Rating:  Summary: This book might make you cringe but you'll keep reading... Review: Just got finished reading this book after a few days. My post-read impressions were: man this dude is a square. But, even though, yes, this dude is a square does not mean that it is a bad book. But let me just start off with the bad points. Readers will probably be annoyied by his incessant whining, his drinking of Coors Lite, the fact that he purposely rented an Old GMC Jimmy so he would blend in, his unwillingness to really talk to members of the Phish community, and his overall nerdiness. He seems to like the company of squares as well. His first friend Shack was a goofball wannabe "Dean Moriarty" who scores a soroity chick after a nite at the bar. His friends pretty much get worse after him. You'll see if you read. Also, he devotes something like 3 pages to talking about a pointless 98 Degrees concert. Big no no. And at the Oswego weekend, he hangs out and profiles a couple gansta thugs who aren't even on tour and probably haven't been to any Phish shows prior. I just think he made some very bad decisions in formulating the substance of this book. Most likely this dude was an English major in college and had enough decent insight to go on tour and eventually write a book about it. He has very good insight into the tour culture in general. Some parts of the book made me super excited and brought out memories of past Phish shows. There were also a few funny stories and lines of dialogue. All in all, if you're a die-hard fan you should pick this book up at the library, but don't support this guy by buying his book so that he can go out and write another lousy college essay.
Rating:  Summary: Are you kidding???? Review: Let me start by saying, I really, really wanted to like this book. There, unfortunately are just too many flaws. Shall I list them? Sure, I will: a.The central character, Mr. Gibbons is a boring "wannabe". b. He appears to have no fun at the Phish shows he attends. (I am still baffled as to how this can occur.) c. He lacks the writing skills necessary to carry the book. d. He is too concerned to not step on any toes, and therefore misses out on any opportunity to add any insight or intelligent knowledge of the shows he actually attends. (He only attends 2/3rds of the shows on his itinerary.) e. He is afraid to communicate with any other "phans." Therefore eliminating any possibilty for an interesting third party to be written in. For those of you who know, Phish fans on the whole are extrememly giving and understanding people. Yet he shuns every one of them he comes in contact with. f. Nothing really ever happens. Please do not buy this book if you looking for anything that resembles Hunter Thompson, life on the road with Phish, or a light hearted music fan looking for a good time. Mr. Gibbons sabotages any such opportunity and has written a downright pathetic book that limps from page to page.
Rating:  Summary: Also in agreement with Adam Cook Review: Like Adam, I too bought this book based on something I read on the back cover. It's there that Sean Gibbon is compared to Bill Bryson, whose books never fail to make me laugh out loud. I laughed harder while reading Adam's brief review of the book than I did throughout the 217 pages of the book, with the exception of the few times I chuckled and shook my head at Sean Gibbon's lack of knowledge about his subject and his audience.
Rating:  Summary: An Interesting Read Review: Many reviewers here have taken Sean Gibbon to task for not accurately capturing the Phish experience, for being overly whiny, and for generally writing just to fill space. All of those are, at times, probably accurate charges against this book, and yet I still found it more than slightly enjoyable, and often found myself wanting to read "just one more chapter". As a recent Phish convert who's never been to a show, I can't speak to the first charge of not being faithful to the experience, but ultimately, I don't think it really matters, as long as Gibbon's being faithful to his own experience of the shows, which he seems to be. RUN LIKE AN ANTELOPE is a rough and tumble road log that, if nothing else, succeeds as a chroncicle of six weeks in the life of someone trying to understand a modern cultural phenomenon. As with most adventures, whether the goal is achieved isn't as important as the journey itself.
Rating:  Summary: An Interesting Read Review: Many reviewers here have taken Sean Gibbon to task for not accurately capturing the Phish experience, for being overly whiny, and for generally writing just to fill space.
All of those are, at times, probably accurate charges against this book, and yet I still found it more than slightly enjoyable, and often found myself wanting to read "just one more chapter". As a recent Phish convert who's never been to a show, I can't speak to the first charge of not being faithful to the experience, but ultimately, I don't think it really matters, as long as Gibbon's being faithful to his own experience of the shows, which he seems to be.
RUN LIKE AN ANTELOPE is a rough and tumble road log that, if nothing else, succeeds as a chroncicle of six weeks in the life of someone trying to understand a modern cultural phenomenon. As with most adventures, whether the goal is achieved isn't as important as the journey itself.
