There have been so many TRHS recordings released in the past couple of decades that it may seem silly to some to own so many albums of the same show. But each TRHS recording is different in its own way. Some are good, some not-so-good. Some are very easy to find, others may be near to impossible to track down. Here I will examine, chronicle, and review each TRHS album released. -Kevin Boycik
Be sure to also check out Kevin Boycik's web page, Sanity For Today, where these reviews were originally taken from (with permission).
Although TRHS has become a huge pop culture phenomenon today in the nineties, back in 1973, the original production was a very simple show put on in a very small, intimate theatre. Since there wasn't much of a budget to speak of, very few props and special effects were used (much unlike the official productions staged in the West End today). The fact that the first production of TRHS was such a simple show MUST be considered when listening to the Original London Cast album for the first time. This is a simple album from a simple production.
The album is very different in that it was actually recorded in a day (and you can tell). The musical arrangements and the orchestrations sound very amateurish. Plus, it was recorded back when the show had only been running a short while. (The ensemble had only performed the show and its songs to a paying audience only a dozen or so times) Technically speaking, this album leaves a lot to be desired.
Although I am a huge Patricia Quinn fan, I wonder if she still sings the part of the Usherette today like she does on this album. Although her Magenta is fine, her Usherette sounds about 15 octaves higher than her normal range. Paddy O'Hagan (Eddie/Dr. Scott) is the album's sore spot; he just doesn't give Eddie the performance needed, musically speaking. Christopher Malcolm (who went on to direct several TRHS productions in the UK, who is now Chairman of Rocky Horror UK, Ltd. -- you'll know him best as Vance Parker from Shock Treatment) is THE BEST Brad Majors (in my opinion). No offense to Barry Bostwick, but I would've loved to have seen him in TRHPS. Also, Rayner Bourton is possibly the best Rocky Horror I've heard (Rayner also performs Rocky on the RHS Original New Zealand Cast album, and I actually prefer his performance on THAT album to this one). Tim Curry's Frank...well is of course divine. Richard O'Brien: ...when doesn't he sound fabulous?? Nell and Jonathan Adams turn in pretty good performances as well. Belinda Sinclair (Janet) would later go on to record a disco-ish single of "Touch Me" as 'Janet from TRHS' (this was also included on the Dark Refrains bootleg CD).
The great thing about this album is the nostalgic value, it is the VERY FIRST production, and the fact that five of the members from this ensemble went on to do TRHPS makes it more appealing.
The BAD thing about this album is that it deletes many of the show's songs (I tend to love the RH albums that include as much of the score as possible) "Eddie's Teddy" is not included, but I believe the album was recorded before the song's inclusion into the show. The two "Charles Atlas" songs are not here (I vaguely remember reading an interview with Jonathan King (the album's producer) in which he stated that these songs were not included because they were unsure if they could legally use Charles Atlas' name), and "Planet Schmanet" is missing as well (maybe because of the "mental mind-fuck" lyric). Sadly, this leaves only THREE songs performed by Tim Curry!! Needless to say, it leaves us Curryholics thirsty for more...
Another interesting note is that when this album was released in 1973 on UK/King Of England Records, it had a few engineering flaws in the first pressing. The errors were fixed with a bit of re-mixing, and the album was re-issued a short time later. ALL versions of the Original London Cast Album are the re-mixed version EXCEPT for the vinyl UK/King Of England release (UKAL 1006). Here are the differences between the two versions of the Original London Cast album:
Remember that ALL versions of this album are the re-mixed version except for the original vinyl UKAL 1006 release. This first pressing is a bit difficult to find, but the differences between the two versions are so few and far apart that it would probably only be of value to the extreme die-hard collectors.
Some fans don't enjoy this album that much, but one reason I enjoy it so much is for its nostalgic value. I don't think we're gonna see this ensemble together again, either. For the historic value and the wonderful cast, this album is a DEFINITE must-have.
In the midst of TRHS' newly-found success in London, British actress Britt Eklund convinced Lou Adler to go see the show one night. Adler, an American music mogul responsible for managing and producing hit pop acts like Carole King, The Mamas & The Papas, Johnny Rivers, and Cheech & Chong, went to the show -- jet-lagged and tired. He immediately fell in love with it. In the following 48 hours, he would negotiate the American performance rights to the show, and even secure rights for a motion picture adaptation (!) of the show. The rest is history... (An interesting note: Tim Curry did not play Frank that historic night Lou Adler first saw TRHS...it was none other than Richard O'Brien).
