GRATEFUL DEAD 'WAKE OF THE FLOOD' FIRST PRESSING 1973 RARE CRISP CLEAN ORIGINAL

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GRATEFUL DEAD 'WAKE OF THE FLOOD' RARE FIRST PRESSING 1973 CRISP, CLEAN, ORIGINAL
THE GRATEFUL DEAD "WAKE OF THE FLOOD" RARE ORIGINAL FIRST U.S. PRESSING ~ ORANGE '0598' ON SPINE LABEL: GRATEFUL DEAD RECORDS GD-01 RELEASED: OCTOBER 15, 1973 RECORDED AT THE RECORD PLANT SAUSALITO ~ AUGUST 6th-15th 1973 MASTERING: THE LACQUER CHANNEL SAUSALITO (Boxed 'TLC' in Matrix) PRODUCER: THE GRATEFUL DEAD ALBUM COVER ART: RICK GRIFFIN MATRIX (SIDE A): GD-01-A-M45 RE1
CONDITION:  VINYL: VG++   JACKET: VG++
I've been going thru my massive vinyl record collection these past few weeks and pulling out some LPs that I thought that someone else would want for their collection. I've been collecting records for over 45 years and it's time to pass some of them on to the next generation of collectors.
This week on EBay I am offering up this rare original First Pressing of the Grateful Dead's classic 1973 release "Wake of the Flood"
This is my original copy, purchased back in the Fall of 1973, shortly after it's release, that I've taken great care of for many years. See details on Condition below.
This was the Dead's 6th studio album and the first studio album in nearly 3 years, since the release of the critically acclaimed 1970 albums "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty", where they scaled back their Psychedelic sound and focused on folk, country and Americana themes.
Those albums are considered some of the band's best, so there was a real urgency to make their next studio album something 'special' that could stand up to their previous work.
Following the success of the 'Beauty/Workingman's' albums, the band hit the road and did some extensive worldwide touring. That would result in the release of 3 live albums in three years – 'Grateful Dead' in 1971, the great 'Europe ’72' in 1972, and 'Bear’s Choice' in 1973. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By late 1972, Pigpen's health had deteriorated to the point that he was unable to tour, and he ultimately passed away in March 1973. R.I.P. Ron!
Percussionist Mickey Hart also temporarily left the band during this era, due to issues with his Father, Lenny, taking over the band's finances and ultimately sneaking off with a load of their money. The Band weren't happy, to say the least, and Mickey left out of 'guilt'.
This left Bill Kreutzmann as the sole percussionist/drummer.
By this time, the band had added Donna Jean Godchaux to help out with backing vocals on tour. Donna mentioned to Jerry Garcia that her husband Keith was a gifted keyboard player and might help replace Pigpen.
After some tryouts, the band hired Keith Godchaux to initially play along with Pigpen, and eventually be Pigpen's replacement. This 1973 album was the Godchaux's studio debut.
~~~~~~~~~ The Grateful Dead at the time this record was released in October 1973 consisted of: 
Jerry Garcia – Guitars, Vocals Bob Weir – Guitars, Vocals Phil Lesh – Bass Bill Kreutzmann – Drums, Percussion Keith Godchaux – Keyboards, Vocals Donne Jean Godchaux - Backing Vocals
The Band were helped out in the studio by several of their musician friends including: Vassar Clements on Violin, Matthew Kelly on Harmonica, Doug Sahm on 12 String Guitar, as well as various Sax and Horn players from the West Coast studio scene.
~~~~~~~~~~~ Despite some large bumps in the road, by the Summer of 1973, the band was on fire, 'tight but loose' and particularly good on stage.
The band knew that their next studio album had to be exceptional, so they just decided to record some of their well known live performances in a studio setting, and put them onto the new record.
Many of the songs on this album had been road-tested and played in rotation live on tour over the past year and the band was very familiar with them, so in August 1973, the Grateful Dead took a break from touring and entered Record Plant studios, in Sausalito, California, to lay down fresh fine-tuned studio versions of the newer songs in their sets for a new album.
Bobby and his songwriter friends Eric Andersen and John Perry Barlow had been working on some new pieces as well, which would end up being patched together as the new song “Weather Report Suite.” 
The band self produced the album, and with help from the Record Plant's engineers and some outside musicians, they were able to record everything for the new album in less than two weeks.
'Wake of the Flood' was released in October 1973, reached the Top 20, and sold better than any of their previous studio albums. It was the success that the band had hoped for.
