July 6th, 2014 - Freshly Squeezed, Ready An' Willing!

Afternoon my friends!  The Meista here with another rockin' pairing for you... Whitesnake's "Ready An' Willing" and a Fresh Squeezed IPA from Deschutes Brewing Company!

A favorite of mine, "Ready An' Willing" is the 3rd studio album by English heavy blues/hard rock outfit Whitesnake and was released on May 31st, 1980.  With one of the greatest line-ups in rock and roll history in my opinion (David Coverdale on vocals, Jon Lord on keyboards, Bernie Marsden on guitars, Mick Moody on guitars, Neil Murray on bass, and Ian Paice on drums),  "Ready An' Willing" is wonderfully rich and textured hard rock album.  Every aspect of it is perfection!  Coverdale and the boys beautifully combine heavy blues, hard rock, and honky-tonk (and a touch of progressive metal in the vein of Rainbow - check out Lord's AMAZING keyboard work in "She's A Woman"!).  Each and every track is a kick-ass rockin' gem!  Check out this bad-ass track list:

1. "Fool For Your Loving"
2. "Sweet Talker"
3. "Ready An' Willing"
4. "Carry Your Load"
5. "Blindman"
6. "Ain't Gonna Cry No More"
7. "Love Man"
8. "Black And Blue"
9. "She's A Woman"

And speaking of kick-ass rockin' gems, the Fresh Squeezed IPA from Deschutes Brewing Company is IPA perfection!  It pours a clear, deep copper (almost pumpkin in color) with a thick, frothy, off-white head that displays strong, sustained, and bubbly lacing.  Like the opening notes of "Fool For Your Loving," the Fresh Squeezed's nose is shot between the eyes!  Aromas of juniper, pine, citrus, and dewy grasses abound.  Refreshing, mouthwatering, and very drinkable, this light to medium-bodied, 6.4% ABV and 60 IBU IPA is crisp and delicious.  For an IPA it is quite smooth and slightly creamy.  Brewed with a plentiful helping of both Citra and Mosaic hops, the flavor is much like the nose, very piney, floral, citrusy, bitter, and oh so good!  There's a healthy amount of citrus-fruity goodness here!  You'd think they used fruit extract. Grapefruit, orange, tangerine, lemon, and mango notes mingle in perfect balance with bitter, herbal, floral, and malty goodness!  It finishes clean, crisp, and dry.

Check out Fresh Squeezed IPA and all the other great Deschutes ales at www.deschutesbrewery.com!  Make sure to crack open a cold and crisp IPA tonight... and order a copy of "Ready An' Willing" from my buddy Kevin at the Heavy Metal Shop (www.heavymetalshop.com)!!

Cheers... keep it heavy!!