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Wake of the Flood is a classic Grateful Dead album that showcases the band's musical evolution and their ability to write and perform songs that are both meaningful and enjoyable. This web page has photos of album covers, inner sleeves, record labels together with production details, musicians and track-listing.
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Album Description: The Grateful Dead's album "Wake of the Flood" stands as a seminal work in their discography, showcasing their unique blend of psychedelic rock, folk influences, and improvisational jams. Released as the band's first studio album after their departure from Warner Bros. Records, "Wake of the Flood" marked a significant turning point for the Grateful Dead. This web-page explores the significance of the album, its impact on the band's career, and the enduring legacy it has left on the world of music. The Grateful Dead emerged in the 1960s as a countercultural force, captivating audiences with their eclectic sound and mind-expanding improvisations. Through their relentless touring and experimentation, the band cultivated a dedicated fan base known as the "Deadheads". However, by the early 1970s, the group faced a crossroads as they severed ties with their longtime label. "Wake of the Flood" was their first album on their independent label, Grateful Dead Records, allowing them greater artistic control and creative freedom. "Wake of the Flood" is a tapestry of musical styles, revealing the band's commitment to exploration and sonic diversity. From the opening track, "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo", the album engulfs listeners in a rich tapestry of intricate melodies, tight harmonies, and lyrical depth. The songs reflect a wide range of influences, from folk and country to jazz and blues, all intricately woven into the Dead's signature psychedelic sound. Lyrically, "Wake of the Flood" demonstrates the Grateful Dead's ability to intertwine storytelling with profound social commentary. In songs like "Eyes of the World", they encourage listeners to embrace unity and empathy, reflecting the ethos of the countercultural movement of the era. The album also addresses political themes, such as environmentalism in "Let Me Sing Your Blues Away" and individual freedom in "Stella Blue". These thought-provoking lyrics helped establish the Grateful Dead as more than just a band but as cultural torchbearers. The album's standout tracks showcase the band's instrumental prowess and ability to create transcendent musical moments. "Here Comes Sunshine" features soaring guitar solos, pulsating rhythms, and ethereal harmonies, while "Row Jimmy" captivates with its mellow groove and introspective lyrics. The sprawling epic "Weather Report Suite" demonstrates the Dead's improvisational prowess, incorporating various musical motifs and dynamic shifts. Such innovative compositions highlighted the Grateful Dead's ability to weave intricate tapestries of sound in a live setting. "Wake of the Flood" holds a significant place in the Grateful Dead's legacy and continues to inspire musicians and fans alike. It exemplifies the band's ability to merge different genres and musical styles into a cohesive and distinct sound. Moreover, the album's emphasis on improvisation and extended live performances became a hallmark of the Grateful Dead's concert experience, forging a template for countless jam bands that followed. |
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Music Genre: Psych, Acid Rock Music |
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Album Production Information: Art Direction: Bob Seidemann Album Cover Design Rick Griffin |
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Record Label & Catalognr: Grateful Dead Records GD-01 |
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Media Format: 12" Vinyl LP Gramophone Record |
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Year & Country: 1973 Made in USA |
Band Members and Musicians on: Grateful Dead Wake of the Flood |
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Complete Track Listing of: Grateful Dead Wake of the Flood |
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The album cover of Wake of the Flood by the Grateful Dead is an evocative, richly textured painting that captures both the essence of change and a deep, earthy mysticism. Dominating the scene is a hooded, cloaked figure—aged, almost skeletal, yet powerful—cradling a bundle of golden wheat in one weathered arm. The face, lined with years of wisdom and toil, bears a cryptic, knowing smile, as if in silent conversation with time itself.
The figure’s other hand rests upon a stone slab, the album’s title, Wake of the Flood, meticulously carved into its surface in an archaic, flowing script. Just below, a sharp sickle gleams, its handle worn with use, nestled against the cascading wheat, a stark reminder of both harvest and inevitability.
Behind the figure, the landscape is split between two powerful elements—land and sea. A turbulent ocean churns in deep greens and blues, waves rolling towards the shore under a sky heavy with overcast clouds. The distant horizon hints at a break in the storm, a sliver of light barely peeking through, symbolizing both destruction and renewal.
The border framing the image is a deep, moody red, lending warmth and weight to the composition, reinforcing the album’s introspective, transitional themes. This is an album cover steeped in metaphor—life, death, and rebirth rendered in stunning, almost mythological detail, a perfect visual gateway into the sonic journey within.
