When the Grateful Dead took a self-imposed hiatus in 1974 after their farewell run at Winterland, they left the road with no clear sense of when—or if—they’d return. A year later, the band surprised everyone when they reemerged with Blues for Allah, one of the most forward-thinking, sonically adventurous albums of their career.
Blues for Allah (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) will available as a 3 CD set and digitally and out now, just weeks after the album’s original 1975 release. It features a newly remastered version of the original album by Grammy Award-winning engineer David Glasser, sourced from the original analog tapes with speed correction and tape restoration by Plangent Processes.
The set also features almost two hours of unreleased recordings. Among the highlights are rehearsals from the band’s August 12, 1975, soundcheck at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall, including the album tracks “Sage & Spirit,” “Help On The Way,” “Slipknot!,” and “Franklin’s Tower.” The collection continues with performances from the June 21, 1976, show at the Tower Theatre in Pennsylvania, spotlighting five Blues for Allah songs alongside favorites like “Eyes Of The World.” Rounding out the set are selections from Bill Graham’s SNACK (Students Need Athletics, Culture, and Kicks) Benefit at Kezar Stadium on March 23, 1975. Previously only available on the 2004 Beyond Description box set’s bonus disc, the recordings include one of only three known performances of “King Solomon’s Marbles.”
Also arriving September 12th, Blues for Allah (50th Anniversary Remaster) will be released on 180-gram black vinyl, picture disc, as well as a limited-edition “Midnight Fire” custom vinyl, exclusive to Dead.net. The custom vinyl includes a replica lyric sheet with English and Arabic translations, just like the original. A limited-edition Blu-ray, limited to three thousand copies, features four new mixes of the album by acclaimed producer Steven Wilson: Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround, hi-resolution stereo, and an instrumental mix.
The newly remastered version of “The Music Never Stopped”—the first single from the original album—is available now digitally via Rhino Records. “This fanciful take of life on the road, the journey of Dead Heads, and the magic the Grateful Dead brought from town to town was a fan favorite every time it was played,” says Grateful Dead Legacy Manager and Archivist David Lemieux.
Blues for Allah saw the Grateful Dead attempt something they never had before—and never would again. They would make the record almost entirely without pre-written material. “The whole idea was to get back to that band thing, where the band makes the main contribution to the evolution of the material,” Garcia explained.
Working at Bobby Weir’s home studio—just big enough to hold the band and their gear—the sessions took on an intimate, exploratory feel. Robert Hunter was back in the thick of it, writing lyrics on the spot as the songs took shape. Keith Godchaux’s keys gave the album its spacious texture, while Donna Jean’s harmony vocals elevated songs like “The Music Never Stopped.” “Crazy Fingers” became, in Phil Lesh’s words, “a marvelous essay in smoky ambiguity.” The mostly instrumental title suite pushed even further out, with Bill Kreutzmann saying it “bordered on acid-jazz composition.” Mickey Hart’s role was central, weaving percussion—and slowed-down field recordings of crickets—into a rich, immersive tapestry of sound.
CD 1: 2025 Remaster
- Help On The Way/Slipknot!
- Franklin’s Tower
- King Solomon’s Marbles
Part I: Stronger Than Dirt
Part II: Milkin’ The Turkey - The Music Never Stopped
- Crazy Fingers
- Sage & Spirit
- Blues For Allah
- Sand Castles & Glass Camels
- Unusual Occurrences In The Desert
CD 2:
- Help On The Way [Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA Soundcheck/Rehearsal (8/12/75)]
- Slipknot! [Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA Soundcheck/Rehearsal (8/12/75)]
- Franklin’s Tower [Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA Soundcheck/Rehearsal (8/12/75)]
- Help On The Way [Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA Soundcheck/Rehearsal (8/12/75)]
- Slipknot! [Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA Soundcheck/Rehearsal (8/12/75)]
- Franklin’s Tower [Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA Soundcheck/Rehearsal (8/12/75)]
- King Solomon’s Marbles [Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA Soundcheck/Rehearsal (8/12/75)]
- Crazy Fingers [Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA Soundcheck/Rehearsal (8/12/75)]
- Blues For Allah [Sage And SpiritKezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA (3/23/75)]
- Stronger Than Dirt (Or Milkin’ The Turkey) [Sage And SpiritKezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA (3/23/75)]
- Drums [Sage And SpiritKezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA (3/23/75)]
- Stronger Than Dirt (Or Milkin’ The Turkey) [Sage And SpiritKezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA (3/23/75)]
- Blues For Allah [Sage And SpiritKezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA (3/23/75)]
CD 3: Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA (6/21/76 and 6/22/76)
- The Music Never Stopped
- Help On The Way
- Slipknot!
- Franklin’s Tower
- Crazy Fingers
- Comes A Time
- Eyes Of The World
- Dancing In The Street