In March of 1974, TRHS opened in Los Angeles at Adler's 500-seat, newly-opened Roxy theatre/nightclub. The show was a hit, and soon it became a hangout for celebrities. (John Lennon, Keith Moon, and Elvis Presley were but a few names of those who attended the production) Tim Curry revived his role as Dr. Frank N. Furter, but none of the other members of the original London cast performed in this ensemble. It was this company that introduced Meat Loaf to Rocky Horror. Playing the dual role of Eddie and Dr. Scott, he would further go on to perform in TRHPS with several members of the original London cast. Film veteran Graham Jarvis was cast as The Narrator, but the rest of the cast were mainly unknowns at the time.
With TRHS' bolt of success in America, and the fact that it was being produced by an infamous record producer, it seemed pretty likely that a cast recording would come to be. The result: the Original Roxy Cast album, probably the most enjoyed and commonly owned TRHS cast album ever released.
I think what makes this album so enjoyable is that it was professionally produced by Lou Adler, who definitely knew what he was doing. The session musicians who participated were among the best in their field at the time. The album got American distribution by A & M Records, a major label, and the fact that the Original Soundtrack to TRHPS wasn't released in the US until about 1979 made this the only Rocky Horror album available domestically for about five years.
The Original Roxy Cast album is one of the best. Tim Curry has never sounded better as Frank. His performance on this album is energetic, tough, and (in my opinion) better than his performances on the RHS Original London Cast album and TRHPS Original Soundtrack. Bill Miller & Abigale Haness make a great Brad & Janet (although Haness' voice is lower than most Janets). Bruce Scott is no Richard O'Brien, but he turns in a pretty impressive Riff (with an outstanding range, as well). Meat Loaf's Eddie sounds almost identical to his Eddie in TRHPS, but his best work here is his Dr. Scott (which I personally enjoy -- Meat Loaf and Jonathan Adams are the only Dr. Scotts I've liked).
This album is a HUGE step forward from the Original London Cast album. Also, it includes ALL of the show's songs, with the exception of "Science Fiction / Double Feature (reprise)" -- although the lyrics for the song are included in the album's liner notes.
In closing, the Original Roxy Cast album is a fabulous album, and if you don't already own it, go get it. You won't be disappointed...
Considering that it is one of the first cast recordings, the Original Australian Cast album is not a very bad recording. But when compared to the Original London Cast and Original Roxy Cast albums, this cast recording doesn't really live up to its expectations.
First of all, the Brad and Janet (I don't know which cast members play who because both my LP and CD copies of this album do not specify which performers play what character) try too hard to pull off American accents, and the result is phony and pretty cheesy. The Frank N. Furter sounds like a lounge singer. (For a perfect example of what I mean, listen to "Planet Schmanet" -- bleeeech!!) Riff and Magenta are not too bad, but the Magenta's interpretation of the Usherette is...well...interesting. Actually, this Usherette sounds like she is welcoming you to a bondage party instead of praising late-night, double-feature, picture shows. Also, Riff-Raff on this album is performed by Sal Sharah, who also performs Riff-Raff on the Original New Zealand Cast album. (I think he does a better job here, myself)
Despite these aspects, the Original Australian Cast album is a reasonably enjoyable cast album. It is one of those albums that grow on you with time. The musical arrangements and orchestrations on it are alright, and despite the fact that some of the performers sound phony at times, they really don't sound that bad. (There are MUCH worse performances on other TRHS albums...)
The one REALLY low point of this album is "Eddie's Teddy". This has to be THE worst rendition of this tune. First of all, the entire intro of the song (everything up to "from the day she was gone") goes soooooooooooooooo s...l...o....w... At this point in the album, you find yourself wanting to switch the playing speed to 45 RPM. Then, as soon as the song picks up, it goes too fast!!! Finally, at the end of the song, once again, they slow it down, and Dr. Scott does what seems like a 10-minute ending. This version of "Eddie's Teddy" seems longer than "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", and if it were a GOOD version, that wouldn't be so bad.
