The Gonzo Tapes: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

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Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Jason Lymangrover
Released as a five-disc set boasting over 100 tracks of audio recordings from Duke's vault, taken specifically between the years 1965 and 1975, The Gonzo Tapes: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson is an extensive listen: extensive, but exhaustive in every sense of the word. While Thompson was on his assignments, whether it was on location for Rolling Stone or during a phone call with his editor, he documented everything; muttering thoughts onto cassettes haphazardly as his pill-propelled mind raced, before coming down to earth and typing his notes into fully realized stories. Thompson was an obsessive archivist and the basis for all of his written works was ...
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Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Jason Lymangrover
Released as a five-disc set boasting over 100 tracks of audio recordings from Duke's vault, taken specifically between the years 1965 and 1975, The Gonzo Tapes: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson is an extensive listen: extensive, but exhaustive in every sense of the word. While Thompson was on his assignments, whether it was on location for Rolling Stone or during a phone call with his editor, he documented everything; muttering thoughts onto cassettes haphazardly as his pill-propelled mind raced, before coming down to earth and typing his notes into fully realized stories. Thompson was an obsessive archivist and the basis for all of his written works was his tape recorder. Having a key to this vault and a chance to hear all these original tapes should be, in theory, a dream come true for his fans. It seems like a no fail. Here we have a raw voyeuristic look into the mind of a genius writer. Unfortunately, because the content at hand is so completely indecipherable, the collection falls way short of expectations. If it wasn't already hard to understand Hunter's speedy and sporadic lock-jawed ramblings in live interviews, the excessive background noise (air ducts, cover bands, outside conversations, howling Hell's Angels, Andrew Lloyd Webber albums, his lawyer's pan flute) makes his slur even more difficult to understand, as do the random mic bumps and variety of recorder settings (the pocket of his Hawaiian shirt is one, the sink of a bathroom while he showers is another). Even with a solid, 42-page booklet of notes, diehards will have a tough time determining exactly what is taking place, leaving one to wonder if this content should have only been pulled from its basement resting place for its original purpose of supporting the film documentary Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, and then laid to rest. Museum curators will get a kick out the historical value (especially the two and a half hours of material that would ultimately make up Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), aspiring writers will find his technique of getting ideas to print inspirational, but casual listeners will find it frustrating trying to decipher the babble from the static.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 10/28/2008
  • Label: Shout Factory
  • UPC: 826663109924
  • Catalog Number: 31099
  • Sales rank: 68,379

Tracks

Disc 1
  1. 1 Bass Lake Run: Shit, It's Only 11 O'Clock Here. (2:39)
  2. 2 Bass Lake Run: We're Up at Bass Lake. (2:16)
  3. 3 Bass Lake Run: All the Empty Cans and Beer Cartons Are Up on Top of the (1:58)
  4. 4 Bass Lake Run: No Notes After Two Days of This Hell's Angels Thing. (1:40)
  5. 5 Terry the Tramp Interview #1: It's August 5, Thursday Night. We're on t (0:50)
  6. 6 Terry the Tramp Interview #1: Was Clovis a Run? (1:35)
  7. 7 Terry the Tramp Interview #1: You Ever Try Peyote, Hunter? (3:18)
  8. 8 Terry the Tramp Interview #1: I'm Not Worried Until the Book Comes Out. (1:50)
  9. 9 Terry the Tramp Interview #1: I'm Puttin' You to a Terrible Inconvenien (2:17)
