The James Gang Rides Again

Love the cover!






6/23/11

beeradvocate.com- B

Brooklyn Summer Ale- Quick Mart- Rego Park, Queens-12 oz. Bottle poured into Belgian glass- 5% ABV- I have actually had this beer quite a few times but never really sat down and thought about it to much until now. Poured with about a fingers worth of head which dissipated pretty quickly. No lacing really left on the glass. golden colored and fairly clear. A bit sweet smelling, kinda floral and a bit of lemon zest maybe. Very active carbonation, much more than I remembered. The carbonation actually reminds me of Miller High Life. A light medium mouth feel. In the taste there is a bit of bitterness and a bit of lemon. Not a whole lot of complexity here but what it lacks in complexity it certainly makes up for in drinkability. This is one easy drinking beer. Almost to easy, its been about 6 or seven minutes since I opened it and its almost gone. A good summer beer for sure if you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary but a step above Bud or Miller.

On the turntable is Rides Again- James Gang- Recorded at the Record Plant East & West and released in 1970- Over the past couple of weeks I have been listening to a lot of Jazz and I felt like some good old classic rock and the James Gang certainly fills that bill. This is a solid rock album and in general in my opinion the James Gang is often overlooked in a lot magazines and music shows in general. I have the same opinion about the band Mountain. Both bands were American power trios and both had, at the worst 2nd tier guitar gods in Joe Walsh and Leslie West, and both bands had an aggressive sound which has been appropriated by many bands that have come in their wake. Another similarity between these two guitarists is they both have a history of entertaining appearances on the Howard Stern. Leslie West in particular is a good friend of the Stern show and recently had one of his legs amputated due complications related to Diabetes.

This album is primarily known for the classic rock staples Funk #49, Tend My Garden and The Bomber. An interesting track here is Ashes The Rain and I which was produced by Jack Nitszche who was both a protege of Phil Spector and a member of the original incarnation of Neil Young's backing band, Crazy Horse. I chose to post two lesser known tracks here and both are kind of on the mellower side. First is the funky, guitar-delayed riff driven Asshtonpark and second is the country rock inspired number There I Go Again aided and abetted by the band Poco's pedal steel guitar man Rusty Young.

They Don't Want Me Anymore- Okie Jones MP3


God Help Us Understand- Okie Jones MP3

6/18/11

beeradvocate.com- B+

Victory Summer Love Blonde Ale- Brouweji Lane- Greenpoint, Brooklyn- 32 oz. Growler- Poured in to Brandy Snifter Glass- 5.2% ABV- Brewed in Pennsylvania- Golden, straw colored. A bit darker than a Budweiser. I actually had a glass of this the other day and resealed the growler. The beer kept well but the head was not as impressive as the initial pour. The first days pour yielded about a two finger fluffy head which receded quickly. This time it barely had half a fingers worth of head. Little to no lacing on the glass. Lively small carbonation. This beer has a floral, slightly sweet aroma which is not overly hoppy. Mouth feel is definitely light bodied. The taste is truly refreshing and crisp and feels more like a pilsner to me than what I would typically consider an ale. Not super complex but has a subtle hop bitterness and absolutely no clingy aftertaste. I could definitely see myself drinking this again and it probably be just as good straight out of a bottle than it would be in a glass or from a tap.

My first 45 post is on the turntable, Okie Jones- They Don't Want Me Anymore b/w God Help Us Understand- Recorded in Nashville, Tenn. I am not a big 45 record buyer but on occasion I will leaf through some if I come across them in a thrift shop which is where I found this record. I was inspired to listen to this record after reading a blog post on http://somelocalloser.blogspot.com/2011/06/allen-potter.html which featured another Sur-Speed Records 45.





I don't know to much about Sur-Speed Records or Okie Jones but there is a bit of info on his discography at Hillbilly-Researcher.com for those interested. This 45 is, I am assuming pretty rare. What is even rarer is where I found it in a Long Island thrift store where really it had no place being. I wish I had the opportunity to find more records like this but being in New York certainly prevents me from coming across many old hillbilly records. This is a really weird little record and Okie Jones singing style has an almost preacher like quality similar to recordings by Porter Wagoner. Side 1 is They Don't Want Me Anymore written by H.R. Jonas which is a conversation between a bartender and a broken down customer who feels neglected by his family. Okie Jones wrote the flipside, God Help Us Understand, and is definitely not a politically correct track. This is the story of a man conflicted about his Christian upbringing and the way the world and himself treats African Americans. Both these tracks have minimal instrumental backing. Steel guitar, bass and guitar gently play in the background lending themselves softly to the voice on these tracks which is clearly the focal point.

Pick Your Poison

A Reason To Believe- Tim Hardin MP3


If I Were A Carpenter- Tim Hardin MP3

6/9/11

beeradvocate.com- B+

Two Brothers Hop Juice Double IPA- New Beer Distributors, Chrystie Street New York, NY-2 oz. bomber into a Pub Glass- 9.9 % ABV. About a two finger head which receded rapidly. Clear, dark orange in color. Not much lacing on the glass but a bit is left behind. Lightly carbonated. Beautiful mouth feel, heavy to medium bodied. I wish more beers had this mouthfeel especially some of the IPA's I have had. But the taste and aroma are not as good as I expected. The aroma to me was booze, pine and sweetness. Almost bordering on a barley wine but not quite. I don't detect any of the dark fruits of a barley wine but I definitely don't think the booze is well hidden in this and it was kinda of a poor choice for a steamy hot early June night. This beer would be good for a cooler night but doesn't quite hit the mark for me tonight.

