Search - Various :: Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (Soundtrack)

Just Like HST - Flawed, But Brilliant

C. Ryan Mifflin | Greenville, IL USA | 01/15/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"What a wonderful snapshot of the work, passion, and attitude of Hunter S. Thompson. Even when he misses the mark, for my money, you can't go wrong with HST.



The glue that holds this compilation together is soundbites of Hunter himself and his old friend Johnny Depp reading some of his brilliant writings.



For the most part, this is a great collectin of wonderful songs that inspired the man and, perhpaps, the madness.



My two beefs are:



1 - As Johnny Depp and Douglas Brinkley boldly point out in their well-written liner notes, WHY-WHY-WHY is Hot Chocolate's "You Sexy Thing" on here?!?!?!? This is almost an unforgiveable sin regarding an otherwise excellent representation of HST.



2 - As other reviewers have pointed out, the most glaring omission is Spirit in the Sky. The song was vital to both the Gonzo documentary and to HST himself. I understand that legal issues sometimes prevent music from being released in certain fashions, but it would have been the cherry on the top of this compilation.



Other than those two complaints (#1 an UNforgiveable one, and #2 a bit more understandable), this is a wonderful collection. Feel the vibes and take Hunter's words to heart."

Where is "Spirit in the Sky"?

Steven Varriano | Stranded in Indiana | 12/25/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The absence of "Spirit in the Sky" derails an otherwise awesome soundtrack. The song was climatical to the film and this soundtrack suffers without it."