April 12th, 2022 - A Grand, Yet Hazy Illusion

 

Good evening rockers, rollers, and craft brew lovers!  Your drinkin' buddy the Meista here with another rockin' pairing for ya... a Little Haze from Mazama Brewing and "The Grand Illusion", the classic 7th album by Styx!

Album Info:

• Artist: Styx
• Title: "The Grand Illusion"
• Recorded: 1977 at Paragon Recording Studios in Chicago, Illinois
  Release date: July 7th, 1977 (7th studio album by Styx)
• Record company: A&M Records
• Production: Styx and Barry Mraz
• Album cover art: Kelly and Mouse
• Personnel: Dennis DeYoung (keyboards and vocals), Chuck Panozzo (bass guitar), John Panozzo (drums and percussion), Tommy Shaw (guitars and vocals), and James Young (guitars, vocals, and synthesizer on "Come Sail Away")
• Musical style: Hard rock, progressive rock
• Sound: Combing plaintive ballads with bombastic, up-tempo progressive rockers, the sound on "The Grand Illusion" is definitive Styx.  It was one of their best-selling albums, and for good reason.  The songs are both catchy and complex with lots of great hooks, melodies, harmonies, and signature changes. 
• Major themes: Life, survival, rebellion, the illusion of fame and fortune, sci-fi/fantasy/medieval allegories, space travel, being a pawn to power, etc. 
• Tracks: 

1. "The Grand Illusion"
2. "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)"
3. "Superstars"
4. "Come Sail Away"
5. "Miss America"
6. "Man In The Wilderness"
7. "Castle Walls"
8. "The Grand Finale"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Mazama Brewing (Hillsboro, Oregon)
• Website: https://mazamabrewing.com/
• Brew: Little Haze
• Style: New England India Pale Ale (NEIPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The Little Haze pours a hazy golden yellow hue with a frothy, 1-finger bright white head with good retention and sustained lacing.
• Nose: The nose is a blend of sweet fruits, light hops, and sweet malts.  There are aromas of mango, peach, melon, orange, bready malts, cereal grains, and caramel/toffee. 
• Taste: Fruit-forward, the taste of the Little Haze is fruity, slightly citrusy, and malty.  There are notes of mango, pineapple, peach, Juicy Fruit gum, and sweet toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is crisp and juicy with a dry, slightly bittersweet finish.

Overall pairing: The Mazama Brewing Little Haze is a juicy, sweet, and very drinkable brew... a great pairing for the bombastic, melodic, and wonderfully catchy tracks on Styx's classic "The Grand Illusion"!  The fruit-forward flavors go great with the soaring keys, harmonious vocals, and ethereal guitars, while the malty backbone goes great with the heavy-duty rhythm section of the amazing Panozzo brothers!

Cheers!  Rock on!