Pick Your Poison…

On the turntable is Tim Hardin 3 Live In Concert- Tim Hardin- Recorded Live at the Town Hall, NYC in 1969- There are drawbacks to cheap records. This record in particular was very cheap but as you can hear it is in pretty rough shape. I would have to say it borders on unlistenable but the actual music is so engaging that I am willing to suffer a bit for it. I was unaware of this record when I found it and I was happy to come across it. When I saw its condition I was less happy and almost balked at buying it...but I am glad i did. Even after bringing it home and treating it with some high quality cleaning solution it still was in pretty poor form. Cleaning it may have even brought some more scratches which were previously hidden by grime.


Inner Gatefold Concert Photo

I could not post this record without including Hardin’s version of If I Were A Carpenter. That song was the first song my wife and I danced to at our wedding, albeit the June & Johnny Cash version. To be honest the June & Johnny Cash version of If I Were A Carpenter was probably the second Cash song I fell in love alongside Sunday Morning Coming Down. Both songs were on Johnny Cash’s Columbia Best of Vol. 2 which I bought on cassette, in about 1997, prior to a road trip. It was my official introduction to Johnny Cash, it was a spark that lit the fire, not just for Cash’s music but my general interest in early American roots music. That said this song holds a special place in my heart and needed to be included in the post despite its sonic short comings. I decide to post this song without audio restoration with the pops , clicks and scratches largely included but it leaves us with a fuller sounding file instead of one which was compressed to remove the clicks and pops. Though I must apologize for the last 15-20 seconds of House Carpenter which suffers from sum brief skips which are unavoidable.

Hardin was a contemporary of Fred Neil who I posted about recently and in a sense cut from the same cloth.A trailblazing singer-songwriter whose melancholy delivery often kept him along the fringes of fame and whose songs often ended up more popular delivered by other singers. Hardin has endured with a cultish popularity along the lines of Tim Buckley, Harry Nilsson and Leonard Cohen. His story didn’t have a happy ending and he died at the age of 39 in 1980 of a drug overdose in Los Angeles. Another tragic ending to a gifted songwriter. I hate to say this but some of the material I have on a Verve Records CD career retrospective is a bit redundant arrangement wise but this record allows for Hardin to really stretch out vocally and instrumentally. I consider it a precursor to some Van Morrison's work especially the jazzy, live LP Its To Late To Stop Now anchored much like this LP by musicians who were talented enough to allow their front men to get loose and relax. If you have a chance to listen to this record it has a breezy, bossa nova feel in places aided by clavinet and jazzy upright bass alongside simple songs with a folky appeal. Songs like Black Sheep Boy, Red Balloon, The Lady Came From Baltimore and the above mentioned Carpenter and A Reason To Believe, included here as an MP3, originally written by Hardin but popularized by Rod Stewart, all really shine here and highlight Hardins ability as both a performer and writer.

This Rather Than That- Buddy Montgomery MP3


Willy Nilly Blues- Buddy Montgomery MP3

6/4/11

beeradvocate rating- A-
official reviews-

Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA- Brouweji Lane- Greenpoint, Brooklyn- 32 oz- Poured in to Belgian Beer Glass- 7% ABV- Brewed in California. As I began posting this I realized it has been quite a while since I got a growler at Brouwerij Lane in Brooklyn. Its kind of a shame and I need to make an effort to go their more often there prices are really good and their selection for growlers is very good. IN comparison to other placed I have been this probably the best. Granted I have not gotten growlers anywhere else but based on the layout and selection alone this seems to be at the top of the pack and the guys who run the place are nice. The guy I spoke to Thursday said the brewer of Anderson Valley had flown out to Brouwerij Lane for their Anderson Valley tasting event a few weeks ago. This beer pored a fairly clear amber with a big dense head which stuck around. Globby lacing on the glass. The aroma is not as piney or citrusy as I expected. There is a sweet maltienes to it and just hints of fruity citrus. I for one can't really pick out any boozieness in this beer so at 7% ABV its pretty well hidden. Medium bodied mouth feel with light carbonation. I am enjoying this beer pretty smooth and balanced in my opinion and easy to drink. Some bitterness but balanced by some sweetness. There are some things going on this beer but I cant quite put my finger on them. Certainly a hoppy beer but a little more leveled out than some I have tried.

On the turntable is This Rather Than That- Buddy Montgomery. Recorded in Chicago on September 10 and 11, 1969 for Impulse Records. Buddy Montgomery, vibraphonist and piano player, was the younger brother of Wes and Monk Montgomery. I have been a fan of Wes Montgomery for quite some time and have more than a few of his records. But it took me a while to realize that early on in his career his band was largely comprised of his brothers. Over the years I have been lucky enough to come across some of their records as well. I have one Monk Montgomery record, which I came across recently, and two Buddy Montgomery records. I will probably do some other Montgomery brother related posts in the future but for now this is a fun enjoyable listen. There is not a whole lot of information out there on the internet about this LP and it does not really seem like a whole lot of thought went into this recording date. The liner notes indicate that their were two groups responsible for recording these tracks. Some of the members were holdovers from Bud's playing days with his brother Wes and with additional players augmenting the group who happened to be in town playing with Les McCann and Eddie Harris. This album has a laid back vibe to it and the arrangements do not seem overly complicated. It goes to show you don’t always need a whole lot of over preparation to make enjoyable music. The tracks I posted are really a throwback to what attracted me to jazz originally via the Beastie Boys. These two tracks are heavy on the organ and electric Fender bass favored by Monk Montgomery. The simmering vibraphone of Buddy Montgomery, the bass of Monk and Keyboards of Melvin Rhyne really lock into a groove on the title cut This Rather Than That.