October 27th, 2022 - Dark Side Of The Photon

 

Hello there music lovers and craft beer freaks!  The Meista here today with another great pairing for you... "Dark Side of The Moon", the classic album from progressive rockers Pink Floyd and a juicy and delicious Photon Pale Ale from the fine folks at Equilibrium Brewing Company! 

Album Info:

• Artist: Pink Floyd
• Title: "Dark Side Of The Moon"
• Recorded: May 31st, 1972 through February 9th, 1973 at EMI Studios in London, England
• Release date: March 1973 (8th studio album by Pink Floyd)
• Record company: Harvest / Capitol
• Production: Pink Floyd
• Album cover art: Hipgnosis 
• Personnel: David Gilmour (guitars, Synthi AKS, and lead and backing vocals), Nick Mason (drums, percussion, and tape effects), Roger Waters (bass, VCS 3, tape effects, and lead and backing vocals), and Richard Wright (organs (Hammond and Farfisa), piano, electric pianos (Wurlitzer and Rhodes), EMS VCS 3, Synthi AKS, and vocals)
• Additional musicians: Lesley Duncan (backing vocals), Dick Parry (saxophone), Liza Strike (backing vocals), Clare Torry (backing vocals), and Doris Troy (backing vocals)
• Musical style: Progressive rock, hard rock with elements of jazz, R&B, and psychedelic rock
• Sound: Musically, "Dark Side Of The Moon" is a breathtaking journey of complexity, artistic precision, depth, and beauty, darkness, and what launched the band from psychedelic cult band into superstardom.  Everything about this album is perfection!  David Gilmore's guitar work soars. The grooves of the rhythm section (Roger Waters and Nick Mason) are thick and soulful. And the late Richard Wright's keys are wonderfully ethereal and atmospheric. 
• Major themes: Lyrical themes on the album include an overarching thread throughout the whole album of a reflection on the various stages of human life.  Also themes of conflict, hatred, greed and power, the passage of time, aging and death, and mental illness abound. Of the album, Waters once said: 'When the record was finished, I took a reel-to-reel copy home with me and I remember playing it for my wife then, and I remember her bursting into tears when it was finished. And I thought, "This has obviously struck a chord somewhere", and I was kinda pleased by that. You know when you've done something, certainly if you create a piece of music, you then hear it with fresh ears when you play it for somebody else. And at that point I thought to myself, "Wow, this is a pretty complete piece of work", and I had every confidence that people would respond to it.'
• Note: An estimated 50 million copies of this album have been sold! It is obviously Pink Floyd's most commercially successful album, but it is also one of the best-selling albums worldwide of all time... it actually remained in the Billboard charts for 741 weeks from 1973 to 1988! 
• Tracks: 

1. "Speak To Me"
2. "Breathe (In The Air)"
3. "On The Run"
4. "Time"
5. "The Great Gig In The Sky"
6. "Money"
7. "Us And Them"
8. "Any Colour You Like"
9. "Brain Damage"
10. "Eclipse"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Equilibrium Brewing Company (Middletown, New York)
• Website: https://www.eqbrew.com/
• Brew: Photon Pale Ale
• Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 4.8%
• Ingredients: 
• Pour: The Photon Pale Ale pours a very hazy, bright, golden yellow with a frothy, eggshell white, 2+ finger head with great sustain and lots of sudsy, sticky, and layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by citrusy, fruity, grainy, and more subtle sweetness.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, orange juice, tangerine, pineapple, lemon zest, mango, crackery grains, herbal tea, summer grass, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Photon Pale Ale follows the nose with lots of citrus, tropical fruit, and more subtle bready flavors.  There are notes of tangerine, orange juice and zest, pineapple, light strawberry, crackery biscuit, and softer toffee notes.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp, refreshing, and juicy with a dry, slightly bitter, yet clean finish.

Overall pairing: Along with the obvious imagery similarities of the album and label, the hoppy complexity and drinkability of the Photon Pale Ale from Equilibrium Brewing is perfect for the profoundly compelling, mesmerizing, and emotive tracks on the brilliant "Dark Side Of The Moon"!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!