GOOD OL’ GRATEFUL DEADCAST

Episode: Wake Of The Flood 50: Weather Report Suite

Date: November 16, 2023

Hosts: Rich Mahan & Jesse Jarnow

Episode Overview

This finale of Season 8 dives deep into "Weather Report Suite," Bob Weir’s epic and singular songwriting contribution to the Grateful Dead’s 1973 album, Wake of the Flood, marking its 50th anniversary. The episode explores the piece’s musical evolution, the studio saga behind its creation, its legacy on stage, and the broader historical context of the album’s release, including the Dead’s foray into independent record-making. Featuring rare demos, multitrack studio insights, interviews with musicians, Dead insiders, and fans reflecting on the song and era, the journey illustrates why "Weather Report Suite" remains a defining, sometimes divisive, jewel in the Dead’s discography.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. "Weather Report Suite" — A New Type of Dead Epic

• A Suite for the Ages:
  • On release, it was the longest piece on any Grateful Dead studio album and unique for being recorded before ever played live (04:48).
  • David Lemieux: “It’s a very rare Grateful Dead song that kind of hadn’t been really written until they recorded it and wasn’t played live until after they’d recorded it.” (05:13)
  • The suite is structurally divisive—embraced by some fans, contentious for others, and a “stand-in for the album as a whole.” (05:25)
• Songwriting & Structure:
  • Bob Weir’s ambition—crafting a personal suite—marks his most musically complex composition for the band.
  • The suite was comprised of three pieces: "Prelude," "Part I" (with lyricist Eric Andersen), and "Let It Grow" (with John Perry Barlow), initially known under working titles like “Bob’s Song” and “I Am the Rain.” (35:34)

2. The Evolution: From Sketches to Studio

• Musical Seeds Planted:
  • Mike Daly’s recollections and old tapes reveal Weir’s intro licks as early as April 1969, with the seeds popping up in jamming through the early '70s.
  • An early sketch, “Madrigal,” predates the full suite and was first reworked with Barlow, then attempted with Hunter, with lyrics never quite landing until neighboring songwriter Eric Andersen was drafted in last minute (08:30–30:21).
• The Writing Process:
  • “Let It Grow” is one of the rare Dead songs where Weir and Barlow wrote lyrics and music simultaneously (13:10).
  • Musicians analyzed the chordal complexity—the distinctive use of diminished chords and modal progression.
    • Quote: “For me, the tone is set right away when they sit on the diminished chord… It kind of immediately sets the tone of being, you know, this is the Grateful Dead prog statement.” – Sean O'Donnell (14:24)

3. Studio Alchemy & Guest Collaborators

• Challenging, Layered Production:

  • The session reels reveal not only the Dead’s trial-and-error approach but a growing ambition for orchestral arrangement.
  • Guest musicians include:
    • Sarah Fulcher: backing vocals
    • Doug Sahm: bajo sexto
    • Martin Fierro, Joe Ellis, and Bill Atwood: horns
    • Matt Kelly: harmonica
    • Eric Andersen: lyrics on Part I (57:57–65:36)
  • Quote on Weir's vision:
    “He had this conception in his head. Not being literate as far as musical notation was concerned, he just sang parts to the players… being inspired by things like Gil Evans arrangements for Miles Davis’s Sketches of Spain.” – Gary Lambert (51:49–54:58)

• Complex Arrangements:

  • Discussion of the multitrack breakdowns, pedal steel textures, and the “epic” production that took the piece from folk, to prog, to cinematic Western ("Text-Mex" section), culminating in horn-driven grandeur (55:22–57:05).

4. The Album Release: Wake of the Flood (1973)

• A New Era of Independence:

  • The Dead launched their own label, motivated by control over quality, profits, and the fan experience (100:28).
  • Ron Rakow’s stories illuminate wild label logistics—quixotic ambitions, "quality vinyl," and artist-led distribution efforts.
  • Challenges:
    • Vinyl quality issues: The pursuit of “the best vinyl for storing musical information” led to logistical chaos, as pressing plants were unable to comply (102:06–104:31).
    • Counterfeiting crisis: Immediate bootlegging of the album resulted in a fan-driven campaign to smoke out fakes, lawsuits, and even mafia involvement (114:46–119:05).
    • Oil embargo impacts: Rising production costs due to the 1973 oil crisis affected both pressing and touring logistics (111:30).

• Iconic Album Art:

  • Rick Griffin’s wheat-reaper cover and crow symbolism are broken down for metaphysical and practical meanings, including a hidden “anamorphic” skull on the LP back (94:27–98:20), and the almost-included biblical quote removed for being “a step too far” (96:12).

