This is one of the better studio sessions from '75. The Dead practice Stronger Than Dirt and Blues for Allah a few times for the Kezar Stadium show a couple days later. They're in a very upbeat mood (rare in these studio sessions), and I found this 45-minute session a treat to listen to. It's basically straight jamming all the way through - from track 1, I was hooked. In particular, check out track 7 (a complete Allah>Dirt medley), which goes into an interesting, melancholy little instrumental in track 8.

The foundations were laid for the Dead's jamming from 1975-1982 or so with these sessions. Jazzier, Darker, Spacy yet more cohesive than pre-hiatus Spacy. Jerry in absolute PEAK form. I'm a firm believer that Jerry's peak years were '74-'77 and fall late summer fall '82 and summer/fall '89. This is probably the most advanced and incredible musical conversations outside of a concert that I've heard between Jerry and Phil. Give this session a listen - especially to see how Blues for Allah and King Solomon's Marbles were truly masterworks of the highest order, as advanced and brimming with as much potential as any Dark Star, Eyes of the World, of Weather Report Suite

In 1970, the Dead abandoned the acid rock style and replaced it with a country/folk orientation. For four years the Dead built up the set list, producing great shows.

The Dead stopped touring in October 1974, believing they had taken the track as far as it could go. Five months later they began to create the path that lead to Blues for Allah and Terrapin Station.

This session presents the beginning of these new explorations with the Stronger than Dirt jams. The feel is jazzy, taking a cue from 1973's Eyes of the World. But Stronger than Dirt is more adventurous, in an unusual 7/4 time.

The Dead also created Blues for Allah as a new vehicle for space jams. Ultimately, it failed to become another Dark Star, and the Dead performed Blues for Allah only 5 times.

Here, however, Blues for Allah sounds like it has potential, and does succeed, better than on the released album. The best take is track 7,
Blues for Allah->Stronger than Dirt, a combination that works well here and is worth a spot in a Dead collection.

Stronger than Dirt didn't become a concert staple, either, but it is significant in that it points the Dead in a new direction that laid the foundation for 1977. Except for the first few cuts, these are good jams.