Beware dramatizations of unique literary works. Two years before critics pummeled the 1998 screen version of Hunter S. Thompson"s tale of drug madness in Sin City, this audio rendition of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas brought the ugly story to life. Fans of the book might prefer this recording to the film since it preserves more of Thompson"s high-octane narrative. With Jim Jarmusch and Harry Dean Stanton sharing the Thompson/Raoul Duke role, this CD brings to life some of the book"s more shocking scenes, making all too real what was merely amusing on the page. It"s smartly done, even bringing in guitarist (and Keith Richards sideman) Waddy Wachtel to recreate "Sympathy for the Devil." But it"s no substitute for the book itself. --Steve Appleford