June 6th, 2014 - Last One In Temptation

Good evening!  The Meista here with one more for you tonight and this pairing is going out to my hard rockin' pal Kevin and my new Belgian pal Lindsey... cheers and hails Kevin and Lindsey!!  Tonight I'm going with Alice Cooper's "The Last Temptation" and a Last One In Lager from the Utah Brewers Cooperative (Wasatch Brewery)! 

The Last One In Lager is a light and refreshing, 5.6% ABV Czech Pilsner brewed by the Utah Brewers Cooperative... perfect for a hot summer night and hard rockin' goodness of "The Last Temptation"!   It pours a clear straw gold-amber with a thin, white head that dissipates quickly.  The nose is characterized by light aromas of toasted bread, biscuits, lemon, and just a touch of honey.  Light-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp and refreshing.  The flavor is much like the nose: light, biscuity, and lemony.  There are notes of vegetables, toasted grains, and light citrus.  It goes down easy and finishes clean. 

Released on July 12, 1994 (wow 20 years old!), "The Last Temptation" is the Coop's 20th studio album.  (I'm pretty sure this is the first Alice Cooper album I purchased on CD... everything prior was on vinyl!)  A concept album, the storyline revolves around a mysterious showman with apparent supernatural powers and a boy named Steven (maybe the same Steven first introduced on the 1975 album "Welcome To My Nightmare"??).   If you bought the CD way back in 1994 when it came out, it was accompanied by a wonderfully written comic book (pictured here!) by the amazing Neil Gaiman.  Joining the Coop on the album are Stef Burns (guitar/backing vocals), Greg Smith (bass/backing vocals), Derek Sherinian (keyboards/backing vocals), and David Uosikkinen (drums).  Chris Cornell of Soundgarden fame provides vocals on "Stolen Prayer" (which he co-wrote) and "Unholy War" (which he wrote) and "You're My Temptation" and "It's Me" were both co-written by Jack Blades (Night Ranger and Damn Yankees) and Tommy Shaw (Styx and Damn Yankees).  Musically and lyrically, this album is wonderful... and a return to an older sound for the Coop, yet completely fresh and original.  I love each and every track on this album and have spun it countless times over the past 20 years.  Here is the kick-ass full track list:

1. "Sideshow"
2. "Nothing's Free"
3. "Lost in America"
4. "Bad Place Alone"
5. "You're My Temptation"
6. "Stolen Prayer"
7. "Unholy War"
8. "Lullaby"
9. "It's Me"
10. "Cleansed by Fire"

Go buy this killer album from my buddy Kevin at the Heavy Metal Shop (www.heavymetalshop.com)... RIGHT NOW!! 

Cheers!!