  10. 10 Driving Back Through Oakland: On My Way Back Now from Taking Terry the (3:58)
  11. 11 Driving Back Through Oakland: When I Was Talking to the Frisco Angels t (3:49)
  12. 12 Driving Back Through Oakland: Also Like to Get the Idea Down. (2:54)
  13. 13 The Merry Pranksters Welcome the Hell's Angels: What Follows Here Is a Conv (8:07)
  14. 14 The Merry Pranksters Welcome the Hell's Angels: Ambulance Rolling, Code 3 (2:30)
  15. 15 It's a Long Story...Ha-Ha, Not Thump-Thump: Tonight Was Saturday, Augus (8:51)
  16. 16 Terry the Tramp Interview #2: They Run It Down That This Girl Was a Poo (3:09)
  17. 17 Terry the Tramp Interview #2: Porterville Is the One That Time Used, Ri (5:10)
  18. 18 Terry the Tramp Interview #2: Who Was She? Had You Ever Seen Her? (2:37)
  19. 19 Terry the Tramp Interview #2: Do You Remember What Day It Was? (1:28)
  20. 20 Zing Zong Wing Ding Rush: We're Going to Have to Get Some Wisdom, Some (3:20)
  21. 21 A Question for the Ages: It's Snow Outside, Getting Light. (6:09)
Disc 2
  1. 1 We Have Seized the High Ground: It's Monday Afternoon, We Have a White (1:24)
  2. 2 We Have Seized the High Ground: Did You See the Way That Guy Looked at (9:05)
  3. 3 We Have Seized the High Ground: Well, She Was Crazy. It Was Clear When (5:56)
  4. 4 One Toke Over the Line: Abbe Lane at the Desert Inn. Louis Prima, Stard (3:29)
  5. 5 One Toke Over the Line: You Get What You Pay For. (3:22)
  6. 6 One Toke Over the Line: What We Should Do Is Just Call the Free Press. (2:04)
  7. 7 One Toke Over the Line: We Could Certainly Use Some Mescaline. (0:31)
  8. 8 If All Else Fails We Must Get Ether: The White House Says the Guest Lis (1:19)
  9. 9 If All Else Fails We Must Get Ether: Let Me Call Wilcock If I Can and S (1:42)
  10. 10 If All Else Fails We Must Get Ether: Oh Hi, Is Jay There? (1:53)
  11. 11 If All Else Fails We Must Get Ether: It's Ringing. (2:37)
  12. 12 If All Else Fails We Must Get Ether: If All Else Fails We Must Get Ethe (0:28)
  13. 13 In Search of the American Dream: Remote Control RM15 (1:13)
  14. 14 In Search of the American Dream: Maybe That's Where We've Gone Wrong. (1:11)
  15. 15 Terry's Taco Stand, USA: I'm Getting Tired of Giving You Advice That Yo (21:19)
  16. 16 Anybody in Search of the American Dream Needs a Lawyer, A Doctor and a (1:49)
  17. 17 Anybody in Search of the American Dream Needs a Lawyer, A Doctor and a (1:25)
  18. 18 Anybody in Search of the American Dream Needs a Lawyer, A Doctor and a (4:50)
  19. 19 While Taking a Piss There It Suddenly Struck Me What's Going on Her. (6:15)
Disc 3
  1. 1 Goddamn! This Monster's Licking My Arm!: As Usual, You're Afraid of Mex (1:21)
  2. 2 Goddamn! This Monster's Licking My Arm!: We're Approaching the Fog Cutt (3:14)
  3. 3 Goddamn! This Monster's Licking My Arm!: We're Going to the Pussycat No (4:27)
  4. 4 Goddamn! This Monster's Licking My Arm!: Chances Are Very Good That I'l (1:05)
  5. 5 Goddamn! This Monster's Licking My Arm!: Yes, This Is Oscar Acosta in R (4:49)
  6. 6 Oscar Fled in Terror...Drug Up...Weird Road: Boulder Highway, Heading T (2:00)
  7. 7 Oscar Fled in Terror...Drug Up...Weird Road: Two Things We Should Proba (5:03)
  8. 8 Oscar Fled in Terror...Drug Up...Weird Road: Ah Yes, We're Coming Over (0:55)
  9. 9 Oscar Fled in Terror...Drug Up...Weird Road: I Was Just Kind of Walking (5:59)
  10. 10 Oscar Fled in Terror...Drug Up...Weird Road: A Strange Backwaters of So (5:32)
  11. 11 Oscar Fled in Terror...Drug Up...Weird Road: I'm Pulling off on a Side (2:00)
  12. 12 Oscar Fled in Terror...Drug Up...Weird Road: Aw Jesus. (2:17)
  13. 13 Across This Treacherous Sand...A Huge Tidal Wave Will Come in on Me Now (3:33)
  14. 14 Across This Treacherous Sand...A Huge Tidal Wave Will Come in on Me Now (7:45)
  15. 15 Across This Treacherous Sand...A Huge Tidal Wave Will Come in on Me Now (5:29)
  16. 16 Vegas D.A. Final Notes...the Whole Room Is Total Chaos: Las Vegas, Apri (2:48)
  17. 17 Vegas D.A. Final Notes...the Whole Room Is Total Chaos: I Can't Imagine (4:26)
  18. 18 Wenner Calls...with a Big "W" in 65-Pt Type: When I Start to Grapple wi (4:16)
