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Blues for Allah

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Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [2]
Robert ChristgauC−[3]
Rolling Stone(mixed) [4]
Sputnikmusic [5]

Blues for Allah is the eighth studio album by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded between February 27 and May 7, 1975, and originally released on September 1, 1975. It was the third release under the band's own label, Grateful Dead Records, after fulfilling their contract with Warner Bros. Records. In Britain, the record was issued on United Artists Records, the band's only release on that label.[6] Although it has not received a RIAA certification as of 2016, Blues for Allah was the group's highest-charting album until 1987's In the Dark, having peaked at #12 in Billboard during a thirteen-week stay on the charts.[7]

Background and release

The band recorded the album during its short hiatus from touring that had begun in late 1974. Mickey Hart, who had guested in the band's final pre-hiatus concert on October 20, 1974, was credited with several songwriting contributions and played occasional percussion parts (including the recording of crickets heard on the title suite). Although he was not included in the band portrait on the back cover, he played drums with Bill Kreutzmann on the band's four 1975 live appearances and was officially reinstated as a band member by 1976.

The album's title track was only performed a handful of times in 1975 and never played again after that,[8] while several other tracks on the album were performed regularly for the rest of the Dead's career, such as "Crazy Fingers", "The Music Never Stopped" and the "Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Franklin's Tower" suite.

The album was released for the first time on CD in 1995 by Arista before being remastered, expanded, and released as part of the Beyond Description (1973–1989) 12-CD box set in October 2004. The remastered version was later released separately on CD on March 7, 2006 by Rhino Records.

Origin

Robert Hunter wrote[9] that the title track for the album is a eulogy to Saudi Arabia's King Faisal. Hunter claims that King Faisal was a fan of the Grateful Dead. King Faisal was assassinated by his nephew Faisal bin Musaid in the year the album was released.

Track listing

Side one

  1. "Help on the Way" (Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter) – 3:15 (lead singer: Jerry Garcia)
"Slipknot!" (instrumental) (Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, and Bob Weir) – 4:03
  2. "Franklin's Tower" (Garcia, Hunter, and Kreutzmann) – 4:37 (lead singer: Jerry Garcia)
  3. "King Solomon's Marbles:"
"Part 1: Stronger Than Dirt" (instrumental) (Lesh) – 1:55
"Part 2: Milkin' the Turkey" (instrumental) (Mickey Hart, Kreutzmann, and Lesh) – 3:25
  2. "The Music Never Stopped" (John Perry Barlow and Weir) – 4:35 (lead singer: Bob Weir)

Side two

  2. "Crazy Fingers" (Garcia and Hunter) – 6:41 (lead singer: Jerry Garcia)
  3. "Sage & Spirit" (instrumental) (Weir) – 3:07
  4. "Blues for Allah" (Garcia and Hunter) – 3:21 (lead singers: The Grateful Dead)
"Sand Castles and Glass Camels" (Garcia, Donna Godchaux, Keith Godchaux, Hart, Kreutzmann, Lesh, and Weir) – 5:26
"Unusual Occurrences in the Desert" (Garcia and Hunter) – 3:48

2004 reissue bonus tracks

  2. "Groove #1" (Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Hart, Kreutzmann, Lesh, and Weir) – 5:45
  3. "Groove #2" (Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Hart, Kreutzmann, Lesh, and Weir) – 7:35
  4. "Distorto" (Garcia) – 8:14
  5. "A to E Flat Jam" (Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Hart, Kreutzmann, Lesh, and Weir) – 4:39
  6. "Proto 18 Proper" (Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Hart, Kreutzmann, Lesh, and Weir) – 4:18
  7. "Hollywood Cantata" (Hunter and Weir) – 4:14

Notes

  • "Groove #1", "Groove #2", "A to E Flat Jam", and "Proto 18 Proper" – instrumental studio outtakes on February 27, 1975
  • "Distorto" – instrumental studio outtake on February 28, 1975
  • "Hollywood Cantata" – studio outtake on May 7, 1975

Personnel

Charts

Billboard

Year Chart Position
1975 Pop Albums 12[10]

Singles – Billboard

Year Single Chart Position
1975 "The Music Never Stopped" Pop Singles 81[10]

References

  1. ^ "Grateful Dead Records (1973–1976)", The Grateful Dead Family Discography
  2. ^ Planer, Lindsay. Blues for Allah at AllMusic
  3. ^ Grateful Dead album ratings at RobertChristgau.com
  4. ^ Altman, Billy (October 9, 1975) Blues for Allah, Rolling Stone
  5. ^ Blues for Allah at Sputnikmusic
  6. ^ "Vinyl Album: Grateful Dead - Blues For Allah (1975)".
  7. ^ "Grateful Dead - Chart history - Billboard".
  8. ^ "The Annotated "Blues For Allah"".
  9. ^ Hunter, Robert (1993). Box Of Rain. Penguin Books. ISBN 9780140134513.
  10. ^ a b "Album Search for "blues for allah"".
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