One of These Days...

Narrow Way Pt. 3- Pink Floyd MP3

11/17/11

No beeradvocate.com rating

Barrier Brewing Frau Blucher- Brouweji Lane- Greenpoint Brooklyn, NY- 32oz. Growler into Belgian Beer Glass - N/A ABV

Head- About a 2 finger of head, airy and receded quikly, not much lacing

Color- Pilsner colored with a bit of an orange complexion

Mouthfeel- Light to a medium bodied pilsner quality

Aroma- At first I was not sure what I smelled but then I read a review and the nailed it...smoked meats. Yes that is right almost like a buttery smoked ham

Taste/ Overall- Interesting beer her is the official description:

“A 5.4% German ale with a light golden color and a heavy addition of German beechwood-smoked barley malt. It has big smokey flavors and aromas reminiscent of bacon and ham hock, along with a nice toasty, bready malt complexity and a subtle hop bitterness to balance.”

That smoked pork smell is there, although I don't quite get it in the taste. But this is a very easy drinking beer and the smokey aroma adds a really nice dimension to this beer. I haven't had a beer from Barrier Brewing in Oceanside, NY before but I am intigued and it is nice to see another quality brew from a Long Island Brewery. Glad I chose this brew.

On the turntable is Ummagumma- Pink Floyd. A double LP released in 1969 and is compromised of live tracks and new studio material. My friend is getting married on Saturday so I thought I would play this record in his honor. We are both very big fans of Floyd but I would have to say he took his dedication to them a little further than I did. I found this record this summer at a garage sale and got it for $2 which was a steal. I remember asking for this album for Christmas when I was in high school and actually got it that year. Of course it was on tape and after seeing the gatefold presentation of this LP I realize now what I was missing all of these years. I don’t remember the photograph from the back of the LP jacket, which is awesome, being included in the tape packaging.The vinyl was in VG condition but the jacket two split seams.



My friend who is getting married and I both got to see Pink Floyd play at Yankee Stadium in the summer of 1994 but we went separately. This was Floyd on the Division Bell Tour and was being fronted by David Gilmour. It was an exciting time in NYC because both the NY Knicks and the NY Rangers were both in the playoffs of their respective leagues. Eventually the Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup but our beloved Knicks, well.... we all know how that championship ended. I mention this because the two teams being involved in the playoffs led to a charged atmosphere becoming an absolutely electric one. I remember distinctly walking up through the old Yankee Stadium, which was my first time there, up to our seats which were in the last row of the stadium and people were going absolutely nuts. Between the excitement for the show, the pregame festivities and the chants of Lets Go Rangers echoed by Lets Go Knicks; I pretty much was in heaven. It was an amazing show. Of all the concerts I went to that one is one of the most memorable for me. I remember bumping into more than a few friends and people I knew at the show which is pretty impressive considering the size of the stadium. It also illustrates the impact that band had on me and my peers even though at that point Floyd, the band, was about 25 yrs old!

I chose this album tonight party because of my experiences of listening to Pink Floyd with him. More specifically this story is about listening to Pink Floyd with him on his former car's stereo. Now let me preface this story by saying I have never been a car person so much. I don’t know why but I am not. I was more interested in Star Wars figures than Matchbox cars for instance. A car was more of a means to an end with me and it still is. I have learned to appreciate cars more since I have grown up a bit. In general I think I prefer riding trains but that is a whole different post. With that said, this car was really cool!! It was a black Pontiac Firebird and bared more than a little resemblance to the Batmobile. In addition to it being a cool car it had a stereo system that was at the time better than most home stereos. Now the song which really captured the essence of this stereo system the best for me was One of These Days from the album Meddle. Hearing One of These Days through that stereo on a summer night with the t-top open is still a memory which is hard to articulate but one which resonates with me like it happened yesterday. Crackling treble and surging bass made me feel like I was speeding down a desert out in California instead of a Long Island turnpike. Unfortunately my copy of Meddle is packed away so I chose to listen to Ummagumma which stylistically shares somethings with Meddle and is from around the same period. Included above is an MP3 for Narrows Way Pt. 3 which is a nice vehicle written and sung by David Gilmour. It demonstrates some of the wistful, melancholic vocals and guitar work that made Gilmour such an important addition to this band after Syd Barret departed.