Album of the Day

BLUES FOR ALLAH was made at a time when the Grateful Dead were more focused on recording than concerts, and it really shows. The 1975 collection, the third on the band's own label, was cut at Bob Weir's home studio and features the group (with a returning Mickey Hart) moving further toward jazz, world and experimental sounds. Including such favorites as “The Music Never Stopped,” “Franklin's Tower” and “King Solomon's Marbles,” the set was a hit, nearly reaching Billboard's Top 10, and an expanded and remastered version of the album adds six outtakes from the sessions as bonus tracks. From the Phillip Garris cover art to the music within, BLUES FOR ALLAH is a class act all around, and we'll give it another spin in honor of Jerry Garcia's birthday.