Friday, April 5, 2024

April 5th, 2024 - The Very Best Cross Pollination

 




Hey there rockers, rollers, and hop freaks!  Happy Friday!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here kicking the weekend off the right way with another killer pairing for ya!  Today, I'm pairing "The Very Best Of Montrose" by the indelible Montrose and a delicious and very juicy Cross Pollination NE-Style Hazy India Pale Ale from the fine folks at Revision Brewing Company in collaboration with Great Basin Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!


Album Info:

  • Artist: Montrose
  • Title: "The Very Best Of Montrose"
  • Recorded: 1973 through 1976 and 1987
  • Release date: October 17th, 2000 (1st compilation album by Montrose)
  • Record company: Rhino Records / Warner Archives
  • Production: Jack Douglas, David McLees, Ronnie Montrose, and Ted Templeman
  • Album cover art:  Greg Allen (design), Hugh Brown (art direction), and Harry Rossit (illustration)
  • Personnel: Jim Alcivar (keyboards), Denny Carmassi (drums), Bill Church (bass), Johnny Edwards (lead vocals), Alan Fitzgerald (bass), Sammy Hagar (lead vocals), Bob James (lead vocals), James Kottak (drums), Glenn Letsche (bass), Ronnie Montrose (lead guitars and vocals)
  • Additional musicians: Nick DeCaro (mellotron) and Randy Jo Hobbs (bass)
  • Musical style: Hard rock, rock and roll
  • Sound: After making a name for himself in 1972 playing on Edgar Winter's "They Only Come Out At Night" with the blistering guitar work on "Free Ride" and "Frankenstein," Ronnie formed his own band, Montrose with Denny Carmasi on drums, Bill Church on bass, and then, unknown singer Sammy Hagar.  Chronicling Ronnie's band from 1973 to 1987, "The Very Best Of Montrose" is a wonderful and powerful collection of rockin' tracks!  The delivery, the passion, the intensity of Ronnie's playing is everything you are looking for in truly American hard rock!  The first 4 tracks: "Rock The Nation", "Bad Motor Scooter", "Space Station No. 5", and "Rock Candy" alone are truly genius rock masterpieces!  The guitar work (especially the solos) on "I Got the Fire", "Spaceage Sacrifice", "Paper Money", Jump On It", and "Ready, Willing, And Able" embody the passion Ronnie had for music. 
  • Major themes: , etc.
  • Tracks: 
  1. "Rock The Nation"
  2. "Bad Motor Scooter"
  3. "Space Station No. 5"
  4. "Rock Candy"
  5. "I Got The Fire"
  6. "Spaceage Sacrifice"
  7. "We're Going Home"
  8. "Paper Money"
  9. "All I Need"
  10. "Twenty Flight Rock"
  11. "Clown Woman"
  12. "Dancin' Feet"
  13. "Let's Go"
  14. "Jump On It"
  15. "Music Man"
  16. "M For Machine"
  17. "Stand"
  18. "Ready, Willing, And Able"

Brew Info:

  • Brewery: Revision Brewing Company (Sparks, Nevada) / Great Basin Brewing Company (Sparks, Nevada)
  • Website: https://revisionbrewing.com/ / https://www.greatbasinbrewingco.com/
  • Brew: Cross Pollination NE-Style Hazy India Pale Ale 
  • Style: New England-style Hazy India Pale Ale (NEIPA)
  • Serving: 16 ounce can
  • ABV: 6.7%
  • IBUs: 37
  • Ingredients: Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, and Mosaic hops  
  • Pour: The Cross Pollination pours a very hazy golden-yellow hue with a frothy, bright white, half-finger head with good retention and sudsy, sticky lacing.
  • Nose: The nose is very tropical and citrusy with more subtle floral and malt elements.  There are aromas of tangerine, lemon zest, lime juice, orange juice, grapefruit rind, bright mango, peach, apricot, fresh pineapple, hints of melon, wildflowers, and soft caramel/toffee.
  • Taste: Hop-forward and very juicy, the taste of the Pixelated Stargazer is citrusy, fruity, and slightly sweet.  There are notes of tangerine, orange juice, mango, pineapple, guava, and light honey.
  • Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp and very juicy, yet smooth and creamy with a dry, slightly sweet finish.

Overall pairing: The Revision Brewing Cross Pollination is a juicy and bright brew... a great brew for the classic heavy rock stylings of Montrose!  When I first saw the name and label of the brew, the imagery from the album cover of "The Very Best Of Montrose" immediately popped in my head. Those bright, hoppy notes go great with Ronnie's fiery guitar riffs and solos!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!  Rock on!!

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