Run Like an Antelope : On the Road with Phish

Rating:
Summary: Funny Look at Phish Tour
Review: Sure the author is a bit of a wuss. Sure he prefers comfy hotel beds to camping. Sure he is a lightweight with the brownies. And yea, he spends a lot of time complaining. But that is what makes this book so funny. I love Phish, but I think a lot of "phans" take themselves, the band, the tour, the "scene" WAY too seriously. If this book had been written by a tour rat, it would have come off as some kind of religious manifesto, full of descriptions of all the beautiful people and analysis of the third change in "stash" at show x opposed to show y. In other words, it would have been boring (...). Who wants to read the observations of an author who experiences and sees things just the way you do? What would the point be. The author, being somewhat detached from his subject matter is able to provide a refreshing objective look at the scene. And if you don't think the fact that he missed a show because he spent too much time at the Waffle House is funny, and if you didn't find his brownie freak-out funny, you take yourself WAY too seriously.

Rating:
Summary: roll like a cantelope...
Review: that's right roll like a cantelope past this one maybe a book that exudes phish's musical expertise would be more profound.

Rating:
Summary: What's the point
Review: There is an occasional insight here, but ultimately this book is embarassing. You know that horrible scene in Bittersweet Motel with the two guys sitting talking about the difference between girls who ride in the jeeps and girls who ride in the microbuses? Imagine if those people went on tour and wrote a book about it.

Rating:
Summary: a piece of ....
Review: there is no value to this book from the author or from his "experiences" on the road. for someone who claims to be a phish fan, the first insult was that he couldn't grasp any meaning from the lyrics in "chalk dust torture" and his inability to come up with anything worthwhile elluded him for the rest of his ramblings. a waste of time and money, for me and for his publisher

Rating:
Summary: In agreement with AdamCook's review
Review: There is not much to add after reading the above review by Adam Cook,it throughly explains exactly how disgraceful this book is.This was the documentary of a rich boy's parentally funded Phish Tour.The perspective from which it was written is poor, and the book itself was full of unjust generalizations.The only thing that drove me to finish it was that it was so angering.

Rating:
Summary: Why follow Phish?
Review: This book is an interesting study concerning the dynamics of a cult following and just what it is (besides the music, of course) that drives people to follow a band around the country. The author's observations of the show's environment along with the impressions of the people he interviews, lend interesting insight to this question. The author does a great job of portraying the atmosphere in a manner vivid enough so that you can easily imagine the scene. His description of the effect that the music has on the crowd, which lies at the heart of the reason why people are so willing to follow the band faithfully in even squalid conditions, is revealing and insightful. However, my only complaint stems from the back cover of the book which might be misleading in the sense that it could give readers the impression that this is a conglomeration of wild stories about this guy and his buddies doing and witnessing crazy things in the midst of a drug-induced Dionysian frenzy (i.e. Hunter S. Thompson-like). Yet, it's not. It's a book based around an interesting socialogical phenomenon of counter-culture followings and how one author depicts his impressions and others' regarding this phenomenon. Overall, it's a compelling read and I strongly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Blunders in Journalism
Review: This book was EXTREMELY dissapointing. Much of the book is filled with Gibbon's lamentations about the inability to write, the inability to interview people, and the inability to really connect with his girlfriend via his cell phone. The few insights he makes about the tour and the people on it are watery and short-sighted, at best.

Rating:
Summary: A VERY GOOD BOOK
Review: This is a good book. Why is everyone saying it is bad? If you knew how to read you will know it is from his Point of view. And you should think about what it is like and not being judgemental.

Rating:
Summary: A Pleasant Surprise
Review: This was the last book I expected to buy when I went to the bookstore last week. Serendipitously I picked a fallen book off the floor. Half an hour and several chapters later, I decided that I had to buy it. "Run Like an Antelope" is a fast paced and entertaining work. Gibbon's episodic novel combines humorous characters and dialoge with poetic description. Critics of this book seem to be "die hard" Phish fans; these critics also seem to lack a sense of humor and a capacity for self-reflection. Good, amusing social commentary.

Rating:
Summary: Not for the diehard Phish phan
Review: Through my perspective, someone who listens to Phish on occasion, I found the book to be informative in many ways. However, I have many friends that do the whole touring thing who would probably laugh at the book. I feel it's hard to understand someone elses perspective when you're so certain that your mode of thinking is right. My Phish friends sometimes only see it their way and are unable to understand that some people don't like Phish. I do think Gibbon complained some, however it does help paint the picture of what was going on.;