Rating:  Summary: Average book, average writer - pretentious "phans" Review: O.K. I will break this into 2 segements - 1. The Book this book was an interesting 1 or 2 day read for an avid reader, or a 4 or 5 day read for a toilet reader - either way it is a short nugget of a phish tour from the author's perspective. I was pleased with what I read, because I took it for what it was worth. This was not a phish bible written by the head lizard of prussia. This was an ordinary guy who has responsibilities in life and he went out and observed life on tour and wrote about it. That was the book, period. It was not meant to validate or justify the life of the psuedo-hippy, trust-fund hippy, college hippy, doing it because its a fad hippy, i smoke pot hippy, i smoke pot, do acid, do shrooms, drink imports, eat ectasy, trade tapes, have a van, dog, and a cheese sandwich maker hippy. It was meant to give people his perspectives on the shows and adventures he had. I will admit that most of the book was rather lame and boring (it seemed he spent too much time talking about getting started on the book???????) A masterpiece it was not, but it was not meant to be - so get over it 2. The people I love phish - I think phish is talented, original, quirky, jazzy, jammy, and all together cool. They don't appear to be self-absorbed or sanctimonious, and are certainly not in to what others think about them. All this being said - I have never met a group of people, as a whole, more pretentious than some of the so called phish critics on this page. Some of you phish fans must wake up in the morning think you are like one of trey's best friends or something. Do you really think you are a character in the man who stepped into yesterday. Do you think Tela, Col. Forbin, and Wilson are real people. It is just music, great music with great philosophy, but just music. It isn't real life. You can't wake up in the morning put on Hoist, light up a joint and watch the world pass by all your life. Face it - The members of phish are not slackers - they work on their craft, they are industrious and organized - they have some ambition. Playing the guitar and sitting in front of computer, trading tapes, and smoking cigarettes isn't going to get you closer to Nirvana or utopia. Get a life, get a job, and get off your soapbox - you bunch of pseudo-intellectual, quasi-hippy degenerates that think that if I read books and eat acid I must be smart and with it. What a sad and lame bunch most of you truly are!!!!!!!
Rating:  Summary: Bad Phishy Smell... Review: OK. Same situation with most people. When they read the back cover they got excited about the book. I started to read a lot and lot. I have never actaully gotten to see 1 phish shows, but i am VERY VERY VERY VERY ACTIVE TRADER! (if you want to trade i am at phishhook.com and i under Disco_Diner14) I do plan to see a Phish show when they get back, and I seriously dont think it will be anything like what Sean said it was. I have the Bittersweet Motel DVD and the shows look SOOOO NUCH FUN, AND NOT BORING AT ALL!!! Also, he did complain a lot about getting to the shows and hotel rooms. DUDE WAKE UP, MOST PEOPLE DONT EVEN HAVE CARS, THEY HITCH-HIKE OR WALK OR RIDE A BIKE...AND HOTELS!!!!!!!!! sleep in ur car dude, can u say BLANKET!? Dude i've been to other concerts before and U DONT NEED A HOTEL ROOM EVERY SHOW! I expected a LOT more out of this book, and I hope that my Phishin experience isn't ANYTHING LIKE HIS! And i promise you, I AINT GANNA COMPLAIN ABOUT ANY PHISH SHOW! Its an honor to even see phish for me! Hope this helped!~ Keep Phishin! JB
Rating:  Summary: Very Disapointing Review: On the back cover of the book, Gibbon is described as a huge Phish fan. Give me a break. Within ten minutes of opening the book, any sensible reader should be able to tell that he knows/ cares very little about the band. Gibbon portrays every Phish fan as a drugged out loser, rarely getting any deeper with them than what drugs can be scored around here. I honestly believe that Gibbon does not capture the spirit of Phish tour. When Gibbon looks at the larger picture, cpmparing Phish tour to pre-Colonial May pole celebrations, he does a fine job. But his on tour descriptions and revelations are mundane and superficial. Gibbon is whiny and uncommited to his tour plans, missing shows because he oversleeps in his hotel. Any true Phish fan will be dissapointed with this book. What I fear most is that John Q. Reader will actually believe what Gibbon has to say. If you are looking for a truly informative, interesting Phish book, pick something else.
Rating:  Summary: Run Away! Run Away! Review: Poor Sean. The guy gets to follow Phish for the summer, all expenses paid, and all he can muster is this lame excuse for a book. I wanted to choke the guy for letting all of us down. As I read the book, in the back of mind I kept thinking, 'This has to get better, otherwise it would never have been published.' Well, it didn't get better. It got worse. Any comparisons to Hunter S. Thompson are insulting to the Great Gonzo. I just hope Sean learns from this horrible mistake and gets a real job. Writing is not his bag. I hear the Waffle House is hiring. p.s. It's "Pollstar" not "Pole Star"
Rating:  Summary: Interesting and Insightful Look at Life on Tour with Phish Review: Sean Gibbson is able to capture some magical momments that I too have shared on tour. He finds the essence of why tour kids exist in today's world, and why this lure towards tour is so grand. Easy and enjoyable reading. I recommend it to anyone interested in the phish experience.
|