September 12th, 2025 - Facing the Music from my Lifestyle Choices

 

Hello and happy Friday my rock and roll friends and beer lovers!  You pal the Meista here again with another killer brew and killer album pairing for ya!  I'm spinning the wonderful "Face The Music", the 5th studio album (now 50 years old!) by the legendary Electric Light Orchestra and a crisp and hoppy Lifestyle Choices Hazy Pale Ale from Helper Beer!  This pairing is dedicated to my wonderful mother-in-law, Susan!  Cheers, hugs, and much love!  Hell yeah!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
• Title: "Face The Music"
• Recorded: May through June 1975 at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany; strings overdubbed at De Lane Lea Studios in London, England; mixed at The Record Plant in New York City, New York
• Release date: September 6th, 1975 (5th studio album by ELO)
• Record company: Jet Records / United Artists Records
• Production: Jeff Lynne
• Album cover art: John Kehe (design and execution) and Fred Valentine (photography)
• Personnel: Bev Bevan (drums, percussion, backing vocals, and backwards spoken intro), Melvyn Gale (cello), Kelly Groucutt ( bass, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Poker", and co-lead vocals on "Nightrider"), Mik Kaminski (violin), Jeff Lynne (guitars, orchestral and choral arrangements, and lead vocals), Hugh McDowell (cello), and Richard Tandy (piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, tack piano, clavinet, Moog, guitar, and orchestral and choral arrangements)
• Additional musicians: Louis Clark (orchestra conductor, and orchestral and choral arrangements), Susan Collins (backing vocals), Ellie Greenwich (backing vocals), Nancy O'Neill (backing vocals), and Margaret Raymond (backing vocals)
• Musical style: Rock, pop with elements of progressive rock and art rock
• Sound: Blending a Beatles-esque pop sound with orchestral and progressive rock elements, the sound on "Face The Music" is wonderfully complex, compelling, and darkly intriguing, yet accessible, upbeat, and exciting!  The songwriting and musicianship is utterly astounding!
• Major themes: Life, relationships, love, betrayal, darkness, hope, joy, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "Fire On High"
2. "Waterfall"
3. "Evil Woman"
4. "Nightrider"
5. "Poker"
6. "Strange Magic"
7. "Down Home Town"
8. "One Summer Dream"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Helper Beer (Helper, Utah)
• Website: https://www.helperbeer.com/
• Brew: Lifestyle Choices Hazy Pale Ale
• Style: New England Style Hazy American Pale Ale 
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0% 
• Pour: The Lifestyle Choices Hazy Pale Ale pours a hazy, bright golden yellow with a billowy, 2+ finger, bright white head with good retention and lots of soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, fruity, and grainy.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, tangerine, apricot, freshly cut mango, pineapple, wet pine needles, pale grains, herbal tea, and light caramel. 
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the Lifestyle Choices Hazy Pale Ale is citrusy, tropical, slightly resinous, and grainy.  There are notes of orange juice, orange zest, and orange pith, pink grapefruit juice, tangerine, dried apricot, mango, pineapple, light pine resin, and soft caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium in body and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Lifestyle Choices Hazy Pale Ale is very crisp, juicy, and smooth with a clean, yet slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The crisp, citrusy, fruity, and hop-forward, flavors and aromas of Helper Beer's Lifestyle Choices Hazy Pale Ale is a very crushable, yet complex beer, perfect for the intricate, open, honest, and somewhat darker music of the legendary ELO!  The inviting citrus notes are great for the fantastic grooves and melodies, while the hoppy bite goes great with the more introspective and darker lyrics!  I highly recommend this wonderful gem of an album! 

Prost!!  Rock on!!