March 29th, 2024 - The Happy Hour Album

 

"And now for something completely different..."

Hello friends!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here today with a pairing of an album from my early childhood, ABBA's "The Album" with a crisp and tasty Happy Hour Lager from the fine folks at UTOG Brewing Company!  This beer was released this week in celebration of UTOG's 5th anniversary!  Cheers and happy anniversary to Brett, Carson, and all my friends at UTOG!!  Congratulations!!

Album Info:

• Artist: ABBA
• Title: "The Album"
• Recorded: May through November 1977 at Marcus, Metronome and Glen Studios in Stockholm, Sweden and Bohus Studio in Kungälv, Sweden
• Release date: December 12th, 1977 (4th studio album by ABBA)
• Record company: Atlantic Records
• Production: Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus
• Album cover art: Björn Andersson and Rune Söderqvist
• Personnel: Benny Andersson (backing vocals, keyboards, and synthesizers), Agnetha Fältskog (lead and backing vocals), Anni-Frid Lyngstad (lead and backing vocals), and Björn Ulvaeus (backing vocals and acoustic guitars)
• Additional musicians: Ola Brunkert (drums), Lars O. Carlsson (recorders on "Eagle" and "Move On"), Malando Gassama (percussion), Rutger Gunnarsson (bass and string arrangements), Roger Palm (drums), Janne Schaffer (additional electric guitar on "Eagle"), and Lasse Wellander (electric lead guitar, and acoustic and electric rhythm guitars)
• Musical style: Pop, art rock, dance, disco
• Sound: A more mature sound than previous offerings, "The Album" offers a more laid-back California sound, which was very popular at the time.  However, it is still bouncy, upbeat, and danceable. 
• Major themes: Music, love, desire, life, relationships, loss, music, joy, etc.
• Tracks:

1. "Eagle"
2. "Take A Chance On Me"
3. "One Man, One Woman"
4. "The Name Of The Game"
5. "Move On"
6. "Hole In Your Soul"
7. "The Girl with the Golden Hair: Three Scenes from a Mini-Musica"
• "Thank You For The Music"
• "I Wonder (Departure)"
• "I'm A Marionette"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: UTOG Brewing Company (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: https://utogbrewing.com/
• Brew: Happy Hour Lager
• Style: Light American Lager
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 4.0%
• IBUs: 10
• SRM: 3
• Pour: The UTOG Happy Hour Lager pours a clear, bright straw-yellow hue with thin, bubbly, bright white head that dissipates quickly, leaving virtually no lacing.
• Nose: The nose provides very subtle malty, grainy, lightly fruity, and slightly sweet aromas.  There are notes of very light pear or apple, an ever so slight hint of lemon zest, and a hint of honey.
• Taste: The taste follows the nose with light, but well-balanced flavors of sweet grains, very light spice, a hint of fruit, and light, bready malts.  There are notes of crackery biscuit, doughy bread, soda crackers, a hint of lemon zest, a hint of apple, some white pepper, and a very subtle hint of honey.
• Mouthfeel: Refreshing, drinkable, crushable, light-bodied, and well-carbonated with very low bitterness, the mouthfeel is very light, very, crisp and very smooth with a clean, crisp, dry finish.

Overall pairing: Although it isn't my usual metal/hard rock heaviness, with its pop sensibilities and upbeat delivery, ABBA's "The Album" goes great with the smooth drinkability of the UTOG Happy Hour Lager!  And the beer label design and album artwork seem to have been made for each other.  'Nuff said! 

Cheers!!