May 28th, 2017 - A Sea Rose From Avalon

Good afternoon!  The Meista here today on this lazy Sunday with a more mellow pairing to start the day... Roxy Music's "Avalon" and a Sea Rose Tart Cherry Wheat Ale from Ballast Point Brewing Company!


Album Info:

• Artist: Roxy Music
• Title: "Avalon"
• Recorded: 1981 through 1982 at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas and The Power Station in Manhattan, New York
• Release date: June 1st, 1982 (8th studio album by Roxy Music)
• Record company: E.G. Records / Polydor
• Production: Rhett Davies and Roxy Music
• Album cover art: Peter Saville
• Personnel: Bryan Ferry (lead vocals, keyboards, and guitar synthesizer), Andy Mackay (saxophones), and Phil Manzanera (lead guitar)
• Additional musicians: Paul Carrack (piano), Yanick Etienne (backing vocals), Neil Hubbard (guitars), Neil Jason (bass guitar), Jimmy Maelen (percussion), Rick Marotta (drums), Kermit Moore (cello), Andy Newmark (drums), Alan Spenner (bass guitar), and Fonzi Thornton (backing vocals)
• Musical style: Synth-pop, pop rock, art pop, sophisti-pop with elements of jazz, soul, and R&B
• Sound: Having completely abandoned their glam rock sound, with "Avalon" Roxy Music delved deep into the synth pop sound of the early 1980s.  The album is more melancholy in sound with more layers and mellower grooves than previous works.  Mackay really shines on this album as does Ferry as he delves into a more crooner style of singing.  Of the album, Manzanera stated: "By the time you get to Avalon, 90 per cent of it was being written in the studio. That album was a product of completely changing our working methods."  
• Major themes: Of the album's lyrics, Ferry stated: "I've often thought I should do an album where the songs are all bound together in the style of West Side Story, but it's always seemed like too much bother to work that way. So instead, I have these 10 poems, or short stories, that could, with a bit more work, be fashioned into a novel. Avalon is part of the King Arthur legend and is a very romantic thing, when King Arthur dies, the Queens ferry him off to Avalon, which is sort of an enchanted island. It's the ultimate romantic fantasy place."  Themes include relationships, romance, love, lust, death, sadness, truth, life, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "More Than This"
2. "The Space Between"
3. "Avalon"
4. "India"
5. "While My Heart Is Still Beating"
6. "The Main Thing"
7. "Take A Chance With Me"
8. "To Turn You On"
9. "True To Life"
10. "Tara"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Company (San Diego, California)
• Website: https://www.ballastpoint.com/
• Brew: Sea Rose Tart Cherry Wheat Ale
• Style: American Wheat Ale
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 4.0%
• IBUs: 8
• Pour: The Sea Rose pours a coral hue (pink and orange) with half-finger bright white, frothy head with good sustain and soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is fruity and grainy.  There are aromas of cherry juice, berries, lemon, wheat, and hints of caramel and honey.
• Taste: The taste of the Sea Rose follows the nose.  There are notes of tart cherry juice, raspberry, and lemon upfront, followed by crackery biscuit, cracked wheat, sourdough, and soft caramel and honey.
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp, clean, and refreshing with a clean and slightly tart finish.

Overall pairing: The soft, fruity aromas and flavors of Ballast Point's Sea Rose Tart Cherry Wheat Ale is great for the mellower synth pop tracks found on Roxy Music's "Avalon"!  The bready wheat notes go great with Ferry's emotional vocals, while the tarter notes are great for the saxophones and guitars!

Cheers!