A welcome surprise in 2025 is the 50th Anniversary reissue of the Grateful Dead’s landmark 1975 LP Blues for Allah. The tapes have been restored using Plangent Processes’ time-correction technology, and the production has been handed to none other than Steven Wilson. The progressive rock remix specialist has recast this music into stunning new forms, transforming it into 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround and a Dolby Atmos immersive audio experiences that pull it firmly into the present.
I got my hands on Rhino Entertainment’s new Pure Audio Blu-ray edition of Blues for Allah containing these fresh mixes (plus bonus tracks) and I’m genuinely quite thrilled!
Blues For Allah was in some ways an experimental release for The Grateful Dead, crafted entirely in the studio, from writing to recording. There the band fine tuned and freshened its musical direction, tackling deep funk, reggae, jazz fusion and middle-eastern grooves.
Recorded in Bob Weir’s home studio, Blues for Allah always carried a distinctive, almost claustrophobic vibe—the sound of a band locked in tight, playing as one in the same room. And while it opens up quite a bit in this new mix — with much more detail and clarity than is immediately apparent in the original vinyl edition, especially Jerry’s effect-free clean vocals — you are effectively in the room with the band in this new edition.
This is a good thing if you are a deep fan of The Grateful Dead!
The 5.1 surround mix is really excellent, with the drums ‘n bass ‘n lead vocals mostly upfront while percussion, backing vocals and periodic keyboards emerge from behind. However, that experience goes next level on the Dolby Atmos mix which feels fuller, rounder, richer and most importantly more immersive.
It’s all in the details—from the bells chiming on the opening track “Help on the Way/Slipknot!” to Donna Godchaux’s gospel-tinged vocals rising gracefully in the Atmos height channels. Everything is handled tastefully and with intention, especially the way her lines maintain a distinct yet complementary perspective alongside Bob Weir’s unmistakable harmonies.
There is so much goodness on this release its hard to pinpoint every one but I will reveal this: the Atmos mix of “The Music Never Stopped” got me up out of the sweet spot to dance around my living room.
As some say in the DeadHead universe: “When in doubt, twirl!”
Steven Wilson’s 24-bit/96kHz stereo mix is excellent as well, offering much newfound clarity.
Plangent Processes’ restoration work really makes its presence felt. The instrumentation across the recording feels noticeably tighter, start to finish. While there’s no direct flat transfer of the original stereo mix for comparison, one thing jumped out at me right away: that familiar moment of hesitation at the start of “Help On The Way” on LP versions is smoothed out here. I expect more of those subtle corrections will reveal themselves as I keep comparing.
The overall production quality on this disc is first-rate, right down to the subtle screensaver animation. Pro tip: keep an eye behind the skeletal fiddler—there are twinkling stars and even the occasional shooting star if you’re patient enough.
The 50th Anniversary Blues for Allah Pure Audio Blu-ray is limited to just 3,000 copies, priced at $24.98 exclusively through the Grateful Dead’s site. If you’re into immersive mixes and count yourself among the Dead faithful, don’t wait around—this one’s going to sell out.
Note: Remastered stereo variations are available on vinyl and 3 CD set at Amazon.
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.