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.”
Grabbing this one
Well, my prediction of a Watkins Glen soundcheck paired with WotF is proven incorrect, but I think that bodes well for a more inclusive Watkins Glen pkg down the road.
The 'bonus' live material here sounds good, as does demos of Eyes and Sunshine.
Glad to see this roll out for fall.
Also in
What's happening fellas. Yeah, also in for the live disc. You can never have too much '73 in the arsenal. I've never heard 11/1/73, but it's close enough to 10/30 that I'm going to assume they're still hot. Plus Dave says the 2nd set jam is "one of the most creative and inspired jams of the entire run". Heeere's my credit card, thank you - did it go through? - ok, excellent. More '73 help on the way.
In it for the live material mainly
Yep, that live material is the draw for me. Admittedly I do not own Wake of the Flood, so that is also very cool too. As for that 11/1/73 show, I did some preliminary digging, and it does not look as though the whole show exists on tape, at least not in circulation. However I may be wrong. From what I can find, what does exist are the soundboards from of the entire 2nd set. I wonder what the vault has in it because the Weather Report Suite is 1st closer. Maybe a few more reels? Who knows, but either way this is cool.
I have the entire 11/1/73 setlist below for quick reference:
Set 1:
Promised Land , Sugaree , Me And Bobby McGee , Brown Eyed Women , Black Throated Wind , China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider , Mexicali Blues , Brokedown Palace , Beat It On Down The Line , Loose Lucy , El Paso , They Love Each Other , Weather Report Suite Prelude > Weather Report Suite Part 1 > Let It Grow
Set 2:
Morning Dew > Playing In The Band > Uncle John's Band > Playing In The Band , Mississippi Half Step > He's Gone > Truckin' > Wharf Rat , Sugar Magnolia
A Swing and a Miss
Like the Bear's Choice reissue, this seems like a missed opportunity. Seems like it wouldn't have been too hard to release a full show where they were featuring lots of WotF tunes. Seems like it would've been a great opportunity to finally put Watkins Glen out, as HF suggested. Coulda shoulda woulda.
But will I buy it? Um, yeah.
I've always had a soft spot for Wake. A much better album than most people seem to think, IMO. I mean, come on, there's 7 tunes, and 6 of 'em are Dead classics the band played for the rest of its performing lifetime. Nor sure why so many people seem to give it a "meh" on the stoke-o-meter. So I'm looking forward to hearing it again in the best possible sound. And, yeah, sure, the live disc will be great too, I'm sure. Just wish they'd dug a little deeper.
Another missed opportunity....
Should have added another CD to get the rest of the 2nd set and it would be nice to know just how much of the 1st set is in the vault as they obviously have part of it (WRS doesn't circulate and is from the 1st set). I absolutely would have paid a little more if this included everything they have from 11/1, but this was an easy pass. Seems this is the way they go for all of the next 50th releases.
Oh how I want to order this
However, I have to say enough is enough.
Plus...it will be 30$ when all is said and done
I'll keep on with the HCS box and buy some treats with the $ instead.
Agreed PF
And it comes down to:
1. Do I need the additional stuff for the price of a whole show?
2. Does it sound that much better than my vinyl?
3. Will it play in my CD player?
No, no, and maybe.
I'll have to live to 100 to hear all I have now, and that's if I listen every waking hour. Not such a bad fate but also not bloody likely.
Cheers
Edit: 1st set 10-27-73 (Indy) is on Taper's this week and it's free, lol. And damn it's good! That fast TLEO, Greatest Story, and a slow Loose Lucy are worth a listen.
Edit 2 (7-31-23): Now I can hear almost the entire 2nd CD of this release on the newest Taper's. Weird! Really disincentivising the purchase at this point.
Order button?
Is there an order button for this? Or anything on dead.net right now? Literally can't find a single button to push to order this. Whoever they hired out is seriously slacking on some very basic e-commerce at this point.
There is..
a pre-order button when I clicked on the item, not the quick view.
Still a pain that you need a separate sign in password for the store.
Good luck.
You don’t need to sign in to make a purchase
Just check out as guest.
Oktoberfest already?
Looks like GratefulGerd likes Grateful Dead Paulaner.
Coffee for me right now, Oberon tonight.
11-1-73
should have given us the entire 2nd set here instead of that weather report suite, He's Gone>Wharf Rat sorry, really no comparing and to leave off these two and the rest of the set is sacrilegious. I still have my original copy of this lp and I do like it but I will pass on this release also.
shipping notice received for 47, not here yet.
