February 8th, 2015 - Portage Logic

Evenin' friends!  Your drinking buddy the Meista is finishing up the weekend and gettin' a little mellow here tonight spinning a vinyl copy of "Pretzel Logic" by Steely Dan whilst sipping a Portage Porter from New Belgium Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Steely Dan
• Title: "Pretzel Logic"
• Recorded: October 1973 through January 1974 at the Village Recorder, Santa Monica, California
• Release date: February 20th, 1974 (3rd studio album by the band)
• Record company: ABC Records
• Personnel: Walter Becker (bass, guitar, and backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (lead vocals, keyboards, and saxophone) with Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (lead guitars), Denny Dias (guitars), and Jim Hodder (backing vocals)
• Additional musicians: Ben Benay (guitar), Wilton Felder (bass), Victor Feldman (percussion), Jim Gordon (drums), Plas Johnson (saxophone), Lew McCreary (horns), Ollie Mitchell (trumpet), Michael Omartian (keyboards), David Paich of Toto (keyboards), Dean Parks (guitar and banjo), Jeff Porcaro of Toto (drums), Chuck Rainey (bass), Jerome Richardson (saxophone), Timothy B. Schmit (bass and backing vocals), and Ernie Watts (saxophone)
• Album cover art: Raeanne Rubenstein
• Musical style: A fusion of rock, pop, jazz, R&B, and Latin jazz
• Sound: Brilliant use of syncopation, counter melodies, harmonies, bebop and swing phrasing, and pop sensibility! 
• Major themes: Music, reminiscence, social criticism, honesty, integrity, etc.
• Tracks:

1. "Rikki Don't Lose That Number"
2. "Nigh By Night"
3. "Any Major Dude Will Tell You"
4. "Barrytown"
5. "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"
6. "Parker's Band"
7. "Through With Buzz"
8. "Pretzel Logic"
9. "With A Gun"
10. "Charlie Freak"
11. "Monkey In Your Soul"

  Brew Info:

• Brewery: New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, Colorado)
• Website: http://www.newbelgium.com/Home.aspx
• Brew: Portage Porter
• Style: American Porter
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6%
• IBUs: 35
• Ingredients: Black, Chocolate, Munich, and Pale malts with Nugget and Target hops.
• Pour: Walnut black/brown with a thin mocha head that dissipates quickly and leaves only trace lacing.
• Nose: Bold aromas of roasted/burnt malts, coffee, and bitter sweet bakers chocolate, and a slight smokiness.  There are more subtle aromas of dark fruit, roasted nuts (almonds, chestnuts, and walnuts), black tea, and vanilla.
• Taste: The flavor is rich, roasty, and slightly bitter.  Notes of dark roasted coffee, bitter sweet chocolate, vanilla bean, soft caramel, roasted almonds, and cream.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied, with a little astringency in the dry finish.

Overall pairing: Although it isn't my usual metal/hard rock heaviness, the rich, fluid, bluesy, and jazzy harmonies and melodies of "Pretzel Logic" go great with the rich and smoky coffee/chocolate flavors of the Portage Porter from New Belgium! 

Cheers!!