Grateful Dead - Blues For Allah (2025 Steven Wilson Remix) (1975/2025)

In October 1974, shortly after the release of their seventh studio album From The Mars Hotel, the Grateful Dead unexpectedly ceased touring. The hiatus would ultimately last roughly 18 months, as the band decamped to Bob Weir’s home studio in Mill Valley, California to begin work on a new record. These sessions saw the return of percussionist Mickey Hart, who hadn’t appeared on a Dead studio LP since 1970’s American Beauty.

Blues For Allah arrived in September 1975, the third release under the umbrella of the band’s new independent label Grateful Dead Records (then distributed by United Artists). Much of the music that appears on the album grew from improvisations, drawing from a myriad of genres including jazz fusion, progressive rock, and psychedelia. Roughly half the record is instrumental, with a Middle Eastern feel permeating tracks like “King Solomon’s Marbles” and the extended title track.

Despite its more-eclectic stylings, Blues For Allah ultimately became a top-20 album in the United States–peaking at #12 on the Billboard charts. The band took back to the road several months later, with the opening medley of “Help On The Way,” “Sipknot,” and “Franklin’s Tower” becoming a live staple and fan-favorite. An edited version of “Franklin’s Tower” and “The Music Never Stopped”–Weir’s only lead vocal on the album–were released as singles, with the latter cracking the top-100.

Tracklist
1. Help on the Way / Slipknot! / Franklin's Tower (2025 Steven Wilson Remix) (12:01)
2. King Solomon's Marbles (2025 Steven Wilson Remix) (5:13)
3. The Music Never Stopped (2025 Steven Wilson Remix) (4:42)
4. Crazy Fingers (2025 Steven Wilson Remix) (6:45)
5. Sage & Spirit (2025 Steven Wilson Remix) (3:05)
6. Blues for Allah: Sand Castles and Glass Camels / Unusual Occurrences in the Desert (2025 Steven Wilson Remix) (12:36)