~~~~ This album sounds full-bodied, layered, uplifting and warm. The studio versions of these songs sound so much more layered and complex, compared to the thinner, streched-out, live versions that we are all used to hearing.
This is a great album for both veteran and new Deadheads as it sounds fantastic, shows the band at their early compositional peak, has the band doing what they do best. It contains many of their best and most popular songs.
Songs such as 'Eyes Of The World', 'Stella Blue', 'Row Jimmy' and 'Let it Grow', are all fan favorites and they remained in the Dead's regular live rotation for years, until the band's end in 1995.
~~~  After their long tenure with Warner Brothers, the Dead took business into their own hands in 1973 and started their own independent record company 'Grateful Dead Records'.
This was the first album released on their new label, and also the first to feature the newest band members, Keith Godchaux on keyboards and his wife Donna Jean Godchaux on backing vocals. 
Unfortunately, 'Grateful Dead Records' was not a very good business venture, and it eventually collapsed in 1976. The label only released 4 records; 'Wake of the Flood' in 1973, 'From the Mars Hotel' in 1974, 'Blues for Allah' in 1975, and the live album, 'Steal Your Face', in 1976. The band's Solo efforts were released on the Rounder record label during this period.
Due to poor label management, poor distribution and almost no promotional efforts outside of the Dead's fan club, all of those albums are now very hard to find as clean, original pressings.
'Wake of the Flood' is especially hard to find in clean condition as the album was released in a soft, matte, almost textured cover, which quickly showed damage and ringwear, and also the fact that, as their first, fledgling, self-made release, quality control wasn't optimal and many pressings were warped or had damage, right from the factory.
Beautiful, clean, properly pressed copies, like this pressing, are vey rare and hard to find. When Grateful Dead Records went under, copies of this album suddenly became non-existent in the market. Only a few of us Deadheads were able to find nice clean copies back then, before the record vanished forever, at least until the 1990's audiophile repress.
Distribution outside of the Dead's fanclub was horrible. The demand was so high when it 'disappeared' that inferior pirated counterfeit copies were made to fill demand. These can be easily identified by a white '0598' on the spine instead of the orange number on legitimate copies, like this version has, and artwork that is much less 'crisp.' 
I purchased this copy back in the Fall of 1973, at a headshop/record shop in NYC, when it was first released, and have taken great care of it since. It's a strong VG+, and one of the best copies I've seen in decades.
~~~~~~~~~~ With the loss of Pigpen, the single drummer rhythms, the addition of Keith & Donna, and the start of their own record label, the band desperately needed to 'update', regroup, and create a new exciting sound for the band.
Since the band's last studio album in 1970, they had progressed musically. Gone were the Americana sounds of 'American Beauty'. Instead, 'Wake of the Flood' found the band experimenting with new sounds and it marked a new era for the popular California band.
The band was forced to expand their musical palette. 'Wake of the Flood' features compositions which draw from a wide range of influences, ranging from country roots, to reggae, to progressive rock, to a seventies modern fusion of funk and jazz. 
It's the Grateful Dead's most progressive and 'jazzy' album, as opposed to the straightforward blues-inspired psychedelic rock the band had been making beforehand. 
The record has an emphasis on keyboards, played by Keith Godchaux, crisp, layered vocals, and the twin guitars of Bob and Jerry.
'Wake' is an excellent example of the Grateful Dead doing what they do best, while also refusing to do what you expect them to do.
The 7 tracks on 'Wake of the Flood' include:
Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo Let Me Sing Your Blues Away Row Jimmy Stella Blue Here Comes Sunshine Eyes of the World Weather Report Suite
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The album opens with the great “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo,” a loose, upbeat, catchy, down-home bluegrass track.
'Mississippi Half-Step" is clearly a nod to the band's past, to Pigpen, and their earliest days playing upbeat 'Jug Band' music as "Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champs" in the early 60s. 
It features some free-wheeling fiddle from Vassar Clements whirling underneath the excellent guitar parts. Jerry and Vassar were kindred spirits, with Clements playing along with Jerry on the recently released 'Old and In the Way' album.
~~~~ The 2nd track, and the first single released from this album, is "Let Me Sing Your Blues Away", co-written and sung by newest member Keith Godchaux.
The song has strong melodies, interesting chord changes, beautiful harmonies, and Keith's deep voice gives it a fantastic sound and feel.
It has a great opening beat, some wailing sax, Keith's beautiful piano, and Jerry plays fantastic guitar.
~~~~ "Row Jimmy" is a passionate, timeless track and a live concert staple for the band at the time. Garcia's song has a mesmerizing reggae feel with complex rhythms.
