December 2nd, 2018 - The Griswalds Are Living With The Past

Good evening!  Well, the holidays are nearly upon us, so I might as well jump on the x-mas bandwagon... Brews and Tunes style that is, with a "festive" and celebratory pairing of the Griswald's Holiday Ale from Red Rock Brewery and Jethro Tull's live compilation album "Living With The Past"!

"Clark, that's the gift that keeps on giving throughout the entire year."

Album Info:

• Artist: Jethro Tull
• Title: "Living With The Past"
• Recorded: October 1989 through January 2002 live at various venues (the bulk of the material is from a concert at the Hammersmith Apollo on November 20th, 2001)
• Release date: April 30th, 2002 (5th live album by Jethro Tull)
• Record company: Fuel 2000 / Eagle Records
• Production: Ian Anderson
• Album cover art: Bogdan Zarkowski (design) 
• Personnel: Mick Abrahams (electric and acoustic guitars and backing vocals on "Some Day The Sun Won't Shine For You"), Ian Anderson (concert and bamboo flutes, acoustic guitar, mandolin, harmonica, lead vocals), Martin Barre (electric and acoustic guitars, and flute on "Fat Man"), Clive Bunker (drums on "Some Day The Sun Won't Shine For You"), Glenn Cornick (bass on "Some Day The Sun Won't Shine For You"), Andrew Giddings (keyboards and accordion), Jonathan Noyce (bass guitar), Dave Pegg (mandolin and bass on tracks 15 through 17), Doane Perry (drums and percussion)
• Additional musicians: James Duncan (drums on "Life Is A Long Song"), Malcolm Henderson (viola on tracks 13 and 14), Brian Thomas (violin on tracks 13 and 14), Juliet Tomlinson (cello on tracks 13 and 14), and Justine Tomlinson (violin on tracks 13 and 14)
• Musical style: Progressive rock, hard rock, folk rock, progressive folk
• Sound: Complex, layered, poetic, yet full of rockin' hooks, the live recordings on "Living With The Past" highlight the brilliance, depth, musical prowess, and protean approach and execution of Ian Anderson and his merry band of minstrels' music!  This collection of live tracks once again proves why Jethro Tull is a truly legendary band! 
• Major themes: Relationships, love, loss, the blues, back luck, vagabonds, life, joy, humor, various states of sanity, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "Intro"
2. "My Sunday Feeling"
3. "Roots To Branches"
4. "Jack In The Green"
5. "The Habanero Reel"
6. "Sweet Dream"
7. "In The Grip Of Stronger Stuff"
8. "Aqualung"
9. "Locomotive Breath"
10. "Living In The Past"
11. "Protect And Survive"
12. "Nothing Is Easy"
13. "Wond'ring Aloud"
14. "Life Is A Long Song"
15. "A Christmas Song"
16. "Cheap Day Return"
17. "Mother Goose"
18. "Dot Com"
19. "Fat Man"
20. "Some Day The Sun Won't Shine For You"
21. "Cheerio"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Red Rock Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://redrockbrewing.com/
• Brew: Griswald's Holiday Ale
• Style: Herbed / Spiced Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce bottle
• ABV: 8.5%
• Ingredients: Cinnamon, coriander, ginger, orange peel, and cloves
• Pour: It pours a very hazy orange-golden amber hue with a billowy half-finger head that leaves good lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very spicy, malty, and robust.  There are big aromas of cinnamon, gingerbread, caramel, cloves, soft banana, and orange along with subtle hops.
• Taste: Flavored with orange peel, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger this brew has a very "festive" spiced flavor, almost like a pumpkin beer, but without the sweetness.   There are notes of banana, gourd, yam, caramel, and spices.  
• Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, low in bitterness, the beer is a unique take on a traditional ale.  The mouthfeel is somewhat thick, but still crisp with a dry finish.

Overall pairing: As the label states, the Griswald's  Holiday Ale "makes a fine companion to your favorite holiday celebration", and a fine companion to the whimsical, rocking, and brilliant compositions of Jethro Tull!

"We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse." 

Cheers and hails!!