For the Grateful Dead, Wake of the Flood ushered in an exciting new era of change and potential. The band elected to depart Warner Bros. and start its own record label. A new lineup emerged after keyboardist/vocalist Ron “Pigpen” McKernan passed away and the group landed jazz-schooled pianist Keith Godchaux and his wife, Donna, who gave the ensemble a new option in the form of a dedicated backing vocalist. Having road-tested a batch of new originals, the collective eagerly sought to expand its broad musical palette in the form of a large-scale studio LP that involves horn sections, violin, and choral figures. Diverse, unique, and mellow, 1973’s Wake of the Flood overflows with the luminous vision, stellar songwriting, and ensemble reciprocity made possible by its historical circumstances and inspired creators. Half-speed mastered from the original master tapes and part of the label’s unprecedented Grateful Dead reissue series, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered limited edition 180g LP of Wake of the Flood presents the Dead’s family-styled blend in supreme fidelity. More than any other Dead studio effort, Wake of the Flood utilizes the myriad alternatives offered by the studio setting. Recording to 24-track, the group invited no fewer than six horn players to the fray, with saxophones, trumpets, and trombones synching up with the six-piece band on two songs. In addition, virtuoso violinist Vassar Clements makes a guest appearance and Texas legend Doug Sahm lays down 12-string guitar, contributing to an amalgamation that’s nothing short of epic in ambition—and, in the case of the thematic “Weather Report Suite,” epic in length.
180G Vinyl LP - MFSL
1. "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo" (Hunter, Garcia) – 5:45
2. "Let Me Sing Your Blues Away" (Hunter, Godchaux) – 3:17
3. "Row Jimmy" (Hunter, Garcia) – 7:14
4. "Stella Blue" (Hunter, Garcia) – 6:26
5. "Here Comes Sunshine" (Hunter, Garcia) – 4:40
6. "Eyes of the World" (Hunter, Garcia) – 5:19
7. "Weather Report Suite" – 12:53
"Prelude" (Weir)
"Part I" (Weir, Anderson)
"Part II (Let It Grow)" (Barlow, Weir)
