Grateful Dead: Aoxomoxoa (original mix) (1969)

 

This has long been one of my three favorite GD albums but today is the day that an original copy of the 1969 mix finally enters my collection, and my ears for the very first time. I can’t believe it’s taken until now to make that happen. 

In 1971, to appease their label and appeal to new fans, Jerry & Phil created new mixes for both Anthem Of Sun and Aoxomoxoa. The former was not that drastic but the latter, it’s like a totally different album. I had always heard about this original version of the album but I had no idea how different the two are. The songs are the same but the instrumentation is stunning. This mix is super dense, and there are so many elements that were stripped, or downplayed at least, in the 1971 remix, but then also several areas where it’s clear that parts were redone for that mix, especially the vocals (Jerry’s vocal on “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” is a hoot). There is a lot going on, much of the time; much more psychedelic than the ‘71 mix. 

There are times where this difference is jarring. Like, holy hell, the choir on “Mountains Of The Moon”?! It totally changes the vibe of that song. And then “What’s Become Of The Baby” is like a totally different song (you can make out the words!! and there’s instrumentation on it??!) and it’s ten times as fucked. 

The way the various elements swirl and swell, this version of Aoxomoxoa is quite unsettling at times. But you really get to hear everything that went into this album, and all the descriptions I’ve read all make a lot more sense now. While I may always prefer the remix, for both aesthetic and nostalgic reasons, I have great respect for the artistry of this version and I will be spending a lot of time with this.