Customer Reviews

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas: Music From The Motion Picture

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Perhaps being the rabid Hunter S. fan that I am, maybe I'm too biased to review this disc. It doesn't hurt that I pored over the book and can be found catatonically transfixed by the movie at least twice a month. But even if I found the movie confusing and pointless, as many lesser individuals did, I would still love this soundtrack. It's the perfect mix of songs to stir up those old feelings of fear and loathing lurking inside you, or to blast late at night while tearing across the Nevada desert (as I tested on a recent trek across the country). They are appropriate for the sentiment of the movie and the era, without being ersatz or Forrest-Gump-soundtrack-cheesy most of the time. And, where there is cheese, it's good cheese, like Brewer and Shipley's stoner anthem "One Toke Over the Line", with a little Tom Jones and Perry Como thrown in for that Vegas feel. Other songs recall the central theme of "Fear and Loathing"--the end of the hippie dream, the center of American excess. The drug score will trip you out and have you chanting "...you took too much, too much..." and the highly memorizable sound shippets from the film are so appropriate, not to mention handy. Finally, a suprise with The Dead Kennedy's version of Viva Las Vegas, a perfect coda which makes this soundtrack stand on its own.

In conclusion: Buy it. Now.

It is true that this is a great collection of songs.

With that said, here are two complaints:

1) The audio snippets from the movie are built into the tracks, so they're tougher to skip through.

2) The audio transfer is terrible. Somewhere in the process, either at the transfer or the mix, the audio thinned out. There's a really weak bass end, and everything sounds thin and tinny.

Not that it ruins the experience, but for someone who's actually into how music sounds, you might look elsewhere.

WHERE THE HELL ARE "SOMEBODY TO LOVE" AND "JUMPIN' JACK FLASH"? If these made the soundtrack, this would definitely be a five-star release, and one of the best soundtracks ever (right up there with Pulp Fiction and Almost Famous). Personally, I also would rather have Frank Sinatra's wonderful take on "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me", since it's infinitely better than whatever that Perry Como song is.

But beyond that, the music in this movie is perfectly used. Several reviewers have noted the anachronism of the DK's excellent rewrite of "Viva Las Vegas". The fact that it was recorded 8 or so years after the movie takes place is irrelevant- it's used during the credits. Also, to me it was quite an apt choice, since the feel and lyrics of the song suggest a frenzied, drug-addled Vegas traveller. Hmmm... sound like anything in 'Fear and Loathing..."?

P.S. After seeing this movie, you will never hear "White Rabbit" the same way again.

This soundtrack contains an eclectic mix of music: Tom Jones, Dead Kennedys, Yardbirds and Perry Como, to name a few. It works perfectly. This has become my camping CD. By the time Expecting to Fly (which I had never heard before) comes on, you are ready to float away. Great music all around.

Never before, in the history of music soundtracks, has there ever been a soundtrack that communicated the feel of the movie a well as this soundtrack does. The dialogue snipits are perfect and makes the soundtrack feel like an epic journey. There are too many classics by people like Bob Dylan, Three Dog Night, Jefferson Airplane and Big Brother & The Holding Company. Although there are some missteps, most notably the Dead Kennedys, and some strange selections, like Tom Jones and Debbie Reynolds, the soundtrack shines.

Tons of creativity went into the production of this eternally pleasing CD. Wonderful clips from the movie dialogue are interspersed with classic songs that capture the essence of wild wild days!

The exciting words of HST bring thoughts and memories that evoke many smiles. The classic tunes are ultimately showcased in refreshed light, making the entire disc an absolute joy.

Bravo to the folks who put this together!

This soundtrack is near perfect for two things: a road trip, a drug trip, or both. Of course the movie pretty much spelled that out for us. This is an eclectic mix, and a good one at that. It includes classic rock like "One Toke Over The Line", "Get Together", and "Mama Told Me (not to come)". Also a few oldies like "She's A Lady", "Tammy", and "Magic Moments". Plus excellent songs from "Jefferson Airplane" and "Buffalo Springfield" (Neil Young). All that music, and inserts from the film make this a must have. I wanna get a big old convertible just to play this album in.

An excellent soundtrack that includes dialouge from the film. The music is excellent also but the last song by the Dead Kennedy's could have been replaced by "Jumping Jack Flash" (played at the end of the film but not on s'track) by The Rolling Stones. It's nice to see a soundtrack with sixteen tracks instead of the usual twelve that most have nowadays. The bits of music score on the soundtrack are really trippy. Buy the soundtrack! Take the ride!

For everyone who searched it like me: the song at the beginning of the film is "My Favorite Things" from "The Lennon Sisters".
- greetz necropolis

This CD came in great condition, not a scratch! Great price and fast shipping.