September 3rd, 2017 - May Not Be Able To Buy A Thrill, But I Can Buy A Coffee Porter

Hello.  With the sad news of Walter Becker's passing today, I'm pairing Steely Dan's debut album, "Can't Buy A Thrill" with an Anchor Coffee Porter from Anchor Brewing Company.  This pairing is dedicated to the memory of Mr. Becker and all the Steely Dan fans out there.

Album Info:

• Artist: Steely Dan
• Title: "Can't Buy A Thrill"
• Recorded: 1972 at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles, California
• Release date: November 1972 (1st album by Steely Dan)
• Record company: ABC Records / MCA Records
• Production: Gary Katz
• Album cover art: Robert Lockart
• Personnel: Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (guitar, pedal steel guitar, and spoken word on "Only A Fool Would Say That"), Walter Becker (electric bass, backing vocals, and dual lead vocal on "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again"), Denny Dias (guitar and electric sitar), Donald Fagen (acoustic and electric pianos, plastic YC-30 organ, and lead vocals and backing vocals), Jim Hodder (drums, percussion, lead vocal on "Midnite Cruiser", and backing vocals), and David Palmer (lead vocals on "Dirty Work" and "Brooklyn" and backing vocals)
• Additional musicians: Victor Feldman (percussion), Venetta Fields (backing vocals on "Brooklyn" and "Kings"), Clydie King (backing vocals on "Brooklyn" and "Kings"), Sherlie Matthews (backing vocals on "Brooklyn" and "Kings"), Elliott Randall (guitar), Jerome Richardson (tenor saxophone), and Snooky Young (flugelhorn)
• Musical style: Rock, pop, post-boogie, R&B with elements of folk rock, mambo, swing, jazz, and Latin musical elements
• Sound: Combining elements of jazz, R&B, and Latin grooves, the sound on "Can't Buy A Thrill" is a unique, very original, and richly textured tapestry of musical prowess, depth, and soul.  This album is perfect! Every track is genius... seriously!  
• Major themes: With lyrics that delve into the tragic, themes on "Can't Buy A Thrill" include heartbreak, deception, rebellion, chronic loss, irony, isolation, solace, love, etc. 
• Tracks:   

1. "Do It Again"
2. "Dirty Work"
3. "Kings"
4. "Midnite Cruiser"
5. "Only A Fool Would Say That"
6. "Reelin' In The Years"
7. "Fire In the Hole"
8. "Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me)"
9. "Change Of The Guard"
10. "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Anchor Brewing Company (San Francisco, California)
• Website: https://www.anchorbrewing.com/
• Brew: Anchor Coffee Porter
• Style: American Porter
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6.7% 
• Ingredients: Roasted 2-Row Pale, Caramel, Chocolate, and Black malts, along with top-fermenting yeast, Northern Brewer hops, and Four Barrel flash-chilled coffee
• Pour: The Anchor Coffee Porter pours an opaque and deep mahogany chestnut brown with a creamy and billowy mocha, 1-finger head with great sustain and sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is roasty, toasty, nutty, and earthy.  There are aromas of fresh brewed dark roasted coffee, semi-sweet baker's chocolate, cocoa, oak, and burnt toffee.
• Taste: The taste follows the nose with lots of coffee, chocolate, and malt flavor.  There are notes of dark coffee, bitter dark chocolate, bitter herbs, walnut, molasses, caramel, a hint of liquid smoke, and a hint of booze.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with lower carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Anchor Coffee Porter is smooth, creamy, and thick with a dry, slightly sharp, and bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The rich, earthy, smoky, and malty flavors of Anchor Brewing Company's Anchor Coffee Porter are perfect for a Sunday morning breakfast beer and for the complex grooves and jazz swing of Steely Dan's brilliant debut album, "Can't Buy A Thrill"!  And the best way I can think of honoring a musical genius right now!

Rest in peace Walter Becker.