May 8th, 2015 - Tales FromTransatlantique Topography

Good afternoon!  The Meista here pairing a Lips Of Faith - Transatlantique Kriek (Oud Beersel) from New Belgian Brewing Company/Brouwerij Oud Beersel and "Tales From Topographic Oceans" by prog masters Yes!

Album Info:

• Artist: Yes
• Title: "Tales From Topographic Oceans"
• Recorded: 1973 at Morgan Studios, London, England
• Release date: January 9th, 1974 (6th studio album by Yes)
• Record company: Atlantic Records
• Album cover art: Roger Dean
• Personnel: Jon Anderson (lead vocals, harp, drums, percussion, and production), Steve Howe (guitars, vocals, and production), Chris Squire (bass guitar, vocals, and production), Rick Wakeman (Minimoog synthesizer, Mellotron, Hammond organ, pipe organ, RMI Electra piano, grand piano, and production), and Alan White (drums, percussion, and production)
• Musical style: Progressive rock with elements of jazz fusion and art rock
• Sound:  Combining big, almost symphonic progressive elements with more mellow folksy elements, "Tales From Topographic Oceans" is an intricate and compelling work.  Of the album's sound, Steve Howe described it as: "Side one was the commercial or easy-listening side of Topographic Oceans, side two was a much lighter, folky side of Yes, side three was electronic mayhem turning into acoustic simplicity, and side four was us trying to drive the whole thing home on a biggie."
• Major themes: A concept album of sorts, lyrically, "Tales From Topographic Oceans" is vocalist Anderson's interpretation and vision of the four classes of Hindu scripture based on the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda.
• Notes: Rick Wakeman took a pointed dislike to the album's concept, structure, and the band's direction almost immediately, which would lead to him leaving the band shortly after release.  He made only limited contributions to the album's writing and recording, and would often spend time drinking at the pub avoiding his band mates.  At the same time, he started providing piano and synthesizer work for Black Sabbath's "Sabbra Cadabra".  Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has stated that Wakeman refused payment for his work at the time so they paid him in beer!
• Tracks:   

1. "The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)"
2. "The Remembering (High the Memory)"
3. "The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun)"
4. "Ritual (Nous Sommes du Soleil)"    

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: New Belgian Brewing Company  (Fort Collins, Colorado) in collaboration with Brouwerij Oud Beersel (Beersel, Belgium)
• Website: http://www.newbelgium.com/ and http://www.oudbeersel.com/
• Brew: Lips Of Faith - Transatlantique Kriek (Oud Beersel)
• Style: Lambic
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 7%
• Pour: The Transatlantique Kriek pours a lovely rose wine red with a frothy, thin pink head that dissipates quickly, leaving very little lacing.
• Nose: Characterized by sour cherries, lemon, and Belgian yeast, the nose is very inviting, very crisp, and harkens aromas of the season.
• Taste: Tart, fruity, and woody, the flavor of the Transatlantique Kriek is characterized by notes of cherry pie, lemon juice, very light banana, a hint of malt, and farmhouse funk.
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied with good carbonation, the mouthfeel is tart, crisp, refreshing with a very dry and slightly bitter finish.
• Notes: This is the new 2015 edition of New Belgian's collaborative (with Brouwerij Oud Beersel ) Transatlantique Kriek.  The ABV is down a percentage point to 7% from last year's edition.

Overall pairing: The lighter, fruitier flavors of the Transatlantique Kriek go well with the ethereal and soaring vocals, guitars, and keyboards of Yes' epic "Tales From Topographic Oceans" while the sharper and tarter flavors of the brew go well with the more intense thematic messages and brilliant rhythm work of Squire and White.

Cheers!!