The 26th was a couple days ago and not only was it the day Brent left us, also JJ Cale on the 26th also. RIP Randy
Wake of the Flood is...
This is like my favorite album... how can I not get this release? I know all you are saying, I have to live to 100... I have the vinyl, the 11/1/73 set is only partial... but I still have to get it to pass it on... Thank you Dead.net looking fwd to getting this one! C'mon... its more '73 :-) iGrateful
Man, tough crowd
Yeah, I’m mostly just getting these rehashes for the live bonus material too, so only one bonus disc, after setting the bar high with AB and WMD, and now going skimpy is kinda lame. Obviously, using this board as a reference, it’s going to hurt sales…
And once again, the bonus disc doesn’t have much from the associated album? If you count WRS as one song, that’s only two…9/15 or 9/17 would have been much more appropriate, as they both have 6 songs from Wake, including the jazz cats that played on the album. (and their great shows!) If they think folks are going to just bye rehash with so little incentive, i fear sales will become so bad they’ll have to stop. Seems like the cost of another disc or two would be worth the significant boost in sales? Instead their prolly going to get stuck with a bunch of inventory….
11/1/73: interesting about WRS being available, as only second is on archive (as mentioned below).
Curious about the first set, because the second set is awesome! Tough call on what to cut. If the WRS is top shelf, suppose I’d rather have that than yet another He’s Gone/Truckin? But still….WHY cut it?
Hate to complain about getting any quality live dead, but this is another head scratcher.
Yeah I’m going to get it, mostly just to support the cause, (their not going to keep releasing if we don’t purchase) and to add to the collection, and because I’m a 73 nut, though I do really like WOTF.
Always wondered why it didn’t seem to get a lot of love? Fucking Jazz Dead! Come on, what’s not to like! Several really good studio performances too, something they didn’t normally get. The sound is a little different, but it’s not bad, just different, and most of their albums usually do sound different. And like some one said, most of the songs where staples throughout. But without more of a bonus incentive, I can totally dig why a lot of folks will pass on this one. These Warner folks sure seem good at stepping over a dollar to pick up a nickel?
More importantly, if their only going to do one disc bonuses, that means prolly only 3/23/75 for Allah and not 6/17/75, which you’d think has to come out! (For BTK if nothing else ; )
74/Mars might work out as there’s so many partially picked at carcasses to choose from, but going forward, that one disc scenario is going to kill these reissues…
Wait, What?
Or more accurately what the hell?
Today's new Taper's has 11-1-73:
Dew>Playin'>UJB>Playin'.
Is this not the same as the 2nd CD of this release?
(without the WRS and the Half Step on either end of it)
Is it to spur sales? Sort of a listening party?
Cheers
Edit: Please note, my budget is the biggest factor. Plus, is it limited? I may be able to go back and get it if an unexpected windfall comes my way.
I’m happy to get the bonus disc
Even better if/when Dave puts out what remains in the Vault as filler on another release.
If the whole show isn’t in the Vault, then releasing what does exist over 2 releases as filler is fine with me. It doesn’t count against my annual allotment of a DaP subscription and a Box.
Kind of sad though that those are all I can get annually.
Increase my allotment Dave/Rhino!
I'm too dug in at this point....
....to give up. But yeah. Frustrating to say the least re shipping updates/defective merchandise. I would say paying for upgraded shipping would help, but I've read some heads here saying that it doesn't make a lick of difference.
My issues ordering here have admittingly been minimal, but, unless some are making shit up, it is an issue.
As someone here also said, Phish's Dry Goods and The Garcia Fam Foundation seem to make it work.
I'm just re-beating the same 'ole drum at this point.
Vguy72, I would rather hear…
Vguy72, I would rather hear the beating of drums than the distant scraping noise from the bottom of an empty customer service barrel.
50th Wake
It looks a bit threadbare to me, this release. I've never heard Wake of the Flood on cd. I liked the original album when I got it, and for the next few years, but I seem to discard it when I started getting tapes. For me,all the songs on it are superseded by live versions from the same year. That wasn't always the case with the earlier albums, which to me still sound great and unique. So this was the first studio album by The Dead that isn't essential. I think I'll still get it, though, for the live cd.
