March 30th, 2023 - Praying For Rain Under A Sheltering Sky

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, and craft beer fanatics!  The Meista here rocking out with a pairing of Chuck Wright's amazing debut solo album, "Chuck Wright's Sheltering Sky" and a very smoky, yet crushable and tasty Pray For Rain Smoked Helles Lager from the fine folks at Bewilder Brewing Company in collaboration with homebrewer James Bywater!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Chuck Wright
• Title: "Chuck Wright's Sheltering Sky"
• Recorded: 2021 through 2022
• Release date: May 20th, 2022 (1st solo studio album by Chuck Wright)
• Record company: Deadline Music / Cleopatra Records
• Production: Chuck Wright
• Album cover art: Glen Wexler (design, art direction, and photography)
• Personnel: Chuck Wright (bass, fretless bass, octave bass, acoustic guitar, koto, and keyboards)
• Additional and guest musicians: Koi  Anunta (violin), Tal Bergman (drums), Shelly Bonet (backing vocals), Scott Breadman (percussion), Dale Edward Chung (percussion and bodhrain), Lanny Cordola (guitars), Keith England (backing vocals), Jake Faun (guitar), Jude Gold (guitar), Griffin (drums and percussion), Jeff Gross (djembe), Tom Hatziemanouel (guitar), Scotti Hill (guitar), Allen Hinds (guitar), Walter Ino (acoustic guitar and Rhodes piano), Tim Janssens (keyboards, synthesizers, and orchestration), Thomas Ross Johansen (piano, Rhodes piano, and synthesizer), Jimmy Keegan (drums), Troy Luccketta (drums), Yngwie Malmsteen (guitar), Eric Martin (lead and backing vocals), Sven Martin (keyboards), Ken Mary (drums), Allen Moreno (lap steel guitar), Joel Pelletier (mellotron and B3 organ), Mitch Perry (guitar), Claudio Pesavento (Moog and mellotron), Tony Pittam (slide guitar), Joe Retta (vocals and harmonica), Katja Rieckermann (baritone sax), Matt Rohde (keyboards), Ed Roth (piano and B3 organ), Rick Sailon (violin and mandolin), Jimmy Sakurai (additional guitar), Dave Schulz (clavinet and B3 organ), Derek Sherinian (keyboards), Jeff Scott Soto (lead vocals), Whitney Tai (lead vocals), Joel Taylor (drums), Pat Torpey (drums), David Victor (lead vocals), Luis Villegas (acoustic guitar), Tom Walsh (drums), Ben Woods (flamenco guitar), Toshi Yanagi (guitar), and August Young (lead vocals)
• Musical style: Hard rock, pop rock with elements of funk, the blues, R&B, progressive rock, jazz fusion
• Sound: Blending multiple genres and styles, with the tracks on "Sheltering Sky", Chuck Wright has created not only a collection of great songs, but a richly textured and brilliantly structured sonic journey that is both mesmerizing and accessible... a fantastic album performed by a fantastic line-up og musicians!
• Major themes: Life, death, loss, introspection, the passage of time, disorder, chaos, gratitude, hope, etc. 
• Tracks: 

1. "The Weight Of Silence"
2. "Army Of Me"
3. "The Other Side"
4. "Throwin' Stones"
5. "Giving Up The Ghost"
6. "Time Waits For No One"
7. "It Never Fails"
8. "Darkness Darkness"
9. "Cradle of The Sun (Lorelei)"
10. "Farewell Horizon"
11. "The Weight Of Silence (Reprise)"

 

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Bewilder Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://bewilderbrewing.com/
• Brew: Pray For Rain Smoked Helles Lager
• Style: Smoked German-style Helles
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 20
• Pour: The Pray For Rain pours a clear, golden yellow with a very thin, bright white head that dissipates rather quickly, leaving virtually very little lacing.
• Nose: The nose is smoky, grainy, grassy, and malty.  There are aromas of liquid smoke, bacon, oak, bready malt, crackery biscuit, a hint of spicy herbs, lemon zest, summer grass, floral/grassy hops.
• Taste: The taste of the Pray For Rain follows the nose with smoky, bready, grainy, and grassy flavors.  There are notes of smoked grains, liquid smoke, toasted bread, malty biscuit, light herbs, and light, grassy hops with low bitterness.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp and smooth with a dry, smoky finish.
•  

Overall pairing:  The Bewilder Pray For Rain is a unique, smoky, and very tasty brew... perfect for throwing back whilst rocking the hell out to wonderfully compelling "Chuck Wright's Sheltering Sky" album!  'Nuff said!

Make sure to check out my interview with Chuck Wright here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQBV4WBY1KQ

Cheers!!  Rock on!!