December 31st, 2020 - Double Life:Live

 

Hey there rockers, rollers, and hop heads!  The Meista here saying farewell to this weird and shitty year with a pairing from one of my all-time favorite bands and one of my favorite local breweries... today I'm pairing Thin Lizzy's "Life:Live" and a bold and hoppy Fisher Double IPA from Fisher Brewing Company!  

Album Info: 

• Artist: Thin Lizzy
• Title: "Life:Live"
• Recorded: November 27th, 1981 and March 10th through 12th, 1983 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, England
  Release date: October 16th, 1983 (2nd live album by Thin Lizzy)
• Record company: Vertigo / Warner Bros.
• Production: Will Reid Dick, Phil Lynott, and Thin Lizzy
• Album cover art: ?  
• Personnel: Brian Downey (drums and percussion), Scott Gorham (guitars and backing vocals), Phil Lynott (bass and lead vocals), John Sykes (guitars and backing vocals), and Darren Wharton (keyboards and backing vocals)
• Additional musicians: Eric Bell (guitar on "The Rocker"), Gary Moore (guitar on "Black Rose" and "The Rocker"), Brian Robertson (guitar on "Emerald" and "The Rocker"), and Snowy White (guitar on "Renegade", "Hollywood (Down On Your Luck", and "Killer On The Loose")
• Musical style: Hard rock, rock, blues rock
• Sound: Fiercely guitar-driven, the sound on "Life:Live" is intense, high energy, virile, powerful, yet also very melodic!  The dual guitar work of Gorham and Sykes (and all the guest guitarists) is breathtaking!  Downey and Lynott pound out an intense rhythm and groove throughout!  Wharton's keys soar!  And Lynott's vocals are perfect!  
• Major themes: love, loss, rock and roll, crime, life, death, rebellion, war, murder, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "Thunder And Lightning"
2. "Waiting For An Alibi"
3. "Jailbreak"
4. "Baby Please Don't Go"
5. "The Holy War"
6. "Renegade"
7. "Hollywood (Down On Your Luck)"
8. "Got To Give It Up"
9. "Angel Of Death"
10. "Are You Ready"
11. "The Boys Are Back In Town"
12. "Cold Sweat"
13. "Don't Believe A Word"
14. "Killer On The Loose"
15. "The Sun Goes Down"
16. "Emerald"
17. "Black Rose"
18. "Still In Love With You"
19. "The Rocker"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Fisher Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.fisherbeer.com//
• Brew: Fisher Double IPA
• Style: Double India Pale Ale (DIPA) 
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 9.5%
• Ingredients: Amarillo and Centennial hop flowers
• Pour: The Fisher Double IPA pours a very hazy, deep bronze hue with a creamy, half finger, off-white head with great retention and lots of sticky, intricate, and layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is dank, citrusy, floral, herbal, slightly earthy, and malty.  There are notes of grapefruit rind, lemon zest, tangerine, wild flowers, black tea, light onion, hearty bread, a hint of honey, and pale and toasty malts.
• Taste: The taste follows the nose with lots of citrusy, herbal, earthy, and toasted malty and slightly boozy flavors.  There are notes of grapefruit juice, orange peel, bitter herbs, black tea, grassy hops, crackery biscuit, and a hint of soft caramel. 
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is crisp, moderately bitter, yet smooth with a dry, slightly bitter and boozy finish.

Overall pairing:  The bold, heartfelt, fun, rockin' kick of Thin Lizzy's wonderful double live album "Life:Live" deserves nothing less than a punchy and very bold brew... and the Fisher Double IPA has just the right depth and hoppy punch to make an afternoon/evening of rockin' with Phil Lynott and the boys just about perfect! 

Cheers!!  Happy New Year to you and yours!!