Fortunately, this album contains all the show's songs except "Charles Atlas Song (reprise)" and "Science Fiction/Double Feature (reprise)". It also features pretty good versions of "Once In A While", "Rose Tint My World", and "Over At The Frankenstein Place".
The Mexican Cast album has a very mysterious and unknown history to it. Some say that it is a legit recording of an actual cast that just had limited release. Some claim that it is an unauthorized recording. I've heard that after Lou Adler heard of it, he threatened to take legal action for making such a blatant attempt to rip off the Original Roxy Cast album. Whatever the case may be, the album itself definitely raises one's curiosity.
First of all, the album's jacket is a picture of the traditional Frankenstein creature with its lips painted red. (Who came up with this clever design?) Then, the title ("El Show de Terror de Rocky") is printed in the now-legendary Rocky Horror bloody font. One unusual thing to point out as well is that this album was pressed on recycled vinyl. (Usually bootlegs and low-budget independent releases are pressed on recycled vinyl) Because of this, the sound quality is extremely poor. I've even seen a near mint copy of this album that still sounded terrible when played because of the horrible vinyl it is pressed on. I've heard rumors of an 8-track tape release of this album, but they've never been confirmed. If such a release exists, it is possible that its sound quality might even surpass the vinyl release. (Not to mention the value it would be to RH audio collectors!) So the cheap packaging and manufacturing raises the question if this is a legit album.
Also, most of the musical arrangements are taken from the Original Roxy Cast album. It honestly sounds like the producers of this album had a copy of the Original Roxy Cast album and decided to replicate it, only in Spanish. I would assume that one reason this album has never been re-issued (and I honestly doubt that it ever will be) is because it is true that Lou Adler probably cringes in disgust at how badly this album rips off the Original Roxy Cast album.
Another curiosity is that the part of Janet is sung by Julissa, a notorious triple-threat celebrity in Mexico. If this IS an unauthorized recording, what is someone of Julissa's caliber doing on such an album?
Listening to the album, one must admit that it is not a terrible RHS cast album. The album's lowest point is the music -- it sounds as if it were recorded in someone's living room. (The percussion sounds like a child's drum kit -- those cymbals are just TOO bad...) However, the performers are not that bad. I DO question the translation of the original lyrics, though. (Someone told me that "Baile Del Sapo", this album's "The Time Warp", when translated to English means "Dance Of The Frogs"!!!!) This album has its highlights, but a lot of it is lost in the bad music and the crackles and pops on the album.
The Original Norwegian Cast of TRHS (a.k.a. the "Norsk Versjon") is one of the best cast albums ever released. The performances and the music are fabulous, and even though I don't speak a word of Norwegian, it does not interfere in the slightest with enjoying this album.
The musical arrangements are original, fresh, and different from the other arrangements all the other RHS albums were using at the time this recording was produced. This is probably the first RHS album to use synthesizers in the music, and although it dates the sound a bit, it also adds to the enjoyment of this wonderful production.
The album itself contains EVERY SINGLE SONG from the RHS (the 1990 London Cast: The Whole Gory Story and the 1995 Finnish Cast are the only other cast albums which contain every song). This wins me over instantly.
Then there are the performances. They are divine. Each performer captures the perfect amount of energy and emotion in delivering performances you will not find on too many other RHS albums. There is none of the cheesy overacting you hear in albums like the German Cast album and it is completely original in every sense (unlike the Mexican Cast copycat LP). It is difficult to single out one performer in this recording, because they are all so wonderful. I will say that the Frank on this album (Knut Husebø) is unlike one you'll hear anywhere. Considering that this was released in 1977, in the early days of TRHS, I think Husebø is the first Frank to break out of tradition and NOT do Frank like Tim Curry.
Although the album is a pure treat to listen to, highlights include: "Damn It, Janet", "The Time Warp", "Sweet Transvestite", "Planet Schmanet", and "Rose Tint My World".
