Fans of Hunter S. Thompson’s work and life are basically obligated to purchase the soundtrack to “Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.”
The package includes the music from the film, which was released on DVD Nov. 18 after limited theater releases. There are 19 songs in all, with several tracks of narration by Johnny Depp.
Combined with the narration, the whole album tells Thompson’s story. It will never be as visual or as in-depth as the actual film, but it still works on an auditory level.
Songs like “Gonzo” by James Booker and “Haunted Heart” by Jo Stafford open the album, telling Thompson’s story of his rise to notoriety through his first-person “Gonzo” journalistic style.
The middle of the album plays more toward Thompson’s taste for the psychedelic, with up-beat tunes by Lou Reed and Brewer & Shipley.
The end of the album slows down significantly, with songs by Bob Dylan and Lyle Lovett. It speaks more about Thompson’s later years, when he stopped writing as frequently and eventually committed suicide.
Along with the CD, the album contains an awesome narrative book with writing from Depp and one of Thompson’s close friends, Douglas Brinkley, as well as pictures of the journalist and the musicians he admired.
If you’re just interested in the music, this probably isn’t the album for you. The narration might get annoying, and there are other, more comprehensive albums that cover the ’60s and ’70s better.
But if you’re interested in Thompson, the music that he loved and the music that defined his life, this is one of the best music purchases you could make this holiday season.