Tracklist
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Tracklist
Show Notes
The Classic 1973 Album and Debut From Grateful Dead Records, Newly Remastered & Expanded With Previously Unreleased Material
In 1973, following the recent passing of founding member Ron “Pigpen” McKernan and the temporary exit of drummer Mickey Hart, Grateful Dead released WAKE OF THE FLOOD. As the debut album from their own record label, Grateful Dead Records, the studio LP marked a period of transition, growth, endurance and optimism for the band, introducing a fresh lineup that included new members Keith and Donna Godchaux on keys and vocals. While songs like “Eyes Of The World,” “Stella Blue,” and “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” were largely road-tested for more than half a year beforehand, and have remained staples of live sets by any number of Dead-related bands ever since, the album and record label delivered both a profound artistic statement and proof of concept for the community, ideals and future the band were building.
WAKE OF THE FLOOD (50TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION) features the album’s seven original songs and previously unreleased demo recordings of “Eyes Of The World” and “Here Comes Sunshine.” Recorded in early 1973, just before the Grateful Dead performed on February 9th, the demos feature Jerry Garcia singing and playing a pair of new songs he and Robert Hunter had been creating.
WAKE OF THE FLOOD (50TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION) also includes a bonus disc of live material from the final night of a brief tour that immediately followed WAKE OF THE FLOOD’s release. Captured at Northwestern University’s McGaw Memorial Hall on November 1st, 1973, the set is bookended with “Weather Report Suite” and “Mississippi Half-Step,” and features one of the most creative and inspired jams of the entire run: “Morning Dew”>”Playing In The Band”>”Uncle John's Band”>”Playing In The Band.”
Reviews
Jerry Lesh — 10/5/2023 12:39:22 PM
"Our Weather-->Dew-->Playing-->UJB-->Playing has been a favorite bootleg sequence for many years"
Schnozberries — 9/30/2023 11:26:20 AM
"Didnt know GD could sound so much like Pink Floyd. I kept thinking, some of this sounds like Obscured by Clouds!"
The Crow — 9/29/2023 2:24:26 PM
"Emotions through the threads of sound. Excellent remastering and distribution of each demo. So Grateful! "
TripiVinnie — 9/29/2023 12:19:31 PM
"Finally a good quality version of the first album on the first GD label much better than my old cassette tape!"
