April 22nd, 2012 - Wylde Vagabond of the Western Brewery

Good afternoon!!

Today I am pairing Uinta's organic Wyld Extra Pale Ale and Thin Lizzy's 1973 album "Vagabonds Of The Western World."  A favorite brew and a favorite album of mine, I could think of nothing better on a warm, sunny day!  Oh, and this one is dedicated to my beautiful and amazing wife, Vassi... who I love dearly!

Wyld is an exceptionally refreshing Extra Pale Ale.  It pours a cloudy, light golden amber with a thin head with good lacing.  The nose is hoppy and citrusy as is the taste... a very dry, crisp ale with a grapefruit tanginess.  Highly carbonated along with the bitter northwestern hops, this beer is sharp initially, but very pleasant with a very clean finish.  This is definitely perfect beer for kicking back on a hot, sunny Sunday afternoon while jamming to some old-school Thin Lizzy! 

Prior to the monstrous sound of Thin Lizzy in the mid to late seventies, the "Vagabonds Of The Western World" line-up consisted of the Irish trio of Philip Lynott on bass and vocals, Eric Bell on acoustic and electric guitars, and Brian Downey on drums.  Opening with the environmentalist rocker, "Mama Nature Said" and closing with heavy blues number, "Broken Dreams," Thin Lizzy's "Vagabonds Of The Western World" is a bridge between the 1960's "hippy" movement and the hard rock of the early 1970's.  Inspired by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy combined hard-rocking blues with a more psychedelic/progressive and angrier sound.  Eric Bell plays a "mean guitar" and a mean slide as well, which coupled with Phil and Brian's fierce rhythm section creates a refreshing and sharp sound.  Songs like "The Rocker," "Gonna Creep Up On You," and the quintessential "Whiskey In The Jar" (a rock version of a tradition Irish folk song) pair beautifully with the intensity of Wyld's hops, while the more mellow "Slow Blues," "Little Girl In Bloom," and "A Song For While I'm Away" fit in well with the subtle flavors of the beer and the clean finish.  And of course, don't forget the heaviness of "Black Boys On The Corner," which really is a telling track regarding Phil's trials of growing up black in the UK in the 1950s and 1960s... and this track really foreshadows the monumental intensity soon too come from the band as the guitar lineup changed along with a second guitar player.  And check out that groovy comic book-inspired album cover by Jim Fitzpatrick!  Love it!

Cheers!!