The song is driven by Phil Lesh's fine bass lines, complemented by Keith's clavichord style organ, Billy's crisp drumming, and some dual guitar licks. 
The chorus is made up of the voices of every single band member, including Donna Jean, and it sounds rich, deep and layered.
The song's beautiful lyrics are sung by Jerry and he does a fine job. He also tosses in a few great guitar solos. 
~~~~ The exquisite “Stella Blue” is a fan favorite and a well known Grateful Dead ballad. Jerry Garcia has said in interviews that 'Stella Blue' was perhaps his favorite of all the Grateful Dead songs.
It shows off Jerry Garcia's passionate, emotional vocals and beautiful vocal harmonies gracefully weave through the song.
On this album, the vocals are much more powerful, emotional and richly layered, compared to the thin live version they typically performed in concert.
~~~~ The album’s 2nd side starts off with the song that gives this album it's odd title, “Here Comes Sunshine.” A rather happy, optimistic song that is led by a rich musical mix of guitar and percussion, with beautiful vocal harmonies.
~~~~ Next up is the funky, catchy, classic, “Eyes of the World” that hints at the more upbeat direction that the band would take later in the 70s.
It's a perfect Dead song, and somewhat defines the new sonic direction the band was taking on this album.
It slides along effortlessly, with a great beat, complex chord progressions, soulful rhythms and terrific guitar. Benny Velarde's timbale work is pretty cool as well.
A Grateful Dead classic!
~~~~ All these great songs lead up to the album's closer and epic masterpiece, Bob Weir’s fantastic, three part, thirteen minute long, “Weather Report Suite”. 
It's Weir’s most ambitious creation to date. The song is about the constantly changing seasons, and their relationship to the narrator’s mood and state of mind. 
This song really shows off the Dead's new musical direction and is the most Jazzy and Progressive Rock sounding thing they've ever recorded. It's smoothly arranged, beautifully produced, and sounds amazing on this all analog First Pressing.
It's an incredible musical journey, and showcases Jerry's new-found interest in Spanish guitar stylings. It contains some incredible, layered guitarwork.
The “Prelude” section is a beautiful acoustic instrumental, whose rhythms slowly build up to “Part I”, which features the fine lyrics by Bob's buddy Eric Andersen. 
In “Part II ('Let it Grow')”, the song continues to pick up both beat and energy, keeping the listener's interest. This section features lyrics by Weir's frequent writing partner, John Perry Barlow, sung with intensity and passion by Bobby.
This part of Weir's Suite is arranged with amazing density and layers, including Keith's virtuoso keyboard playing, full horns and a closing dual sax and harmonica section, which adds fantastic 'color' to the Dead's music.
The song introduces many new musical elements, something the Dead weren't known for, but it works perfectly. An excellent, highly underrated Grateful Dead song.
“Weather Report Suite” gave the album a memorable, long, epic centerpiece.
It sounds rich, full, layered, jazzy, and, with its three part structure, saw the band edging into proggier territory, which was all the rage in 1973 with bands like Yes, ELP, and Genesis in the charts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'Wake of the Flood' is a true Grateful Dead gem. 
The compositions are some of the best, heartfelt, emotional, songs that the Dead have ever written. The band’s vocal harmonies are just fantastic, something that often gets 'lost' in live performance.
Both Jerry and Bobby's compositional, lyrical, and arranging skills are much more pronounced and on full display here.
Jerry, by this time, was starting to explore various Jazz & Spanish guitarists such as Wes Montgomery and Django Reinhardt, and their influence on Jerry's playing can be heard all over this album, especially on the long, three part album closer, "Weather Report Suite". 
The handful of Garcia-Hunter songs on this album are all top-notch: “Eyes of the World”, “Stella Blue”, “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo", “Here Comes Sunshine”, and “Row Jimmy.” Some of the best Hunter/Garcia songwriting of the early years and all songs that became staples of Grateful Dead shows over the next couple of decades. 
The musicianship and performances on this album are excellent, with lots of melody, interplay, and interesting twists that keep the listener focused and engaged. An excellent sounding album.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Wake of the Flood” is one of the Grateful Dead’s best loved and celebrated albums. An excellent example of the Grateful Dead doing what they do best, while refusing to do what you expect them to do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONDITION: I tried to show good hi-resolution photos of the cover, labels and vinyl in my pictures.
