August 30th, 2015 - Sliding Across The Upslope

Hey there all you gold-galactic ravers and hop-heads!!  The Meista here today pairing one of the greatest glam rock albums ever recorded, "The Slider" (Expanded Edition) by T. Rex and an Upslope India Pale Ale from Upslope Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: T. Rex
• Title: "The Slider" (Expanded Edition)
• Recorded: March through April 1972 at Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark; Château d'Hérouville, Paris, France; and Elektra Studios, Los Angeles, United States
• Release date: July 21st, 1972 (7th studio album by T. Rex)
• Record company: EMI (UK) and Reprise (US)
• Production: Tony Visconti
• Album cover art: Ringo Starr credited, but both Ringo Starr and Tony Visconti claim to have taken the album cover photo.
• Personnel: Marc Bolan (guitar and lead vocals), Steve Currie (bass guitar), Mickey Finn (percussion and backing vocals), Bill Legend (drums), Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, aka Flo and Eddie (backing vocals), and Tony Visconti (string arrangements)
• Musical style: Glam rock, rock and roll, and hard rock with elements of pop and folk rock
• Sound: For as simple as some of the songs are on "The Slider", the sound is huge and just grooves from the opening notes of "Metal Guru" to the fade out of "Main Man". 
• Major themes: Rock and roll, love, desire, sex, mysticism, states of being, etc.
• Tracks: 

Disc 1:

1. "Metal Guru"
2. "Mystic Lady"
3. "Rock On"
4. "The Slider"
5. "Baby Boomerang"
6. "Spaceball Ricochet"
7. "Buick Mackane"
8. "Telegram Sam"
9. "Rabbit Fighter"
10. "Baby Strange"
11. "Ballrooms Of Mars"
12. "Chariot Choogle"
13. "Main Man"
14. "Cadillac" (extended play)
15. "Thunderwing" extended play)
16. "Lady" extended play)

Disc 2:

1. "Metal Guru" (demo)
2. "Mystic Lady" (demo)
3. "Rock On" (demo)
4. "The Slider" (demo)
5. "Baby Boomerang" (demo)
6. "Spaceball Ricochet" (demo)
7. "Buick Mackane" (demo)
8. "Telegram Sam" (demo)
9. "Rabbit Fighter" (demo)
10. "Baby Strange" (demo)
11. "Ballrooms Of Mars" (demo)
12. "Chariot Choogle" (demo)
13. "Main Man" (demo)
14. "Lady" (demo)
15. "Sucken Rags" (extended play)

  Brew Info:

• Brewery: Upslope Brewing Company (Boulder, Colorado)
• Website: http://www.upslopebrewing.com/
• Brew: Upslope India Pale Ale
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 7.2%
• IBUs: 65
• Pour: Murky, deep copper amber with a thick, 2-finger off-white head that has great sustain and lots of sticky lacing with strong retention.
• Nose: The nose is a well-balanced blend of citrusy hops and sweet malts, along with some woody notes.  There are aromas of cedar, pineapple, grapefruit, melon, pine resin, caramel, biscuit, and black tea. 
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste is a good blend of citrus and earthy hops along with more robust malts.  There are notes of pine and citrus (grapefruit and tangerine), bready malt, caramel/toffee, minerals, and black tea.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with good carbonation, the mouthfeel is somewhat thick, but very drinkable.  The finish is crisp and dry.

Overall pairing: The punchy, citrusy notes of the Upslope India Pale Ale are perfect for the glam rock groove of "The Slider", while the sweeter malt notes go great with Bolan's vocals and lyrics.

Cheers!!