One From the Vault

Grateful Dead | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 31, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Grateful Dead / Wea
• ASIN: B0002SPPWI
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #147,483 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Introduction

2. Help on the Way/Slipknot!

3. Franklin's Tower

4. The Music Never Stopped

5. It Must Have Been the Roses

6. Eyes of the World/Drums

7. King Solomon's Marbles/Stronger Than Dirt (Or, Milkin' the Turkey)

8. Around and Around

Disc: 2

1. Sugaree

2. Big River

3. Crazy Fingers/Drums

4. The Other One

5. Sage and Spirit

6. Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad

7. U.S. Blues

8. Blues for Allah/Sand Castles & Glass Camels/Unusual Occurances in ...

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Dead CDs ever, February 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: One From the Vault (Audio CD)

Simply put, when someone I know who is not familiar with the Grateful Dead asks to borrow one of my Dead CDs, I give him this one first. The first three tracks of Help into Slipknot into Franklin's is quite possibly the best the Dead can sound. Full of energy, Jerry's insane guitar licks on Franklin's got even my Dad (a very non-Deadhead) busting loose. And it's not just about these three songs. As other reviewers have said, the rest of the album is just as tight and as good-sounding as the opening tracks. Sometimes you can listen to a live Dead recording and be turned off by boring jams, off-tune singing, and some very loose jamming...this live set has NONE of that and shows the Dead at their peak. I actually lost my copy of this CD and plan to go out to a store and buy it tonight.I highly recommend this album to anyone who is even slightly interested in the Grateful Dead.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Dead return with a well-recorded bang, April 8, 2006

By 

Jeffrey J.Park (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One From the Vault (Audio CD)

This live recording (8/13/75) ushered the Dead back after a hiatus from live playing/touring. In fact, the specific purpose of this 1975 concert was to premiere the release of their 1975 studio album, Blues for Allah to a small audience of record executive-types and other selected folks. I snagged this live disc when it was first released in 1991, after listening to slowly disintegrating "booted" tapes of the concert. At the time, the change in media and the improvement in sound quality were both very welcome. Speaking of which, for those of you that are audiophiles, there is a very detailed discussion of the analog to digital transfer process in the CD liner notes. For those of you that don't care about the Ampex MM-1100, Sony PCM-1630 Digital Audio Processor, this, that, and the other - trust me, the sound quality is excellent.

I guess the best way to describe this 2 CD set is to briefly chit-chat about the Blues for Allah studio album itself, and then the actual live performance.

The Studio Album

The music that the Dead recorded for the Blues for Allah album was at times lighthearted and bouncy (The Music Never Stopped; Franklins Tower); quiet and pastoral (Sage and Spirit; Crazy Fingers); experimental in an almost European avant-garde way (the completely "out there" epic 20+ minute title track); and jazzy with intricate ensemble playing (the rest of the album). Although this may sound like a dry and studied "chop-fest", the complexity and jazziness are handled very well and do not go over the top. Actually, I wouldn't care even if it did - the band is comprised of excellent musicians and I for one love to hear Jerry and Phil strut their stuff.

The 2 CD Live Set (8/13/75)

Overall, this is a great live set, although it does not sound as dynamic as other shows. The energy levels are up there, the playing is excellent, and there are some inspired jams, but the audience has been all but mixed out. In addition to the Blues for Allah material, there are a few concert favorites (Around and Around, Big River, Goin' Down the Road), pretty good jams including the 14'32" Eyes of the World>Drums and the amazing 18'41" Crazy Fingers>Drums>The Other One, along with OK versions of It must have been the Roses, Sugaree, and U.S. Blues.

All in all, I have to say that is yet another fine live set by the Dead and is certainly worth adding to the collection. Recommended.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the finest..., February 28, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: One From the Vault (Audio CD)

One of the finest examples of the Dead from the Godchaux era. Lots of energy from the band and the audience. Strong song selection, including two rarities - the only thrice played full version ofBlues for Allah (3/23/75, 6/17/75, and this one), as well as a killer version of King Solomon's Marbles/Stronger than Dirt, which was only played live 5 times.

This show was for many years a highly prized bootleg, but since the release of this album, access to that show has all but disappeared, rightfully so. I have an excellent sbd of that show, and this album sounds better yet, so do yourself a favor and buy it.