Anthem Of The Sun, the 1968 psychedelic masterpiece from The Grateful Dead, is the VMP Essentials Record of the Month for January 2023. Our edition is the original mix of the record, pressed on exclusive 180g "Noonday Sun" colored vinyl with AAA lacquers cut from the master tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, and comes with Listening Notes from Grateful Dead archivist and legacy manager David Lemieux and an art print by Jeremy Dean.
In the late '70s, while the Dead were making live records like Without a Net and touring the literal pyramids, the Dead convened to record their first studio album in nearly eight years. The studio sessions resulted in In the Dark, by any conceivable metric, the band's biggest album ever: It reached number six on the Billboard album charts, and launched the band's biggest single, "Touch of Grey," which, thanks to its ubiquitous video on MTV, hit number 9 on the Hot 100, the band's only single to crack the top 40. In the Dark, then, stands as the moment the Dead went from cult favorites to jam band heroes to their final form: a mega huge pop act. Reissued for the first time in more than a decade, our edition comes on 180g Purple and Blue Galaxy vinyl with (AAA) Lacquers Cut from the Original Master Tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering.
One of Grateful Dead's founding members, Bob Weir, recorded his debut solo album, Ace, in 1972 as he started to venture and expand his songwriting and singing. The album debuted the same year as other Grateful Dead members Jerry Garcia and Mickey Hart explored solo pursuits. Written by Weir, the eight songs across the album are nearly extensions of the Grateful Dead, with members of the band providing support on each track, including: Bill Kreutzmann on drums, Keith Godchaux on piano, Donna Godchaux with vocals, Phil Lesh on "Mexicali Blues" and Jerry Garcia on "Looks Like Rain."
Limited to 2,000 copies, the VMP exclusive edition of Bobby Weir's Ace (50th Anniversary) is pressed on 180g Opaque Aqua vinyl at Memphis Record Pressing. The 1LP will arrive in a single, tip-on, foil-stamped and numbered jacket along with a printed insert. The record is mastered by David Glasser of Airshow Mastering and mixed by Derek Featherstone at TRI Studios and UltraSound LLC.
