July 5th, 2023 - No Budgie?!? If I Were Brittania, I'd Rule With Budgie!!

 

Good evening hopheads and headbangers!  The Meista here tonight rocking the hell out with a pairing of the classic "If I Were Brittania I'd Waive The Rules", the wonderful album by Welsh hard rockers Budgie and a hoppy, juicy, and very crushable No Budgie India Pale Ale from Offset Bier Company in collaboration with Level Crossing Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Budgie
• Title: "If I Were Brittania I'd Waive The Rules"
• Recorded: Early 1976 at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales
  Release date: April 23rd, 1976 (6th full-length studio album by Budgie)
• Record company: A&M Records
• Production: Budgie
• Album cover art: Alun Hood 
• Personnel: Tony Bourge (guitars, backing vocals, and lead vocals on "Heaven Knows Our Name"), Burke Shelley (bass and lead vocals), and Steve Williams (drums)
• Additional musicians: Richard Dunn (keyboards) 
• Musical style: Hard rock, proto metal with elements of progressive rock and funk rock
• Sound: Criminally underrated, Budgie was heavily influenced by progressive rock acts like Rush and Genesis and heavy metal acts like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest.  Maybe not as heavy as some of their earlier albums, "If I Were Brittania I'd Waive The Rules" is still full of some great hard rock/metal moments.  Songs like "Anne Neggen", the title track, "Quacktors And Bureaucats", "Sky High Percentage", and "Black Velvet Stallion" are richly textured heavy rock gems!  Bourge's guitar tone on "Sky High Percentage" alone will melt your face!! 
• Major themes: Rock and roll, gigging, life, love, temptation, rebellion, memories, etc.
• Notes: The album's title is a pun on the old saying that "Brittania rules the waves".
• Tracks: 

1. "Anne Neggen"
2. "If I Were Brittania I'd Waive The Rules"
3. "You're Opening "
4. "Quacktors And Bureaucats"
5. "Sky High Percentage"
6. "Heaven Knows Our Name"
7. "Black Velvet Stallion"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Offset Bier Company (Park City, Utah) and Level Crossing Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://offsetbier.com/ and http://www.levelcrossingbrewing.com/
• Brew: No Budgie India Pale Ale
• Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Ingredients: Galaxy, Galaxy Spectrum, Vic Secret, Enigma, and Necatron hops
• Pour: The No Budgie IPA pours a hazy, bright golden-yellow hue with a 1+ finger, frothy, bright white head with great retention and lots of sudsy lacing. 
• Nose: Fruit forward, the nose is tropical, citrusy, sweet, and malty.  There are aromas of pineapple rind, passion fruit, peach, sweet melon, grapefruit rind, tangerine, orange zest, crackery biscuit, and soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste is like the nose: fruity, citrusy, hoppy, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of pineapple, passion fruit, mango, pink grapefruit juice, orange juice, tangerine, peach, apricot, melon, and soft sweet toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the No Budgie IPA is very crisp, juicy, and smooth with a clean, slightly sweet finish.

Overall pairing: The punchy citrus and tropical fruit flavors of Offset No Budgie IPA make it a great, drinkable beer!  It has lots of flavor and a hoppy kick... perfect for the heavy-duty, proto metal sonic attack of  Budgie's killer album, "If I Were Brittania I'd Waive The Rules"!  'Nuff said! 

Cheers and hails to Budgie!!