Grateful Dead BLUES FOR ALLAH Grateful Dead Records GD-LA494-G (1975 1st Ed.) EX

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Grateful Dead BLUES FOR ALLAH Grateful Dead Records GD-LA494-G (1975 1st Ed.)
A1a Help On The Way Written-By – Garcia*, Hunter* Written-By – Garcia*, Hunter* 3:15 A1b Slipknot! Written-By – Kreutzmann*, Weir*, Garcia*, K. Godchaux*, Lesh* Written-By – Kreutzmann*, Weir*, Garcia*, K. Godchaux*, Lesh* 4:03 A2 Franklin's Tower (Roll Away The Dew) Written-By – Kreutzmann*, Garcia*, Hunter* Written-By – Kreutzmann*, Garcia*, Hunter* 4:37 A3a King Solomon's Marbles Written-By – Lesh* Written-By – Lesh* 1:55 A3b Stronger Than Dirt Or Milkin' The Turkey Written-By – Kreutzmann*, Hart*, Lesh* Written-By – Kreutzmann*, Hart*, Lesh* 3:25 A4 The Music Never Stopped Written-By – B. Weir*, J. Barlow
Written-By – B. Weir*, J. Barlow* 4:35 B1 Crazy Fingers Written-By – Garcia*, Hunter* Written-By – Garcia*, Hunter* 6:41 B2 Sage & Spirit Written-By – Weir* Written-By – Weir* 3:07 B3a Blues For Allah Written-By – Garcia*, Hunter* Written-By – Garcia*, Hunter* 3:21 B3b Sand Castles & Glass Camels Written-By – Kreutzmann*, Weir*, D. Godchaux*, Garcia*, K. Godchaux*, Hart*, Lesh* Written-By – Kreutzmann*, Weir*, D. Godchaux*, Garcia*, K. Godchaux*, Hart*, Lesh* 5:26 B3c Unusual Occurances In The Desert Written-By – Garcia*, Hunter* Written-By – Garcia*, Hunter* 3:48

*(all photos are of the actual item)

• Manufactured By – United Artists Music And Records Group, Inc.
• Recorded At – Ace's
• Mastered At – Artisan Sound Recorders

• Bass, Vocals – Phil Lesh
• Drums, Percussion – Bill Kreutzmann
• Guitar, Vocals – Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia
• Keyboards, Vocals – Keith Godchaux
• Lyrics By – Robert Hunter
• Painting [Cover] – Philip Garris
• Percussion, Effects [Crickets] – Mickey Hart
• Reeds, Flute – Steven Schuster
• Vocals – Donna Godchaux

Notes

Includes lyrics insert which includes Hebrew, Arabic & Persian translation of "Blues for Allah"

Printed around bottom edge of labels: • United Artists Music And Records Group, Inc. • Los Angeles, California 90028 • Made in U.S.A. • All Rights Reserved •

• Matrix / Runout (Side A etched runout [Artisan logo): GD-LA 494-1 ① [ Artisan logo ] 
• Matrix / Runout (Side B etched runout [Artisan logo): GD-LA 494-2 -3 [ Artisan logo ] 

AllMusic Review by Lindsay Planer
     The Grateful Dead went into a state of latent activity in the fall of 1974 that lasted until the spring of the following year when the band reconvened at guitarist/vocalist Bob Weir's Ace Studios to record Blues for Allah. The disc was likewise the third to be issued on their own Grateful Dead Records label. When the LP hit shelves in September of 1975, the Dead were still not back on the road -- although they had played a few gigs throughout San Francisco. Obviously, the time off had done the band worlds of good, as Blues for Allah -- more than any past or future studio album -- captures the Dead at their most natural and inspired. The opening combo of "Help on the Way," "Slipknot!," and "Franklin's Tower" is a multifaceted suite, owing as much to Miles Davis circa the E.S.P. album as to anything the Grateful Dead had been associated with. "Slipknot!" contains chord changes, progressions, and time signatures which become musical riddles for the band to solve -- which they do in the form of "Franklin's Tower." Another highly evolved piece is the rarely performed "King Solomon's Marbles," an instrumental that spotlights, among other things, Keith Godchaux's tastefully unrestrained Fender Rhodes finger work displaying more than just a tinge of Herbie Hancock inspiration. These more aggressive works contrast the delicate musical and lyrical haiku on "Crazy Fingers" containing some of lyricist Robert Hunter's finest and most beautifully arranged verbal images for the band. Weir's guitar solo in "Sage & Spirit" is based on one of his warm-up fingering exercises. Without a doubt, this is one of Weir's finest moments. The light acoustic melody is tinged with an equally beautiful arrangement. While there is definite merit in Blues for Allah's title suite, the subdued chant-like vocals and meandering melody seems incongruous when compared to the remainder of this thoroughly solid effort.