and "mountains of the moon" have a real ambient psychedelic mood to them. however, "what's become of the baby" is definitely the oddest track on the album and is almost too spooky to listen to. dead naysayers who claim that the band wasn't dark and were only into singing about good times have obviously never heard this track. the album also includes the future concert staples "china cat sunflower" and "st. stephen," but a really good track that the band all but abondanded not too long after the record's release is "doin' that rag." it's got a lot of great effects and time changes and really sounds like the musical equivalent to going insane. this record really captures a great transistional period in the band's history and will grow on you immensely after repeated listenings. the remastered version also has some great studio jams, including the only studio recording of the phenomenal live favorite "the eleven." one more great reason to buy this thing immediately
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Original, 3 stars; remastered, 4 stars, December 30, 2005
A transitional album for the Dead, in between the wilder psychedelic years and the return to roots music that followed. Strong songwriting and playing and good production make this one of the Dead's more successful studio albums. However, as usual, the live versions of all of these songs should be heard as well. Much of the Dead's studio work serves as a template for what the songs turned into live. That said, this is a fine album, with the exception of "What's Become of the Baby," which quite honestly could have been left off the album entirely and few would have cared.
This CD features the 1972 "remix" of the album, as every Deadhead knows. The reason for this is because no one could find the original mix of Aoxomoxoa, according to interviews with Dead archivist David LeMieux. Rhino, in conjunction with the Dead, decided that it would be better to release a strong version of the 1972 mix. The alternative would have been to release a straight album-to-CD digital transfer with inferior sound.
The included extra material, to my mind, more than makes up for the lack of the original mix. The studio jams and outtakes add a lot to this album and show that the Dead were powerful musicians, something that often gets overlooked outside the circle of Deadheads. Overall, this remaster is worth having, especially for those who aren't Deadheads per se but want to get a grip on what the Dead were all about.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
The Dead's best studio album
The Grateful Dead's masterpiece 'Aoxomoxoa' remains one of their best records. In fact, I think it's their best studio record.
Published 15 months ago by Johnny Boy
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4.0 out of 5 stars
My fav Grateful Dead Studio CD
Aoxomoxoa (can't pronounce it) is a very spacy CD with beautiful acoustic moments and some trippy stuff as well.
Published 15 months ago by Bring_back_the_60s
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it
This purchase was to replace an old, long-lost copy. I've always liked their studio-produced stuff, much to the chagrin of some more serious aficionados.
Published 17 months ago by Tin Pigeon
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Studio Dead Plus
Aoxomoxoa was the band's third album, the eagerly awaited follow-up to Anthem of the Sun, originally released in June 1969, but remixed and re-released in July 1971, and it is...
Published on August 15, 2007 by Laurence Upton
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5.0 out of 5 stars
The End Of An Era
This marked the last of the dead trippy psychedellic age so this is a must. You need this album with the 3 other 60s albums, self titled, anthem, this one, livedead, then your...
Published on June 10, 2007
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5.0 out of 5 stars
The beginning of The Dead
This album is the where The Dead really start! Great songs, music that grabs you from the beginning of St.
Published on December 16, 2006 by Abey Grey
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4.0 out of 5 stars
I wish that they has used the original mix then this would have been a five star
This album was first released in 6/69, then remixed and rereleased in 7/71. Most people who know the original, like me, perfer it.
Published on December 2, 2006 by Dark Star-The Other One
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5.0 out of 5 stars
you can hear jerry smiling
during "doin that rag" you can hear jerry smiling as he belts out a few verses. what an amazing time the 60s must have been. i only wish i could have lived through it...
Published on August 13, 2006 by B. Kuhlmann
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A Must-Own for Dead Afficianados
The real highlight of this remaster for Deadheads, other than the improved sound, is the added tracks.
Published on July 6, 2006 by J. Merritt
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Spotty - Occasionally Brilliant
With their third album, the Grateful Dead continued to experiment in the studio, neglecting any attempt to reproduce their live show.
Published on June 1, 2006 by Thomas D. Ryan
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