Looking forward to this as…
Looking forward to this as 11/1/73 was my first Dead show - At 16 I was (and still am) a HUGE ABB fan and the Allmans, touring behind Brothers and Sisters, were at the International Amphitheater the same night and since Northwestern was about 15 minutes away (as opposed to driving down to Chicago's south side - the IA was on Halsted not far from Comiskey Park) - the decision to see the Dead was easy......sort of
Unfortunately my buddy, who drove, had the attention span of a gnat and NO knowledge of the Dead's music (much less the culture) and I could tell he was frustrated and bored out of his mind. Shortly after the second set started, he stated, "This sucks. There's no chicks here. Let's leave!" Huh? There WERE chicks there - just not the bimbo cheerleader types he was looking for. After all, we were 16 - I mean, come on....
So I did get to see the FIRST set, and about 10 minutes of the second set. Needless to say, from that point on I was extremely careful about WHO I went to shows with I NEVER let ANYONE drive me to a show unless I KNEW they were willing to go the distance. Literally.
Tough life lesson, for sure. *laugh*
Can't wait to finally hear what I missed.....!
P.S. I see some complaints…
P.S. I see some complaints about this not being the full show - I know for a fact after looking for this for over 20 years that there is no complete version available of this show that would meet the standards of most discerning Dead fans.....although deadlists shows that a complete SBD is available I'm almost positive (however, I'll happily admit being wrong about this) that WXRT broadcast the second set but not the first, so if the full show were released there would be a lot of complaints about the audio quality of Set 1 not matching Set 2, which would be a valid complaint - I mean, how many shows were you glad to get in trade, but wouldn't have wanted to necessarily pay for, mainly because of the sound? I think most fanatics would be OK with an audience patch or two but a whole set's worth? Not so much....and I was there. I'm sure the decision was made because this was a unique closing set of the very short tour that followed the release of the record and it was the last night of that unusual tour.....that said, I agree that it would have been nice to have a clean SBD of the entire second set - however, there may have been sound issues (see above) or maybe they just wanted to get it onto one disc.
Who knows? All I know is I can't wait to hear it.
Thanks for listening!
Only set 2 exists
And you're getting most of it. You can get the entire set over at losslesslegs or etree
Hurricane Hilary
Grateful Dead / Wake of the Flood 1973
Bob Dylan & the Band / Before the Flood 1974
Jerry Garcia death date August 9, 1995
Robbie Robertson death date August 9, 2023
“You are like a hurricane
There’s calm in your eye
And I’m gettin’ blown away
To somewhere safer where the feeling stays
I want to love you but I’m getting blown away”
Neil Young / Like A Hurricane
Do I wait for this "Flood" to pass?
I am an avid Dead collector. I love "Wake of the Flood" (drive my wife nuts wearing my WOTF shirt all of the time, when she hates the cover). I've had this since shortly after its initial release. Can't begin to tell you how many versions and formats I've bought since then.
I've even bought quite a few of the 50th Anniversary Releases. However, I'm also an audiophile and am sitting here listening to the 2004 "Beyond Description" box version and am asking myself what advance am I going to hear here in terms of sound? Also, not sure if the extra cd is that much of a gain over the extras on the 2004 version? I'm on the fence on this one. What's going to convince me that this edition is worth it?
What makes it worth it?
The live material
Ps what's wrong with the album cover?
It's not one of the more well known covers. I did try to create a watercolor image of it once. How'd it turn out?
Ever see that restored fresco of Jesus?
Why bother?
You've probably already got it, but I thought the 50th anniversary of "American Beauty" sounded glorious. So did "Anthem" and Aoxomoxoa" in their original states. So I would have thought anyone who likes "Wake Of The Flood" will be well impressed with whatever the new one sounds like. For me the live disc is the draw - but it's a bit expensive to buy it just for that one cd.
No Love?
Hmmmm, don’t think I’ve seen a new release get this ignored?
Wonder why? Is it the only one disc dealy?
Well, like my Cousin Eecktar says “ lil bit o somethin better than all of nothing”, so I’m looking forward to receiving a fresh 73 Dead fix, possibly next week?
I can't really get too…
I can't really get too excited about this one and I love new releases. At one point it was 19.99 on Amazon and I still didn't jump.
Unfortunate planning?
Maybe not the best idea to release a single bonus cd of live music from 1973, when 17 have been released a couple of months earlier. If this had come out before the box, it might have been more celebrated.