The Grateful Dead Aoxomoxoa (1971 Mix) 180g LP

The Dead's third studio album, Aoxomoxoa was released in 1969 and features one of Rick Griffin's finest Grateful Dead album covers, having originated as a poster for the Dead at the Avalon Ballroom in January 1969. Apparently, the band liked the poster so much they asked Griffin to rework it for the cover of their third album, which was their first with Tom Constanten as an official band-member. Constanten was instrumental in creating unique sounds from the keyboards utilizing such common items as combs, Dutch dimes, and a gyroscope to alter the sound of the keyboard.

One of the first rock albums to be recorded using 16-track technology, Aoxomoxoa was also the first Dead album to feature Robert Hunter as a full-time contributor, having been invited by Jerry Garcia to join the band as a lyricist. The Garcia/Hunter songwriting partnership would last throughout Garcia's life.

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.

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.