  19. 19 Wenner Calls...with a Big "W" in 65-Pt Type: I Figure I'm Going to Star (3:58)
  20. 20 Wenner Calls...with a Big "W" in 65-Pt Type: Anyway, There's Vegas to B (4:05)
Disc 4
  1. 1 Guts Ball: This Microphone Wound Up Beneath Something Down There. (3:39)
  2. 2 Guts Ball: There's Signs of Group Hysteria in the Passengers. (3:16)
  3. 3 Guts Ball: Some Are Just Weeping Now. (0:56)
  4. 4 Guts Ball: Well, The Beauty of the Whole Thing... (4:03)
  5. 5 Gozumel: It's March 30; Actually March 31. (3:33)
  6. 6 Fear and Loathing in Acapulco: The Piece Was Interrupted; the Piece End (4:27)
  7. 7 Fear and Loathing in Acapulco: Have Found Thompson, He's with Kissinger (0:53)
  8. 8 Fear and Loathing in Acapulco: They Still Can't Reach Me. (3:59)
  9. 9 Fear and Loathing in Acapulco: The Story Is Fear and Loathing in Acapul (3:06)
  10. 10 Fear and Loathing in Acapulco: Telephone Call Between Duke and Gonzo. (2:05)
  11. 11 Fear and Loathing in Acapulco: The Girls Are Laughing. (3:32)
  12. 12 Freud Cocaine Papers: Here's the First Symptom of This Goddamn Evil Dru (2:33)
  13. 13 Freud Cocaine Papers: I've Done What Most People Would Consider an Exce (2:04)
  14. 14 Freud Cocaine Papers: This Is Wednesday Night, The Third Day of Our Coc (2:07)
  15. 15 Freud Cocaine Papers: I Would Not Be Inclined. (2:08)
  16. 16 Freud Cocaine Papers: There Appears to Be Some Minimal But at Least Not (2:00)
  17. 17 Freud Cocaine Papers: June 28. I Think It's a Friday. (3:26)
  18. 18 Fear and Loathing in Kinshasa: We're out Here, It's, Uh, I Don't Know W (2:11)
  19. 19 Fear and Loathing in Kinshasa: Yeah, We Should Just Relax for a Second. (1:55)
  20. 20 Fear and Loathing in Kinshasa: Lying Down on the Bed in This Stinking L (3:29)
  21. 21 Fear and Loathing in Kinshasa: I Have Every Reason to Believe That We W (1:57)
  22. 22 Fear and Loathing in Kinshasa: Fiendish. The Thing Is So Bad There's No (1:07)
  23. 23 Fear and Loathing in Kinshasa: Tomorrow Morning at 6 O'Clock in the Hot (2:00)
  24. 24 Fear and Loathing in Kinshasa: There's No Way You Can Conceive What's G (1:04)
  25. 25 Fear and Loathing in Kinshasa: ...Called a Meeting Here. (1:31)
  26. 26 Fear and Loathing in Kinshasa: I Realize It's Difficult This Time of Ni (3:54)
  27. 27 Fear and Loathing in Kinshasa: We Really Have No Tickets (4:51)
  28. 28 Fear and Loathing in Kinshasa: Ladies and Gentlemen, The Captain Has Tu (3:31)
Disc 5
  1. 1 I'm the One That's Supposed to Be Crazy: Hello, Hunter. (2:58)
  2. 2 I'm the One That's Supposed to Be Crazy: Why Don't You Talk to Gloria. (0:53)
  3. 3 I'm the One That's Supposed to Be Crazy: Hello. Long-Distance Calling f (5:11)
  4. 4 I'm the One That's Supposed to Be Crazy: When Were You Last There? (7:24)
  5. 5 I'm the One That's Supposed to Be Crazy: Want to Go, Hunter? (4:50)
  6. 6 Hotel Continental Palace: We Should Be in Saigon, In Loren Jenkins' Roo (4:01)
  7. 7 Hotel Continental Palace: I Wasn't in a Position to Interpret That-One (3:44)
  8. 8 Hotel Continental Palace: Nine O'Clock, Thursday Morning, Saigon, Conti (1:54)
  9. 9 The Thursday Night Panic: Now It's Friday Morning. (3:35)
  10. 10 The Thursday Night Panic: What Did You Hear? (5:44)
  11. 11 Last Stand at Xuan Loc: To Get to Where We Were Yesterday... (4:49)
  12. 12 Hong Kong: And That Was When This Goddamn Machine Broke. (4:20)
  13. 13 Hong Kong: And Based on a Prediction That Ford's Speech Is Going to Be (4:05)
  14. 14 Hong Kong: Meanwhile I Have to Go Over to the Newsweek Office (6:36)
  15. 15 Hong Kong: Five Minutes of Six, In the Newsweek Office. (2:31)
  16. 16 Hong Kong: Let's See, The News Tonight. (1:46)
  17. 17 The Last Dispatch from Saigon: The Last Commercial Airliner Still Flying ou (2:33)
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Album Credits

Performance Credits
Hunter S. Thompson Primary Artist
Technical Credits
Bob Fisher Mastering
Don Fleming Producer, Track Notes
David McLees Producer
Richard Foos Executive Producer
Ralph Steadman Cover Art
Alex Gibney Executive Producer, Introduction
Loretta Jenkins Essay
Al Quattrocchi Art Direction
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