The record Hunter S. Thompson called “the best album ever cut by anybody”
The man behind the gonzo movement, Hunter S. Thompson changed the face of journalism forever. Throwing objectivity out of the window for a first-person-led narrative that weaves fact, fiction and memory all into one, gonzo has significantly impacted the direction of music writing. But there was one record in particular that Thompson described as “the best album ever”.
Thompson’s most famous book, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, was first published via a music magazine. Serialised by Rolling Stone in 1971, the novel is a wild, drug-fueled journey through the desert.
An early retrospective of the 1960s counterculture, Fear And Loathing is essential reading for fans of the decade, coming just as vital to culture as a Rolling Stones record, a Beatles album, or a spaghetti western film.
Music, especially, was so crucial to the writer, who once said: “Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel”, attempting to sum up the impact of a good song. He called himself “a serious consumer” before adding: “On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio.”
But there were a few artists, in particular, that were gasoline to Thompson’s gonzo fire. The Grateful Dead stood out as a vital influence, with the writer saying if the band came to town, he would “beat my way in with a fucking tire iron, if necessary”. Thompson believed their 1970 album Workingman’s Dead was “the heaviest thing since Highway 61 and ‘Mr Tambourine Man’”, he said, adding: “With the exception of the Stones’ last two albums.”
When discussing a group of artists that Thompson considers essential listening material in a letter sent to Rolling Stone editor John Lombardi, the writer offers another peek behind his creative curtain, citing Grateful Dead alongside the likes of The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, Buffalo Springfield and Roland Kirk.
However, one artist gets the ultimate praise from outside of the rock genre Thompson is most associated with. He describes jazz artist Herbie Mann’s Memphis Underground as “the best album ever cut by anyone”. Listed as number one on his drafted “best albums of the ’60s list” list, the record receives high accolades from the journalist.
The 1969 album from Mann is well regarded as a highly influential record, pioneering new jazz sounds. Fusing jazz and R&B with his unique flute styling, the album features covers of previous soul tracks by Sam & Dave and Aretha Franklin.
Memphis Underground is one of the best-selling jazz records of all time. Mentioned repeatedly in Thompson’s Fear And Loathing on the Campaign Trail, recounting the re-election of Richard Nixon, the journalist helped write the album into the zeitgeist.
