Can one imagine 5CDs of recorded ramblings and vocalized observations by the creator of Gonzo Literature, Dr Hunter S Thompson?  Yeah, it is a straining thought given the eccentricities found in his writings.  But if anyone has read any of Thompson’s extraordinary books, you may be not only interested in the documentary film called Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr Hunter S Thompson but also this set of on/off recordings called The Gonzo Tapes: The Life and Work of Dr Hunter S Thompson.  Released by Shout! Factory, whose library of releases follows the outer perimeters of music and culture, particularly the counter-culture that gave birth and nurtured the writings and lifestyle of Thompson, this assembled collection is a rare and historic glimpse into how Hunter Thompson gathered his observations that inevitably found their way into his fevered writings.

The recordings found on these five discs represent the periods of 1965 through 1975, the ten year stretch that produced Hell’s Angels, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and his total immersion within the political machine during the Nixon/McGovern contest, culminating in the publication of several books that included Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail and The Great Shark Hunt (The Great Shark Hunt is a book published later but contained a collection of essays formed and written through the period noted within these tapes).  In addition, Hunter S Thompson was in Saigon to write about the events unfolding there in a Rolling Stone-financed project.

The sporadic tapings of thoughts fill these discs full with plenty of The Doctor’s musings and insights as he embarked on various projects.  On his Hell’s Angels period, he rode with the group for approximately a year, reporting on all manner of behaviours and strangeness that the motorcycle club availed themselves of.  The eventual publication of the book earned him a severe beating at the hands of the club due to a disagreement over profit shares between Thompson and the tribe.  However, the real treats are found on Disc 2 and 3 (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas/More Fear and Loathing).  Those discs provide an unprecedented trip through the minefield of that engaging period which delivered the stunning writing of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.  The publication of that book made Dr Hunter S Thompson a bona fide literary hero ushering in a new age of journalistic eccentricity that became known as Gonzo Literature.

Disc 4 runs though an assortment of musings recorded after the completion of Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72 book.  Sadly, there are no recordings included here from the ’72 campaign trail, which would have been quite interesting.  Instead, Disc four runs through a period of time where Thompson was working on several projects that include Cocaine Papers and other things.  Disc five finds the Doctor in the war-torn remains of a falling Saigon providing his razor-sharp observation and wit on the unfolding events just days from the actual fall of the city and the regime.

What is unique about these sets of discs is that they provide the listener an ability to chronologically follow the development of Thompson’s unique Gonzo style.  What starts out as sincere tapings of observations for future use ends up as the Doctor that we all know and love with his musings and discussions becoming increasingly funnier, sharper, and more demented.  More interesting are the background noises and songs, which give a strong sense of historical authentication as you listen to each disc of recordings

The Gonzo Tapes is an essential collection of Hunter S Thompson words, spoken by the master of his style, and, at times, shared by those who were with him on the many projects he was involved in – phone calls, banter and discussion, even an argument.  These tapes may not fuel the fire of the casual fan but they will become indispensable for the dedicated fan of the Doctor’s madness.