Blues for Allah Following the Dead’s early Warner Bros. LP’s and their evolution from a San Francisco hippie phenomenon to one of the biggest bands on the planet, these five album masterpieces chronicle the creatively expansive portion of their long, strange, and amazing trip beginning in 1873 when they launchd their own label. Rhino’s remastered & expanded editions celebrate the Dead’s immortal music with state-of-the-art sonics and a wealth of fresh-from-the-archives bonus rarities.
Customer Review: Remarkable
I feel that this album belongs somewhere in the top 25 or so of all time. Anything good one can find to say about the Grateful Dead is epitomized in this work. The playing and vocals are phenomenal. The contributions of Keith and Donna Jean are what I especially enjoy. Keith is just lights out here, and seems to be an extension of Jerry and vice versa. Their parts intertwine and play off of each other. I know so little about Keith, but his proud legacy is thankfully burned into this album. Any detractors of Donna Jean just need to listen to this record, and their complaints should be squashed. Yes, she sang off key live sometimes…who cares? Sometimes Jerry sucked, sometimes Bob was terrible. The fact is that on “Blues for Allah,” Donna provides that feminine touch, that other voice, that seems to fully complete many of the tracks. Listen to the end of ‘Blues for Allah,’ the “under eternity,” part, and you’ll hear just how strong and soulful her vocals could be.
Customer Review: “Yer’ Blues” For A Saudi King[All Apologies John Lennon]
I actually bought this album on vinyl on the day it came out. This after physically breaking my new copy of Mars Hotel over my knee in front of my high school friend. It sat many a year unplayed until sometime in 1981-82 when I dumped the vinyl.
The Grateful Dead were on hiatus when the all conviened in Bob Weir’s studio to cobble this album together. Picture Jon Anderson and Co. trying to make Tales Of Topographic Oceans. I own both versions of this CD: Grateful Dead Records/Rhino remaster/reissue.
My musical horizons have exponentially expanded since I consigned this album to non-play status in the late seventies. Hey, I didn’t like Deep Purple’s Machine Head at first. It took a Gov’t Mule album to re-appraise that album.
Admittedly it took a while for me to fully appreciate this album. Bookended between two rather lengthy suites: the concise “Help On The Way/Slipknot!/Franklin’s Tower” trilogy and the dense audio-verte’ ‘Music Concrete’ “Blues For Allah.” is “King Soloman’s Marbles.” A natural growth out of “Eyes Of The World” jams. See Dick’s Picks. A little “pop” confection by Bob Weir called: “The Music Stopped” and the rather oblique Garcia/Hunter composition: “Crazy Fingers.” “Sage & Spirit is a simple Bob Weir instrumental. Effective.
I’m rather perplexed that I still have the Grateful Dead Records 1990s version around. Other then it’s a nice 40 min play in a pinch. But the scholarly version is the Rhino remaster/reissue. And the strange outtakes make this CD all the more fun.
I did eventually learn to appreciate this CD for what it is: A closer live Dead attempt to convert their sound in the studio. “Blues For Allah” waxes and wanes by turns. A naseant “Dark Star” replacement? Wake Of The Flood started a whole new re-definition of Grateful Dead improvisation. Blues For Allah takes Wake Of The Flood’s enuciations and converts them. And this is stated Grateful Dead dogma. Nothing new here.
The reissue explores some new territory that most of the Grateful Dead afflicted can easily pick out. Hints of “Fire On The Mountain?” After all isn’t “Scarlet Begonias” and “Fire On The Mountain” the same song with different changes, time signatures, and lyrics? Just like the relationship between “Uncle John’s Band” and “Playing In The Band”.
Yeah. Buy this CD if you dare!?!
p.s.: Gets three Stars because the live versions of most of this material are far superior to the studio versions presented here. But what does three stars really mean? What is the definition of is?
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