Bonus Episode 4: Alan Light drops by to talk Beastie Boys, sampling and his storied career over a bottle of 2016 Leviathan
Alan Light is an insightful journalist who has been editor in chief of Vibe, Spin and Tracks. He is a consultant for the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame whose writing has appeared in Rolling Stone and The New York Times. Alan has authored and co-authored a number of books including Let’s Go Crazy: Prince and the Making of Purple Rain, The Skills to Pay the Bills: The Story of the Beastie Boys and My Cross to Bear, with Gregg Allman. He is also the cohost of Debatable with Mark Goodman on Sirius XM Volume.
Alan dropped in to discuss the Beastie Boys’ sophomore album, the 1989 classic Paul’s Boutique, over a bottle of exquisite 2016 Leviathan. Recorded over two years, the album is a masterwork of layered samples, a freewheeling hip hop opus that dropped before sampling laws became an income stream for music publishing companies. According to a 2011 article in The Atlantic, if released that year, the album would cost Capitol Records $20 million in sampling clearance fees. Paul’s Boutique established the Beasties as visionaries beyond the party boy antics of their debut, License to Ill. It seemed fitting to pair this layered and powerful hip hop classic with a wine that is a similar behemoth. Leviathan is a red blend curated by star winemaker Andy Erickson (Screaming Eagle, Harlan, Favia, Mayacamas and more) who, each year, coaxes the best of each varietal in the blend from notable vineyards throughout California, creating, essentially a sampled masterpiece.
Guest: Alan Light
Album: Beastie Boys, Paul’s Boutique
Wine: 2016 Leviathan, Andy Erickson
