October 9th, 2020 - Origins Of An Extra Pale Ale, Volume 2

 

Hello and happy Friday rockers and craft beer freaks!  The Meista here with another kick-ass pairing for ya today the get the weekend off to the right start: Ace Frehley's latest album, "Origins Vol. 2", which is an album of covers and the bold and aggressive flavors of a Grid City Extra Pale Ale, another tasty offering from the fine folks at Grid City Beer Works!  Hell yeah!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Ace Frehley
• Title: "Origins Vol. 2"
• Recorded: Live on November 3rd, 2007 at the Keep It True Festival #9 in Germany  
• Release date: September 18th, 2020 (9th full-length solo album by Ace Frehley)
• Record company: eOne 
• Production: Ace Frehley and Alex Salzman 
• Album cover art: Carlos Blandon (illustration), Jay Gilbert (photography), Paul Grosso (direction and design), and Ken Gullic and Ace Frehley (concept)
• Personnel: Ace Frehley (lead vocals, guitars, and bass on "Space Truckin'," "Jumpin' Jack Flash," and "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place") with Jeremy Ashbrock (guitar and backing vocals on "She"), Ryan Spencer Cook (guitar and backing vocals on "She"), Lara Cove (backing vocals on "Good Times Bad Times" and "Lola"), John 5 (guitar on "I'm Down" and "Politician"), Lita Ford (vocals on "Jumpin' Jack Flash"), Bruce Kulick (guitar on "Manic Depression"), Rob Sabino (organ on "Space Truckin'") Alex Salzman (gutiars on "Kicks"), Philip Shouse (guitar, bass, and backing vocals on "She"), Paul Simmons (drums on "She"), Matt Starr (drums and percussion), and Robin Zander (vocals on "30 Days In A Hole")
• Musical style: Hard rock, blues rock, rock and  roll
• Sound: This is straightforward, pure, high-octane rock and roll my friends!  As with "Origins Vol. 1," with "Origins Vol. 2," Frehley takes some of his favorite rockers and puts the Space Ace signature style on them with a little help from his friends.  Ace's guitar work along with his special guest players' talents are a fist-pumping joy to blast from your stereo system!  Trust me!!  
• Major themes: Life, love, lust, sadness, loss, joy, drugs, rebellion, rock and roll, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Good Times Bad Times" (Led Zeppelin cover)
2. "Never In My Life" (Mountain cover)
3. "Space Truckin'" (Deep Purple cover)
4. "I'm Down" (Beatles cover)
5. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (Rolling Stones cover)
6. "Politician" (Cream cover)
7. "Lola" (Kinks cover)
8. "30 Days In A Hole" (Humble Pie cover)
9. "Manic Depression" (Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
10. "Kicks" (Paul Revere & The Raiders cover)
11. "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (The Animals cover)
12. "She" (Kiss cover) - bonus track

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Grid City Beer Works (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://gridcitybeerworks.com/
• Brew: Grid City Extra Pale Ale
• Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 6.6%
• IBUs: 78
• Ingredients: Cryo-Mosaic and Cryo-Citra hops with Golden Promise and Caramalt malts
• Pour: The Grid City Extra Pale Ale pours a clear golden yellow with bright white, 1+ finger, frothy head with great retention and lots of sudsy and sticky lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very aromatic... dank, earthy, herbal, malty, citrusy, and floral.  There are aromas of hearty bread dough, pine resin, black tea, onions, bitter herbs, grapefruit rind, orange peel, wild flowers, and light caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Grid City Extra Pale Ale follows the nose with lots of dank, punchy, citrusy, herbal, and malty flavors.  There are notes of grapefruit rind, pine, biscuit, black tea, black pepper, and soft caramel/toffee. 
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and moderately-carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp, yet somewhat thick with a very dry, bitter, and spicy finish.

Overall pairing: Those straightforward, bold, hoppy, and powerful flavors of the Grid City Extra Pale Ale pair perfectly with the rock and roll punch of Ace Frehley's kick-butt "Origins Vol.2"!  I also dig the way the can looks with the album art and my guitar glass!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!  Rock on!!