Review: 45th Anniversary 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' Picture Disc

Rock musicals usually don’t work because people like Andrew Lloyd Webber don’t understand the simple, primal thrust of Rock & Roll. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a rare exception because Richard O’Brien smartly chose super-theatrical glam rock as his reference point and because his story’s sexual obsessions are all thrust. He also happens to be a terrific pop songwriter. I’ll admit that I’ve always found “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me” annoying, but nearly every other number is aces. The performances particularly contribute to the authenticity, because most of the singers are not traditional musical-theater types. There’s nothing un-Rock & Roll about O’Brien’s Karloff croon and metal shriek or Little Nell’s bubblegum-gnawing turn on the timeless “Time Warp”. Natch, Tim Curry rules the motley roost as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, and he draws all the Jagger-esque swagger out of “Sweet Transvestite” and makes the legit inspiring “Don’t Dream It, Be It” tear-jerkingly gorgeous. 

So of course the film’s soundtrack is absolutely essential for anyone who has ever donned the garters and strutted at midnight (bonus: “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me” is the first track on Side B, so it’s really convenient to skip!). The album has been available in a number of formats over the years, including several picture discs that have been popping up since 1979. Now Lou Adler’s Ode Records is reissuing the soundtrack on a picture disc with unique images for the film’s 45^th Anniversary.

 

As essential as The Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack is, picture discs usually aren’t ideal for anyone but picture disc collectors since the format is more about novelty than strong audio. The good news is that as far as picture discs go, this one sounds pretty good. Some picture discs suffer persistent surface noise, but aside from a slight hum noticeable only between tracks, the 45^th Anniversary Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack gets the job done. The lack of any cardboard outer cover is a bit chintzy, but if you’re simply drooling to get a gander at that photo of Frank on the disc, the clear plastic sleeve ensures you won’t have to spend a single second shivering with antici…………..pation.