9/6/10

Southern Tier Hop Sun Summer Wheat Ale- Community Beverage, Queens, NY- 12 OZ. bottle into Pub Glass- 4.9% ABV- Golden in color, maybe a bit darker than a pilsner. About a 1/4-1/2 inch head, with little retention. Some lacing but not extensive. Average carbonation. Some some citrus and grassy, wheat to the aroma. Today is Labor Day and the symbolic end to summer. Ironically this is the first summer ale I have reviewed for the blog and being that I started in May I probably should have done more especially since I am a big fan of summer ales. I seemed to have focused mostly on double IPA's instead being that I just discovered them. This is unfortunate being that this beer is very good, probably one of the better beers I have tried in the last few months. It has all the qualities I would in a summer ale. Crisp, some citrus, some hop bitterness and refreshing. It is a shame I am discovering this beer now at the dawn of the fall because I definitely would have bought a sixer of this if I had the chance. Regrettably I am almost already finished with the only one I bought but I could easily have a few more.

On the turntable is Ron Wood- I've Got My Own Album To Do- This is one of my recent purchases and it is actually the first time I am listening to it which is not exactly ideal for a review but I was fairly sure I was going to enjoy it...and I do! Again this is a record I had passed on in the past and regretted the decision. Luckily the record gods were kind enough to grant me the opportunity to get it again and at a good price. I consider myself a pretty big of both the Rolling Stones and The Faces and this record has them both probably at the height of both of their careers, at least artistically speaking in my opinion. Recorded in 1974 it would not be long before Ron Wood be a full time Rolling Stone and The Faces would be closing out there all to brief career. Written and performed with Keith Richards (stones) Ian McLagan (faces) there were also appearances by Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, George Harrison and Mick Taylor. This record has all the gritty elements you would hope for with the pairing of these musicians. All the tracks are not winners here particularly the first track on side two, "Shirley", which seems like an odd Stevie Wonder inspired R&B track which sounds a bit out of place here. Most of the LP has all the hallmarks of great mid period Rolling Stones and Faces style rock n' roll. "Sure The One You Need" also sounds like Keith Richards on vocals which has a nice ragged quality to it like his lead vocal on the song "Happy" from the album Exile On Main St. Ian McLagan adds some really nice electric piano throughout the LP, which is a treat being that I am a big fan of his and will be reading his autobiography shortly, All The Rage. Additionally there are some high quality harmonies and background vocals to be found here. And last but not least the early, fiery, interlocking guitar stylings of Keef and Woody, which we are now accustomed to but at the time of this recording were in its infancy.