Grateful Dead - Blues for Allah

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues_for_Allah

I've listened to most Dead albums at this point. To the point I'm familiar with most - but find myself unable to sing along to almost nothing but the most obvious 'hits'.

I know they're a 'live act' more than a studio band, and I suppose we'll get to that. But Blues for Allah and Terrapin Station have also held interest for me as they seem pretty exploratory musically and venture, at times, into progressive rock.

Released in '75 and it sees the return of Mickey Hart on drums, who had been absent sense American Beauty.

I found it odd they got rid of most of their bluesy backgrounds on an album with "blues" in the title.

The art-work looks like something out of a sci-fi themed progressive rock album, which also, appeals to me greatly.

Help on the Way is a catchy little number and by the time it rolls into Slipknot!, that solo is a good example of one of the few things I love about the Dead. They were never super technical, but I think Garcia is really under-rated as an innovative guitarist by most people outside of Dead circles/fandoms.

The album does seem more intimate than most - possibly due to being recorded at Weir's home.

The female background vocals and sax, funky bass lines on The Music Never Stopped makes a fun end-cap for this side.

Side B

Most of Side B is weird musical meandering, harmonized chants for vocals

Side B ends with The Music Never Stopped which features some hippie harmonization that's just a bit too much for me. I know Lesh was more into the avant-garde stuff, but when I want avant-garde, i typically like it from other sources. When it rears its head with the Dead, it never grabs me.

I thought the expected jazzy weirdness of Side B would hook me more, but it's a bit too unfocused for my tastes.