My Morning Jacket was at a crossroads as it prepared to record the album that would bring its long-awaited breakthrough. Two members had already left the band, and their replacements were slowly finding their feet within the group's chemistry. The Kentucky ensemble also felt the desire to step outside its comfort zone and therefore brought in professional producer John Leckie. The result – “Z” – was ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 greatest albums of all time and is often referred to as My Morning Jacket's “OK Computer.” My Morning Jacket focuses entirely on the essentials on “Z”: the quintet, which has been given new energy by the addition of Carl Broemel on guitar and Bo Koster on keyboards, goes beyond the Southern rock and rustic ballads of its earlier LPs, incorporating exotic vocabulary and psychedelic sounds into its repertoire while streamlining its structures. The conscious decision to lock themselves away in a studio, isolated from all distractions, led the group to a remote area of the Catskill Mountains. The final piece of the puzzle that brought everything together was Leckie: a veteran of Abbey Road Studios who had worked in various capacities on albums by George Harrison, Pink Floyd, and Wings, Leckie already had an impressive resume as a sound engineer and producer before the sessions began, including work for the Stone Roses, XTC, Muse, and Radiohead. Leckie's perspective changed the way the band worked. “Z” is a testament to the brilliance of this collaboration, with adventurous arrangements and forays into reggae, R&B, and soul jazz that take the listener on wondrous journeys to distant galaxies. The songs are reminiscent of rays of light passing through a prism and projecting a broad spectrum of colors.

Lovingly mastered from the original tapes at MoFi Studio in California, housed in mini-LP-style gatefold packaging, numbered and strictly limited to 2,500 copies, this Hybrid SACD presents this gem in audiophile reference quality for the first time: A significant part of the album's acclaimed appeal and success – John Leckie's outstanding production, which dampens the reverb characteristic of the group and coats the music with organic warmth and cosmic textures – comes to the fore here with unprecedented openness and presence.

MUSICIANS

Jim James: vocals, lead and rhythm guitars Tom Blankenship: bass guitar Carl Broemel: guitar and saxophone on "Dondante" Patrick Hallahan: drums Bo Koster: keyboards Andrew Bird: strings and whistles on "Gideon", "Into the Woods" and "It Beats 4 U" “M.” Ward: acoustic guitar and choirs on "Into the Woods" John Leckie & Jim James: production

We recommend the use of "L'Art du Son" CD/DVD conditioner for even more sonic improvement.

Media	Music CD (Compact Disc)
Number of discs	1
Released	May 29, 2026
EAN/UPC	0821797233262
Label	MOBILE FIDELITY SOUND LAB UDSACD2332
Genre	Rock
Dimensions	136 × 137 × 5 mm · 108 g