Blues For Allah - GRATEFUL DEAD***

Help On The Way/Slipknot/Franklin's Tower/King Solomon's Marbles/Stronger Than Dirt Or Milkin' The Turkey/ The Music Never Stopped/Crazy Fingers/Sage & Spirit/Blues For Allah/Sand Castles & Glass Camels/Unusual Occurrences In The Desert

Blues For Allah was another mediocre and uninspired album from the legendary progressive band Grateful Dead. Critics maintain that the musicianship is still strong, and that it reveals a distinctive jazz influence. (US:12 UK:45)

“Blues For Allah found the Grateful Dead tapping a sort of jazz fusion vein well removed from the psychedelia and folk they are generally associated with.”

“The melodies sometimes drift into wandering jamming, still the superb musicianship and complexity make things constantly interesting, and ultimately satisfying. Venturing further, I’ve gradually come to dig the whole album. The title track, although no masterpiece, is a pleasant slice of weird ambience.”

“This is a very strong album with solid songwriting, outstanding vocals and great ensemble playing. The precision of the band's playing here is key to the music; this is subtle rock with a distinct jazzy feel. Executing music like this requires a level of refinement and care that typically cannot be reproduced in a live setting. The album is extremely consistent and sets a really nice mood.”

“The production is smooth, the playing at times quite stunning but the actual songs veer unevenly between overblown, tedious, boredom inducing to really catchy pop.”

“Blues For Allah has always eluded categorization. It starts off rather easy-going, like a breezing, soulful Steely Dan, but soon enters a very strange territory on side two. At times it sounds like jarring Canterbury folk music, heavily instrumental and floating, only to be superseded by a truly haunting song that sounds as if it were recorded in a tomb.”

“The melodies and playing are superb, the country influences heard on previous albums are largely gone and replaced with a jazzy bouncing sort of swagger. But what really makes this album for me is that the Dead stretch out and jam on many of the songs including the two instrumentals King Solomon's Marbles and Sage & Spirit. This jazz like spirit permeates Blues For Allah and makes it more akin to the Dead’s live performances than other studio albums.”