August 1st, 2026 - A Recollection of Hopnado

 

Hello and happy Saturday!  Your pal, the Meista here pairing a hoppy and delicious Hopnado West-Coast Rye Pale Ale from the fine folks Fisher Brewing Company and Concrete Blonde's killer compilation album, "Recollection: The Best Of Concrete Blonde"!  This pairing is lovingly dedicated to my dad's late, great friend Mr. Lloyd Laws and his lovely widow Connie.  This CD belonged to Lloyd and Connie was kind enough to give to me.  Much love to Lloyd and Connie!  Rest in power Lloyd!!  We miss you!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Concrete Blonde
• Title: "Recollection: The Best Of Concrete Blonde"
• Recorded: 1988 to 1992
• Release date: February 20th, 1996 (2nd compilation album by Concrete Blonde)
• Record company: I.R.S. Records
• Production: Concrete Blonde, Sean Freehill, Dennis Herring, Earle Mankey, and Chris Tsangarides
• Album cover art: Emilie Burnham (design) and Ed Colver (photography)
• Personnel: Al Bloch (bass), James Mankey (bass, guitars, and backing vocals), Michael Murphy (drums and percussion), Johnette Napolitano (bass, guitars, keyboards, and lead and backing vocals), and Paul Thompson (drums and percussion)
• Musical style: Hard rock, alternative rock, folk rock, blues rock
• Sound: Bluesy, raw, and stripped down, Concrete Blonde's sound is poetic and hauntingly beautiful!  Napolitano's robust vocals are powerful and mesmerizing while the music acts as the perfect accompaniment... hard hitting, melodic, and honest!
• Major themes: Life, death, police violence, betrayal, fear, abuse, loss, love, sex, the paranormal, vampires, strength, rebellion, etc. 
• Tracks: 

1. "God Is A Bullet"
2. "Tomorrow, Wendy"
3. "Joey"
4. "Scene Of A Perfect Crime"
5. "Someday?"
6. "Ghost Of A Texas Ladies' Man"
7. "Dance Along The Edge"
8. "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song"
9. "Happy Birthday"
10. "Caroline"
11. "Cold Part Of Town"
12. "Walking In London"
13. "Heal It Up"
14. "Everybody Knows" (Leonard Cohen cover)
15. "True"
16. "Mexican Moon"
17. "Still In Hollywood"
18. "Mercedes Benz" (Janis Joplin cover)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Fisher Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.fisherbeer.com/
• Brew: Hopnado West-Coast Rye Pale Ale
• Style: West-Coast Pale Ale 
• Serving: 32 ounce crowler can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 30
• Pour: The Hopnado West-Coast Rye Pale Ale pours a murky clear, bronze-amber hue with a billowy and frothy, off white, 2+ finger head with great sustain and lots of sudsy, sticky, and layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by earthy, spicy, and citrusy aromas along with floral, dank, and herbal hops, and more subtle sweeter malts.  There are aromas of freshly baked rye bread, grapefruit rind, roasted barley, wet pine needles, herbal tea, wildflowers, toasted malts, and a hint of soft, sweet caramel/toffee.
• Taste: The taste of the Hopnado West-Coast Rye Pale Ale is spicy, citrusy, earthy, and herbal along with crackery maltiness.  There are notes of spicy rye, grapefruit juice, orange pith, tangerine, pine resin, black tea, crackery biscuit, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is crisp, slightly bitter, yet smooth with a dry, bitter finish

Overall pairing: The crisp, hoppy, and refreshing character of the Hopnado West-Coast Rye Pale Ale from Fisher is perfect for the honesty and depth that is Concrete Blonde's wonderful "Recollection: The Best Of Concrete Blonde"!  Those spicy rye and complex citrusy notes go great with the rich vocals of Napolitano, while the bready malt lends itself well to the chunky guitars.

Cheers!!  Rock on!!