5. On Stage: The Suite & "Let It Grow" Live

• Inaugural Performances:

  • The suite’s live debut occurred in September 1973 at the Nassau Coliseum, at once captivating and confusing for fans (68:48–70:09).
  • Horns on tour: A brief experiment with Doug Sahm’s horn section on tour quickly faded from the setlists (81:55–82:04).
  • Over time, Weir dropped the Andersen-penned Part I for his distaste for the lyrics ([15:53], [82:04]),
  • By the late ’70s, “Let It Grow” became a jam vehicle and setlist staple, its form evolving and solidifying as a band showcase through the ‘80s, ‘90s, and now into Weir’s Wolf Brothers and symphonic projects (83:20–90:27).

• Memorable Audience Experiences:

  • Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo):
    “The first time I saw them was at Nassau Coliseum and they did Weather Report Suite or maybe just Let It Grow before it came out…I certainly remember Let It Grow. That really stuck.” (69:49–70:48)

6. Reception, Legacy & Debate

• Initial Reaction:
  • Listener Cary Coles, from the UK:
    “My main reaction to Wake of the Flood was actually one of disappointment… the poetry just seemed to me to be whimsical or nonsensical or cartoonish. And it didn’t open the doors for my imagination. There was nothing on the disc that rocked.” (121:09)
  • Critics divided; Robert Hunter blamed himself for not supplying stronger material (123:42).
• Commercially:
  • Despite the cult narrative, Wake of the Flood became the band’s highest-charting album to date and profitable for the newly minted label (120:13, 119:21).
• Enduring Influence:
  • The piece and the album fueled decades of reinterpretations, from Weir’s Wolf Pack orchestral versions to Yo La Tengo lyrics and a general ethos of never playing the same show/setlist twice (78:34, 90:27).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Suite’s Rarity:
  “It’s a very rare Grateful Dead song that kind of hadn’t been really written until they recorded it and wasn’t played live until after they’d recorded it.” — David Lemieux [05:13]

• On the Songwriting Process:
  “It was one of the few times Barlow and I sat and wrote words and music simultaneously.” — Bob Weir, quoted by David Lemieux [13:10]

• On Production Ambition:
  “You start out with the nylon string guitar, then the bass comes in, then the pedal steel…where a whole horn section comes in. You’re so far from where you started…but it all kind of makes sense. That’s production, man. That’s great production.” — Scott Metzger & Brian Kehue [45:42–51:35]

• On Artistic Vision:
  “He had this conception in his head… being inspired by things like Gil Evans arrangements for Miles Davis’s Sketches of Spain.” — Gary Lambert [51:49]

• On Divided Reception:
  “My main reaction to Wake of the Flood was actually one of disappointment…there was nothing on the disc that rocked…The poetry just seemed to me to be whimsical or nonsensical or cartoonish. And it didn’t open the doors for my imagination.” — Cary Coles [121:09]

• On the Album’s Place in History:
  “Another remarkable aspect of the album, that they put it out on their indie label incredibly efficiently…at that point, it was their highest charting…top 20 album that they put out themselves.” — Gary Lambert [120:13]

• On the Crow Symbolism:
  “If I have to eat crow, I want one. Convenient.” — Ron Rakow (on why a crow was on the album) [99:28]

Important Timestamps

• 04:48 — Introduction to "Weather Report Suite"
• 05:13–05:25 — Lemieux contextualizes the song’s rarity and ambition
• 08:30–30:21 — Bob Weir’s compositional process, early demos, Eric Andersen joins
• 13:10 — Barlow/Weir quote, simultaneous lyric/music creation
• 14:24 — Sean O'Donnell on harmonic structure
• 35:08–40:01 — Tape session details, Let It Grow jam evolution
• 45:42–51:35 — Multitrack analysis of studio arrangement
• 51:49–54:58 — Weir's orchestral inspirations, arranging challenges
• 57:57–65:36 — Guest musicians, musical layer breakdowns
• 81:55–83:20 — Suite’s live debut, quick dropping of parts, evolution of "Let It Grow"
• 90:05–90:27 — Modern live interpretations with Wolf Bros and the Wolf Pack
• 94:27–98:20 — Album art, crow/skull symbolism, hidden messages
• 100:28–104:31 — Grateful Dead Records, vinyl quality fiasco, label independence
• 114:46–119:05 — Bootlegging crisis, fan engagement, mafia resolution
• 119:21–120:13 — Wake of the Flood: Profitability and legacy
• 121:09 — Cary Coles’ dissenting fan reaction
• 123:42 — Robert Hunter reflects on his lyrics

Epilogue: Closing Reflections

"Weather Report Suite" stands as both a summation and an outlier in the Grateful Dead’s studio oeuvre—a testament to Bob Weir’s ambition, the band’s spirit of invention, and the wild ride of music, business, and mythmaking that surrounded Wake of the Flood. This episode blends personal narrative, deep musical analysis, and passionate dissent to illustrate the unique place the suite, the album, and the era occupy in Dead history.

Further Listening/Reading:

• Rhino’s Wake of the Flood 50th Anniversary Edition
• Yo La Tengo's "Drug Test" (for a musical reference)
• Eric Andersen’s catalog
• Dead.net for episode transcripts, references, and past Deadcast seasons