November 30th, 2015 - Imperial Pils Rain Dog

Good evening!  The Meista here tonight with a pairing for Chad, Steph, Dain, and Shann on a quiet and pensive Monday evening... Tom Waits' "Rain Dogs" and an Imperial PILS from Lagunitas Brewing Company!  Cheers brothers and sista!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Tom Waits
• Title: "Rain Dogs"
• Recorded: 1985 at RCA Studios
• Release date: September 30th, 1985 (8th studio album by Tom Waits)
• Record company: Island Records
• Production: Tom Waits
• Album cover art: Anders Petersen
• Personnel: Tom Waits (vocals, guitar, organ, pump organ, harmonium, and banjo)
• Additional musicians: Michael Blair (drums and percussion), Ralph Carney (baritone saxophone, saxophone, clarinet), Crispin Cioe (saxophone), Greg Cohen (double bass), Mickey Curry (drums), Bob Funk (trombone), Tony Garnier (double bass), Arno Hecht (tenor saxophone), Stephen Hodges (drums), Robby Kilgore (organ), Tony Levin (bass), Ross Levinson (violin), "Hollywood" Paul Litteral (trumpet), John Lurie (alto saxophone), Robert Musso (banjo), Bobby Previte (percussion), Robert Quine (guitar), Marc Ribot (guitar), Keith Richards (guitar), William Schimmel (accordion), G.E. Smith (guitar), Chris Spedding (guitar), and Larry Taylor (double bass)
• Musical style: Rock, art rock, experimental rock, blues with elements of jazz, Latin jazz, New Orleans jazz, carnival music, folk, etc.
• Sound: Whimsical, tribal, jazzy, mythical... a few adjectives that feebly attempt to describe the rich, unique, and artistic sound of Waits' music on "Rain Dogs".  That gravelly, smoky, and bourbon soaked voice is genuine, honest, and steeped in sadness, bitterness, and reality. 
• Major themes: A concept album of sorts, "Rain Dogs" is about "the urban dispossessed" of New York City.
• Tracks:  

1. "Singapore"
2. "Clap Hands"
3. "Cemetery Polka"
4. "Jockey Full Of Bourbon"
5. "Tango Till They're Sore"
6. "Big Black Mariah"
7. "Diamonds And Gold"
8. "Hang Down Your Head"
9. "Time"
10. "Rain Dogs"
11. "Midtown"
12. "9th & Hennepin"
13. "Gun Street Girl"
14. "Union Square"
15. "Blind Love"
16. "Walking Spanish"
17. "Downtown Train"
18. "Bride of Rain Dog"
19. "Anywhere I Lay My Head"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, California and Chicago, Illinois)
• Website: http://www.lagunitas.com/
• Brew: Imperial PILS
• Style: Imperial Pilsner
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 8.6%
• IBUs: 57 
• Pour: Clear straw-gold with 3-fingers of light, billowing, frothy head goodness with great retention and lots of intricate spider web lacing.
• Nose: The nose is floral, slightly fruity, crackery, and slightly sweet.  There are aromas of biscuit, tropical fruit, grassy hops, soft vanilla, and soft caramel.
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste of the Imperial PILS is crisp, floral, grassy, herbal, fruity, and sweet.  There are notes of fresh herbs, minerals, crackery biscuit, grains, lemon, light apple or pear, lemongrass, white pepper, vanilla, and caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is crisp with a dry, peppery, and bitter finish... and a hint of booze.

Overall pairing: The completely unique sound of Tom Waits deserves nothing less than a truly unique brew... thus the Imperial PILS from the fine folks at Lagunitas Brewing Company!  Those big, bold, yet inviting flavors from the PILS blend perfectly with the hauntingly beautiful, tragically dark, and always honest lyrics, melodies, and riffs on "Rain Dogs".

Cheers!!