My Morning Jacket will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their classic 2005 album, “Z,” with a very special new deluxe edition, due out 3rd October 2025 via ATO Records. “October 4 is the 20th anniversary of our album Z. It’s pretty wild to think about that,” says frontman Jim James. “To celebrate two decades of it being out in the ether, we’re excited to be turning five of our shows into special Z anniversary shows, where we’ll play that album – and some other songs, don’t worry – front to back.”
“Z” proved an immediate milestone for My Morning Jacket upon its 2005 release, earning worldwide critical acclaim for its ambitious fusion of sonic approaches, musical styles, and expressive songcraft. Co-produced with British producer John Leckie – known for his work with XTC, The Stone Roses, and Radiohead– “Z“ marked the band’s fourth studio album and first to feature its current, enduring lineup of James, keyboard player Bo Koster, guitarist Carl Broemel, bassist Tom Blankenship, and drummer Patrick Hallahan. From the radiant ‘Wordless Chorus’ and big-riff crunch of ‘Gideon’ to the funk spinout, ‘Off the Record,’ and improvisational thunder of ‘Dondante,’ the album proved My Morning Jacket’s breakthrough, employing such surprising influences as dub, reggae, and electronica to create a collection that wasn’t simply rock ‘n’ roll, yet in James’ words, “moved you like rock ‘n’ roll.”
As well as being notable for its departure from the guitar-heavy sounds of “It Still Moves”, “Z” also acquired some notoriety due to the copy protection applied to the CD, which meant fans were unable to rip it to iTunes for on-the-move listening. Band and fans were suitably disgruntled, and MMJ helped out fans with a guide to getting round it. They didn’t use it again.
The “Z” 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition will be available digitally and as a 3LP set on coloured vinyl, highlighted by 14 key outtakes from singles and film work, previously unreleased material, demos, and more and is available to pre-order here.
One of the new tracks is new single, ‘Where To Begin’. Written especially for Cameron Crowe’s 2005 film “Elizabethtown” – set in Kentucky and partially shot in MMJ’s hometown of Louisville – ‘Where to Begin’ was among the first songs recorded by the band with then-new members keyboard player Bo Koster and guitarist Carl Broemel, the latter on stone-country pedal steel guitar.