The back cover of Wake of the Flood is a striking and surreal fusion of nature and typography, blending rustic elegance with an eerie sense of decay and renewal. The background is a muted, pale green sky that feels both soft and desolate, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
Dominating the lower right is a black raven, its beak wide open in mid-call, with glossy feathers that appear almost sculpted, reflecting a dark energy. The bird’s sharp, curved beak and expressive eye suggest both wisdom and a sense of foreboding, a harbinger of change against the backdrop of an album steeped in transition.
The lower half of the image is filled with gnarled, twisting wheat stalks, their golden heads bending and curling in a chaotic, almost flame-like motion. The wheat, rendered in deep oranges and earthy browns, contrasts starkly with the smooth, pale sky, creating a sense of movement and tension. Some stalks appear vibrant, while others seem withered and brittle, reinforcing themes of time, growth, and inevitable decay.
Above this scene, the album’s tracklist is elegantly scripted in an old-world, calligraphic font, seamlessly blending with the organic curves of the wheat. The song titles stretch across the top in deep black ink, their intricate lettering lending an almost biblical weight to the composition. Each title stands strong against the soft background, as though etched into the air itself.
The overall effect of the cover is one of mysticism and transformation—an image that echoes the album’s themes of renewal, loss, and evolution. The art, evocatively illustrated by Rick Griffin, captures a delicate balance between beauty and eeriness, a haunting visual metaphor for the music within.
"Wake Of The Flood" Record Label Details: Grateful Dead Records GD-01 © ℗ 1973 Grateful Dead Records Sound Copyright
The record label for Wake of the Flood is a stunning black-and-white illustration, designed by Rick Griffin, with a bold, high-contrast aesthetic that immediately draws the eye. The outer edge of the label is encased in a thick circular border, reinforcing the structured yet organic design of the artwork.
Dominating the right half of the label is a meticulously detailed raven, its feathers etched with fine lines, evoking both elegance and an eerie presence. The bird's beak is wide open, mid-call, as if announcing the music itself. Its sharp talons grip a twisted branch that extends toward the lower edge of the label, adding a sense of movement and intensity. The raven’s eye appears almost knowing, as if it holds the secrets of the album’s deeply reflective themes.
At the top, "Grateful Dead" is emblazoned in a stylized, slightly warped font that seems to drip like liquid, giving it a psychedelic yet grounded feel. The typography, reminiscent of the band's earlier era of counterculture aesthetics, perfectly complements the visual storytelling of the raven.
Below this, the album title, Wake of the Flood, is displayed in a clean, bold typeface, followed by the track listing for Side A. The song titles and respective durations are arranged neatly, with writing credits listed beneath each title. The label also bears the identifier "GD-01," denoting its original release under the newly formed Grateful Dead Records label.
At the very bottom, the fine print credits all songs to Ice Nine Publishing (ASCAP) and confirms the copyright © ℗ 1973 Grateful Dead Records. This label design encapsulates the essence of the album: an evocative blend of mysticism, nature, and the band's signature artistry, making it an unforgettable piece of Grateful Dead iconography.
Recorded between August and September 1970, "American Beauty" showcased a collaborative effort between the band's songwriting talents. While Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter are credited on most of the tracks
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The name "Aoxomoxoa" is derived from a word play created by the Grateful Dead's lyricist, Robert Hunter. It does not have a specific meaning but was intended to be a whimsical and cryptic word.
Aoxomoxoa 12" Vinyl LP
Dark Star (Glastonbury Fayre): The centerpiece here is the legendary "Dark Star," a song notorious for its improvisational jams. However, there's a snag. The Grateful Dead never played Glastonbury Fayre in 1971
Dark Star / Dont Ease Me In 12" Vinyl Maxi
This 2LP vinyl release isn't your typical studio album. It's a portal to the heart of the Grateful Dead's live experience. Recorded throughout 1971, it captures the band at a peak.
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While not officially sanctioned by the Grateful Dead themselves, "Vintage Dead" holds a special place in their history. Recorded without the band's involvement, it falls under the category of a legal release rather than a bootleg.
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Through their relentless touring and experimentation, the band cultivated a dedicated fan base known as the "Deadheads". "Wake of the Flood" was their first album on their independent label, Grateful Dead Records
Wake of the Flood 12" Vinyl LP
While "The Grateful Dead" doesn't feature any of the band's signature long-form jams that would define their later career, it lays the groundwork for their improvisational exploration.
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Workingman's Dead marked a shift for the Dead. It moved away from the heavier psychedelia of their earlier work towards a more rootsy sound, featuring songs like "Uncle John's Band" and "High Time" that have become fan favorites.
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