I purchased this copy back in the mid 70's, nearly 50 years ago, and have taken great care of it since. VINYL: The vinyl looks great. Clean and bright. There are a couple of hairlines, but No serious scuffs, palpable scratches, or dings. It looks fantastic and I'm sure you'll be very happy with it.
The Deadwax has the early First Pressing markings and the boxed 'TLC' Lacquer Channel mastering mark. This is a 'Monarch', west coast pressing, as are most First Pressings, but no clear Monarch indicators in the deadwax. No date in the deadwax, I believe that was only on plates sent to Artisan to be pressed there, but not sure. See the full Matrix above.
I tried to show some close-up pictures of the vinyl to show how good it looks. I'm sure you'll be happy with it.
I haven't messed with it or cleaned it, other than my trusty 'DiscWasher' brush, in 50 years, since Nixon was in office. It could use a good deep cleaning to make it even bettter looking and better sounding than it already is. 
LABELS: This is pressed with the 'classic' early black & white Grateful Dead custom labels. Crisp and fantastic. One of my favorite vintage labels, with Rick Griffin's 'Crow' image. I love how his claw wraps around the spindle hole. It makes it appear that the spindle holes are 'rough' but if you look closely, they are crisp.
The labels are clean and bright. No marks, dirt or damage, like often found. The spindle holes are still sharp and clean, suggesting minimal playing and my careful handling over the years.
JACKET: As you can see from my pictures, this cover still looks very nice for a 50 year old OG copy.  This thick, almost textured, jacket is notorious for showing ringwear, dirt, scuffs and damage, but this copy is still quite nice. 
The black 'rim' around the album's edges was also notorious for showing shelving wear, but this one looks great. A beautiful survivor.
The artwork, all done by Bay Area poster artist Rick Griffin is clean, bright and fantastic. A classic example of great 'album art'.
The 'story' of the Crow is that Rick Griffin teased Jerry that if his new record, on his new label, didn't sell well, he would have to 'Eat Crow', thus the smirking Crow and wheat on the back cover and record labels. Themes of a Crow also show up in several Dead songs.
This is the rare First Pressing jacket, which can be identified by the Orange price code on the spine, the single line of text at the bottom of the back cover, and the lack of song titles on the back cover. Originals had a hype sticker on the shrink with the song titles, as they didn't want to cover up Griffin's art. No hype sticker with this copy, sorry.
Later, but still early, copies had the songs printed on the back, and 3 lines of text on the back cover. As mentioned, counterfeits had 'all white' printed spines and the artwork wasn't as 'crisp'. 
The colors and sharpness of the artwork on these First pressings was never matched on later pressings. They just have a look and feel to them that is unique and special. It's hard to describe, but the wheat on the back cover just has a 'glow' and vibrancy that makes it feel alive, and the Crow has a 'twinkle' in his eye and seems more animated. Maybe it's just that I saw too many Grateful Dead shows back in the day and I'm still on the bus, but these first, early covers really do have magical powers that later copies lack.
These early covers have a unique feel and 'texture' to them as well, not the typical smooth glossy covers of the day. Each one was a work of art.
The edges and corners are sharp, no seam splits, the spine is straight and 'correct', a nice, rare, beautiful survivor.
The only 'fault' is that there are 4 very tiny 'staple' holes in the top left corner. I don't remember if the price tag was there, or it was some sort of mark the band did to show it was a legit copy? I don't recall the details, but it's a minimal distraction to this otherwise beautiful jacket.
Overall, I'll call the whole record at least VG+, but it's one of the best copies I've seen in many years, if not decades.
Originals just came with a plain white inner sleeve, which I upgraded, and this record has been sleeved and stored properly for decades.
You can see from my pictures it's still quite nice. This copy is all original, and a real gem. I'm sure you'll love it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** NOTE: I'm selling this rare 'Collector' record "AS IS" and "NO RETURN". It's rare and as described and I'm sure you'll be very happy with it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I’m recently retired and downsizing and letting go some gems and rarities from nearly 45 years of vinyl record collecting. Check out the many other fantastic 45s and 33s coming soon to my page!
All records have been carefully evaluated and graded by me. I visually inspect all records under bright light, personally gently clean them with a soft cloth and then, if unsure, play them on a modern high-end turntable to get a true picture of condition. Please look at all the high-resolution pictures I added. They are all my own and are of the actual record being sold. The pictures are part of the description and can show small details, label variations, and condition better than I can put into words. 
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOURS AND WE WISH YOU MUCH PEACE AND PROSPERITY IN THE YEAR TO COME!!
THANK YOU for looking and reading if you got this far.  -- JOHN