The Other Thing I Love!
My love for beer is true. But If it weren't for my love and passion of music, I don't know if I would completely understand how to devote my time and patience into developing this "hobby."
I love music. And it's a love I've been cultivating since I was about 7 years old. The first album I ever fell in love with was Blood Sugar Sex Magik by the almighty Red Hot Chili Peppers. And that was where it all started. Thank God I had a brother who was 7 years older than me, because as soon as I fell in love with music, I became obsessed with listening to everything I could get my grubby little paws on. And that meant swiping my brothers cassette tapes and dealing with the aftermath! Which usually included a pounding. But it was worth it! The sounds of the Beastie Boys, Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against The Machine and Pearl Jam guided me through those young years. In 1993, I received Billy Joel's River of Dreams (what 10 year old would ask for that?) and that's when I taught myself that I should always try to listen to everything.
Those weren't the only things I listened to. Thanks to my mothers, I also grew up listening to (and thoroughly enjoying) things like Grateful Dead, Moody Blues, Allman Brothers, The Beatles, Tom Petty, Traveling Wilburys and the like. Granted, I don't listen to that now, but when I was a kid, hell yeah. As I got older, my tastes expanded and I started to kind of grow into my own. And I could probably fill up thousands of pages documenting every cool and inspiring band I discovered, but I'll save you that trouble. I will say though, If you ever want to discuss music with me, I am ALL ears.
In the end this particular entry has no real defining purpose. But as I've been writing this blog and going on this "beerventure," I've noticed a lot of similarities between the two things. I want to expand my beer palate in all the same ways I expanded my sonic palate. And I can only do that by expanding all of my horizons, letting go of any preconceived prejudices and welcoming anything I can get my hands on. Not in the spirit that I'm determined to enjoy everything, but I think its important to try. And that's something I've only learned in the last couple of years. And so far it has been a ton of fun!
I suppose in the end, this is all why I decided to add my musical pairings at the end of each review. So far, this is a small way for me to bring my two loves together. And its not just an arbitrary thing either. In fact, sometimes it takes longer to choose the album that's fitting, than it is to write the review! Sometimes the mood of an album, fits a style of beer. Sometimes there's a brewery or brew pub that evokes an atmosphere that can be perfectly complemented with just the right soundtrack. And sometimes, it can just be an album title, or band name that comes to mind. Regardless of what it is, its one of my favorite small quirks about this blog, and I hope someone out there is enjoying it!
I love music. And it's a love I've been cultivating since I was about 7 years old. The first album I ever fell in love with was Blood Sugar Sex Magik by the almighty Red Hot Chili Peppers. And that was where it all started. Thank God I had a brother who was 7 years older than me, because as soon as I fell in love with music, I became obsessed with listening to everything I could get my grubby little paws on. And that meant swiping my brothers cassette tapes and dealing with the aftermath! Which usually included a pounding. But it was worth it! The sounds of the Beastie Boys, Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against The Machine and Pearl Jam guided me through those young years. In 1993, I received Billy Joel's River of Dreams (what 10 year old would ask for that?) and that's when I taught myself that I should always try to listen to everything.
Those weren't the only things I listened to. Thanks to my mothers, I also grew up listening to (and thoroughly enjoying) things like Grateful Dead, Moody Blues, Allman Brothers, The Beatles, Tom Petty, Traveling Wilburys and the like. Granted, I don't listen to that now, but when I was a kid, hell yeah. As I got older, my tastes expanded and I started to kind of grow into my own. And I could probably fill up thousands of pages documenting every cool and inspiring band I discovered, but I'll save you that trouble. I will say though, If you ever want to discuss music with me, I am ALL ears.
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| Google Image result of "I'm all ears." I want one. |
In the end this particular entry has no real defining purpose. But as I've been writing this blog and going on this "beerventure," I've noticed a lot of similarities between the two things. I want to expand my beer palate in all the same ways I expanded my sonic palate. And I can only do that by expanding all of my horizons, letting go of any preconceived prejudices and welcoming anything I can get my hands on. Not in the spirit that I'm determined to enjoy everything, but I think its important to try. And that's something I've only learned in the last couple of years. And so far it has been a ton of fun!
I suppose in the end, this is all why I decided to add my musical pairings at the end of each review. So far, this is a small way for me to bring my two loves together. And its not just an arbitrary thing either. In fact, sometimes it takes longer to choose the album that's fitting, than it is to write the review! Sometimes the mood of an album, fits a style of beer. Sometimes there's a brewery or brew pub that evokes an atmosphere that can be perfectly complemented with just the right soundtrack. And sometimes, it can just be an album title, or band name that comes to mind. Regardless of what it is, its one of my favorite small quirks about this blog, and I hope someone out there is enjoying it!
Nice write-up Jake. I hope Chimpbot has helped "expand your horizons" a bit. Music and drinking are a natural combo. I remember I once made a cassette mix tape of songs about drinking. As you can imagine, there are plenty. It was a lot of fun. Maybe that will be a theme for a week of songs at some point. Have you ever heard "Deutsches Bier" by PANKOW?
ReplyDeleteThanks Greg! Chimpbot has absolutely helped expand my horizons. There are countless bands and songs and such that you've all showed me and I love being a part of it! Also, it helped me earn the courage to finally be able to put my voice out to a group of people interested in hearing what I have to say
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