I'm joined by guest Phil Stacey as we discuss the Grateful Dead's album Blues for Allah.

Show notes:

• Recorded at CompCon world HQ

• The Dead's 7th studio album, came out in September 1975

• The band's highest-charting album until 1987

• Very non-commercial record

• Jay: The best thing about the album is the cover

• Moved in a much different direction from previous album

• Band had stopped touring after From the Mars Hotel

• Mickey Hart was back

• Also in 1975, Zeppelin had released Physical Graffiti, Talking Heads and Sex Pistols played their first shows, disco started hitting the charts

• Phil: Very sparse, subdued jazz-rock album

• Studio songs are blueprint, but they change after repeated live playings

• Dead fans were used to changing sounds

• The live show was the thing

• Commercial success was less important to the band and its fans

• Some songs on this album went on to become concert staples

• Not a lot of bands that have fans following them around the country: Phish, Afghan Whigs, Pearl Jam, Tragically Hip

• Album has a Middle Eastern feel; a few years later, they played in Egypt

• Jay: Liked the first few songs, then it started to meander

• Next album was live album Steal Your Face, which many fans didn't like

• Next we'll listen to Terrapin Station and Cornell '77

• Springsteen's live shows are long, but full of songs (as opposed to long jams)

• Phil just saw Apocalypse Now for the first time

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.