March 5th, 2016 - Hoppy Blondes Are The Most Fun

"And now for something completely different!"  The Meista here tonight getting a little silly with Rod Stewart's "Blondes Have More Fun" and a Hoppy Blonde Ale from New Belgium Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Rod Stewart
• Title: "Blondes Have More Fun"
• Recorded: 1978
• Release date: November 24th, 1978 (9th solo studio album by Rod Stewart) (2009-02-03)
• Record company: Warner Bros.
• Production: Tom Dowd
• Album cover art: 
• Personnel: Rod Stewart (vocals) with Carmine Appice (drums and backing vocals), Philip Chen (bass and vocals), Jim Cregan (guitar and backing vocals), Gary Grainger (guitar), and Billy Peek (guitar)
• Additional musicians: Catherine Allison (piano and backing vocals), Roger Bethelmy (drums), Paulinho Da Costa (percussion), Mike Finnigan (backing vocals), Max Gronenthal (backing vocals), Gary Herbig (flute), Duane Hitchings (keyboards and synthesizers), Nicky Hopkins (piano), Phil Kenzie (horn), Linda Lewis (backing vocals), Steve Madaio (trumpet), Del Newman (string arrangements), Tom Scott (tenor saxophone), Fred Tackett (guitar), and Tommy Vig (percussion)
• Musical style: Rock and roll, power pop, and pop with hints of the blues, R&B, and disco
• Sound: Radio-friendly, poppy, but still rockin' the sound on "Blondes Have More Fun" is a throw-back to better times - hot summers, hot girls, and fun tunes on the transistor radio!
• Major themes: (The pursuit of) sex, love, and lust, along with loss, heartbreak, betrayal, memories, life, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
2. "Dirty Weekend"
3. "Ain't Love A Bitch"
4. "The Best Days Of My Life"
5. "Is That The Thanks I Get?"  
6. "Attractive Female Wanted"
7. "Blonde (Have More Fun)"
8. "Last Summer"
9. "Standin' In The Shadows Of Love"
10. "Scarred And Scared"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, Colorado)
• Website: www.newbelgium.com
• Brew: Hoppy Blonde Ale
• Style: American Blonde Ale
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 5.7%
• IBUs: 45
• Ingredients: Nugget and Simcoe hops and dry-hopped with Mosaic, UK Admiral, and Centennial hops with Pale, Caramel 80, and Munich malts
• Pour: It pours a clear golden-amber with a sudsy 1-2 finger head with great retention and chunky lacing.
• Nose: Characterized by citrusy and tropical fruit, dank and earthy, and biscuity notes, there are aromas of pine, wildflowers, pink grapefruit, lemon zest, blueberries, mango, honeysuckle, crackery biscuit, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Hoppy Blonde is somewhat mellow, but full of hoppy goodness - dank and earthy initially, then citrusy and fruity, followed by more grassy and herbal notes.  There are notes of pine, cedar, lemon zest, grapefruit rind, mango, berry, light honey sweetness, and biscuity malt.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is very smooth and drinkable with a dry, crisp, and clean finish.

Overall pairing: So this record was part of the soundtrack of my childhood.  I found it on vinyl a while back for $1 (less than the cost of the beer!) so I just had to buy it.  What I had forgotten is actually how much this album rocked... it was in fact back before Mr. Stewart decided to be a crooner rather than a rocker.  And the drumming is by one of the greatest rock/hard rock/metal drummer alive, Mr. Carmine Appice!  Anyway, the foot-stomping, sexually-fused rock and roll good time of "Blondes Have More Fun" is perfect for the thirst-quenching, crisp, and fruity goodness you find in a bottle of  New Belgium's most excellent Hoppy Blonde Ale!

Cheers!!