Sunday, December 27, 2020

Grateful Dead - Solar Anthem (1968)

It was an interesting project putting together the Dead's 'Earthquake Country' album from the 'Aoxomoxoa' out-takes, and so i thought that I'd attempt a similar thing with their previous album 'Anthem of The Sun'. This was one of their most experimental albums, as the recording process involved the band recording all the songs in the studio, and then Garcia and the band mixing it with parts taken from live recordings that the band taped from concerts in late 1967 and early 1968, as well as slotting in weird electronic tape effects from Tom Constanren, a friend of Phil Lesh, who'd been drafted in to provide piano, treated piano, and John Cage-influenced sounds. For this reconstruction I've found some out-takes which have for years been considered to be the original studio recordings, although some people now believe them to be from a live concert in late 1967. I admit that they do sound live, but if they are then someone's done a great job of editing out every piece of crowd noise from the tapes, but either way they sound great, and include some sublime soloing. I've used the studio version of 'Born Cross-Eyed' from the b-side of the 'Dark Star' single, and as a bonus there's a rare studio version of 'Turn On Your Lovelight' and a take of 'Caution' (Do Not Stop On The Tracks)' from 1966. The cover is an alternate one that housed a remixed version of the album in 1972, and I've renamed it 'Solar Anthem'.



Track listing

01 That's It For The Other One
02 New Potato Caboose
03 Born Cross-Eyed
04 Alligator >
05 Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)

Bonus

06 Turn On Your Lovelight
07 Caution (Do Not Stop On The Tracks) 


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6 comments:

  1. Uncle DanMay 16, 2018 at 3:59 AM

    Thanks. It took the Dead a few albums to learn what not to do in the studio. I still have a hard time listening to the first two. The first mix of Aoxomoxoa was better but the final mix is the start of what I feel is the true Grateful Dead sound, at least on record.

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  2. AnonymousMarch 29, 2020 at 10:11 PM

    First, let me thank you and express how much I've enjoyed looking around the blog. Good premise, good execution, and I've downloaded some "albums" that I'm glad you wished for.

    Second, I have no desire to be "Just Another Picky Deadhead," so I'm commenting more in the spirit of dialog. After all, you post to satisfy yourself, but also to receive feedback (and you respond with some interesting comments). So...

    Why would anyone prefer this version of "That's It For The Other One," when the "Cryptical Envelopment" is almost completely lacking the vocal track? The instruments you can hear are well-recorded, and the sound is good for a live recording of the era ... except you think it might be in the studio. That seems preposterous, given that Mr. Garcia actually notices during the reprise that he cannot be heard, and moves closer to the mic! (Alternately, given the state of stage monitors at that time, it could be that he doesn't realize, and we just got lucky that he shifted his position.)

    I've always uniquely loved the original "Anthem," partly because it was what we had from that era for a long time, before other tapes finally surfaced. And partly because of the experimental nature of it, even though when I first heard "Two From The Vault" (with the same material) I thought, "oh, *that's* what it was supposed to sound like!" Garcia described the mixing of the album as more of a "tape performance" than a usual mix-down. They chopped up their performance tape masters, so we could hear a pastiche or fantasia of what the band sounded like in the concert hall of their minds.

    Not that I disagree with "Uncle Dan" above, about the band taking time to learn to use the studio!

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    Replies
    1. pjMarch 30, 2020 at 2:25 AM

      Feedback always welcomed, and you made some good points. I'm not sure that anyone has said that they prefer one version over the other. I added this take with low vocals as it was the one that is generally regarded as the original studio recording, and so should be heard as an archive recording. Obviously they either re-recorded it or used a live take for the final album, and so that's they version they preferred, and what we eventually got to hear. This is post is really just an insight to their 'work in progress' and will never replace the actual album.

      Delete
  3. SawApril 23, 2021 at 2:51 AM

    Can't find this or Earthquake Country on Soulseek

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. pjApril 23, 2021 at 7:17 AM

      Looks like a re-boot was needed, so grateful aiwe will now bring them up.

      Delete
    2. SawApril 25, 2021 at 6:38 AM

      Sorted thank you

      Delete

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