Tuesday, October 20, 2020

The Rocky Horror Picture Show 45th Anniversary Limited Edition Soundtrack (2020) Vinyl Review


At the beginning of 1995, my friend Jenn Vincent and I (with a bit of direction from Sal Piro) founded the Forbidden Fruit Rocky Horror shadow cast in Eugene, Oregon. That was the year of the film’s twentieth anniversary, and it was a great time to be shouting “asshole” and “slut” at a movie screen. Our cast played with gender quite a bit; we had a female Brad and a female Eddie, and the first year I played Magenta (before moving into the role of Frank N Furter). I’ve seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show in several movie theaters all across the country, and I can say with no undue pride that our cast had the absolute best pre-show. My friend Andy Davis (who played Riff Raff) created a Wheel Of Torture, which was a lot of fun. Now another twenty-five years have passed, and to commemorate the forty-fifth anniversary of the film’s release, a new picture disc of the soundtrack is being issued. A sexy photo of Frank N Furter is on the album’s first side. Gracing the album’s second side are photos of several movie theater marquees where the film has been shown throughout the years (I’ve been to a few of those theaters pictured). Yes, Rocky Horror is still going strong. If you’ve never seen the film, well, you ought to give it a try, and of course you must see it in a theater at midnight with the cast and crowd and the newspaper and toast and squirt guns and the whole thing. But even if you have no interest in the film, no desire to do the Time Warp with a group of delightfully twisted weirdos, you should still check out the soundtrack. The music was written by Richard O’Brien, who also plays Riff Raff in the film, and features the film’s cast, which includes Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Tim Curry, Patricia Quinn, Little Nell, Jonathan Adams, Charles Gray and Meat Loaf. This vinyl release has the same tracks as the album’s original release, and so does not include “The Sword Of Damocles” or “Planet, Schmanet, Janet.” 

Side 1

What a joy it is to watch Frank N Furter spin on my turntable. And from the moment “Science Fiction/Double Feature” starts, I am back in my early twenties. And even if I’m momentarily able to keep from shouting out lines in my apartment, I can’t stop them from running through my head. Geez, I have trouble remembering the names of people I currently work with, but still recall all the lyrics to this album, as well as the audience participation lines. Have you seen all the movies referred to in this opening track? The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Invisible Man, It Came From Outer Space, Forbidden Planet, The Day Of The Triffids, and so on. By the second track, “Dammit Janet,” I’m on my feet and no longer holding back, dancing and shouting out the audience responses, “with whips and chains.” If you haven’t seen the film or listened to the soundtrack in a while, you may have forgotten just how much fun this music is.  And of course the album is coming out at the perfect time, just before Halloween, and a song like “Over At The Frankenstein Place” is exactly right for the holiday. And speaking of Halloween, on that holiday in 2010 (marking the 35th anniversary of the movie’s release) I took part in the record-breaking Time Warp dance in West Hollywood, led by Sal Piro. More than eight thousand people performed the Time Warp that night, setting a Guinness World Record. You can see me in the video, as I’m right in the front, dressed as a Foul Ball (not Rocky Horror-related, but no matter). “The Time Warp” is the soundtrack’s most famous song, and deservedly so.  I love Little Nell’s part especially. So, wherever you are, “Let’s do the time warp again!” 

But things really get going with Frank’s entrance and his first song, “Sweet Transvestite.” Frank tells us “But by night I’m one hell of a lover,” and Brad and Janet will get firsthand experience of that soon enough. Then at the beginning of “I Can Make You A Man,” Frank sings “A weakling,” and we respond, “That’s Brad.” Frank continues, “Weighing 98 pounds,” and we shout, “That’s two Brads.” I love the piano part to this song. “Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul,” which is Meat Loaf’s number, is a good lively rock and roll song. I saw Meatloaf in concert in 1989 or 1990, and he put on a seriously phenomenal show, the encore being a short set composed of classic rock and roll songs. Anyway, the first side of this record concludes with the reprise of “I Can Make You A Man.” And Janet tells us how she really feels about muscles. Sing it, Janet!

Side 2 

The second side opens with Janet’s “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me.” “I’ve tasted blood and I want more,” she tells us. What I love most about this song is how the chorus has this deliciously innocent 1950s vibe, in delightful contrast to what she’s singing. But of course, the entire movie has a 1950s vibe, established at the start with those references to science fiction films in the opening song. Dr. Scott then gets his song about Eddie. Yes, it’s time for Dr. Rocking Everett Scott! And Meat Loaf sings to us from the great beyond. What more could you ask for? A floor show? Well, all right then, it’s time for “Rose Tint My World.” Soon Frank is asking that important question, “Whatever happened to Fay Wray?” (Answer: She went ape shit.) And then on to what most consider the central message of the film, “Don’t dream it, be it.” A good message, actually. And once you’ve embraced that philosophy, it’s time for another rockin’ number, “Wild And Untamed Thing” (though “Floor Show,” “Don’t Dream It” and “Wild And Untamed Thing” are actually all parts of “Rose Tint My World”). This seems like the grand finale, right? A happy ending and all. But, no, not so fast, virgins. Riff Raff and Magenta are there to spoil things for our revelers. Though first Frank gets a beautiful number, “I’m Going Home.”

Some of you might recall that for a time there was a thing called a videocassette. And when The Rocky Horror Picture Show was first released on videocassette, a scene was missing. Weird, right? The scene that was cut for the initial video release was “Super Heroes.” A shame, because it’s a pretty damn cool song, particularly Janet’s part. So if you wanted to see the whole movie, you still had to get off your ass and go out to the local cinema. The song is something of a downer, sure, but it’s really good. The album concludes with “Science Fiction/Double Feature (Reprise),” as the credits roll. And this isn’t Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, so no need to stay, thinking you’re going to get any more. You just have to wait for the Shock Treatment picture disc. (There will be one, right?)  

Vinyl Track List

Side 1

  1. Science Fiction/Double Feature
  2. Dammit Janet
  3. Over At The Frankenstein Place
  4. The Time Warp
  5. Sweet Transvestite
  6. I Can Make You A Man
  7. Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul
  8. I Can’t Make You A Man (Reprise)

Side 2

  1. Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me
  2. Eddie
  3. Rose Tint My World
  4. I’m Going Home
  5. Super Heroes
  6. Science Fiction/Double Feature (Reprise)

This special 45th Anniversary picture disc of The Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack is scheduled to be released on October 23, 2020 on Ode Records.

Here is a photo of the album's second side:


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