The Original New Zealand Cast Album of TRHS is a FABULOUS album. Both the arrangements and the performers are very entertaining. Although the album's main claim to fame is that it features 70's glam-rock legend Gary Glitter as Frank N. Furter, it is the worst thing about the album. Although Glitter may have had the stage presence of Frank, it just doesn't transcend over to a recording. Instead of singing the songs, he tends to talk the lyrics through. His rendition of "Sweet Transvestite" is so silly that I wonder if they had him 'sing' like that on purpose. Also, "I'm Going Home" is just like "Eddie's Teddy" from the Original Australian Cast album in that it seems to go on FOREVER. Instead of being campy, Glitter's Frank is just goofy, and a bit scary.
The album does however boast a divine performance by Rayner Bourton as Rocky Horror (he was the very first Rocky Horror in the Original London Cast but his performance on this album is even better). (Rayner also directed this production, and he also played Rocky on stage in Japan) Also, the album has the BEST (in MY opinion) version of "Hot Patootie (Bless My Soul)" ever released on a cast recording.
Other highlights of this album are "Dammit Janet", "Over At The Frankenstein Place", and "Super Heroes". Overall, the Original New Zealand Cast album is one of the best, and I highly recommend it if you don't already have a copy.
DIE ROCKY HORROR SHOW is a very unique cast album, and is unlike any other TRHS album ever released. The album was recorded live with plenty of screaming fans which are quite audible in the background. (At times, they are quite annoying and distracting)
The album plays a lot like the 1990 London Cast: The Whole Gory Story album in that it includes a lot of spoken dialogue (all in German, of course). Because so much time is devoted to dialogue throughout the recording, a lot of the music is left out. Most of the show's songs are included on the album, but very few of them are presented in their entirety. Some songs feature one verse and the chorus and that is it. Why the producers decided to include so much dialogue instead of music is unknown. (Especially for a cast album of a musical!)
In any case, it doesn't make much of a difference because the musical performances are very poor. The Janet is terrible, and the Frank is just too silly-sounding. At times, the performers take their parts very seriously (and these are the times when the album sounds the best), but those moments are too few and far apart. The rest of time the performers are either over-acting, or being comical. Not that such acting choices are bad -- I'm sure they make the performance much more exciting (especially in TRHS, of all shows), but it is NOT something to try and do with a cast album. Since we cannot see the show, it is very difficult to find their antics entertaining. (Plus, for some of us who don't speak German, it makes it VERY hard to enjoy. But not all foreign RHS cast albums are like this. Take a listen to the Norwegian Cast, and you'll see what I mean. Even though it is in Norwegian, it is a sheer pleasure to listen to.)
Overall, DIE ROCKY HORROR SHOW is a cast album for the serious, hard-core RH audio junkies only. If you aren't familiar with any RHS albums, I would recommend that you stay away from this one. (Even if you're very fluent in German)
The 1981 Australian Cast album is a very interesting release. Although it is only a 6-song EP, it has quite a bit to offer and although this album has so few songs, the songs featured are performed very well. In fact, this album's "The Time Warp" and "Rose Tint My World" are MUCH better than the versions heard on the 1974 Original Australian Cast album. The album's low point has to be its "I'm Going Home". Frank (Daniel Abineri) just doesn't put the right emotion into the song, and in certain points it sounds as if he is trying to duplicate Tim Curry.
One very interesting thing to note about this album/EP is that Riff-Raff is played by Perry Bedden. Perry played a Transylvanian in TRHPS (THE best Trannie!!...the one who twists with Kimi Wong) and he also played one of Neely's cameramen in Shock Treatment. (It is nice to be able to HEAR Perry here!!) His performance is one of the album's finer moments.
The 1990 London TRHS cast album (a.k.a. 'The Whole Gory Story') is a one-of-a-kind cast recording. Originally intended to be called "The Rocky Horror Radio Show", this cast album is the ONLY recording to present the ENTIRE RHS -- music AND dialogue.
The cast itself features Adrian Edmondson playing Brad (who is well-known as Vyvyan from "The Young Ones", and husband of Jennifer Saunders), Edward Tudor-Pole (who took over for Richard O'Brien after he retired from "The Crystal Maze") playing Riff-Raff, and the great Jonathan Adams, who reprises the role of The Narrator, the role he originated in the Original London Cast, as well as going down in Rocky Horror history as playing Dr. Everett V. Scott in TRHPS. (Well, duh!)
The performances on this album are very good, however after listening to this album several times, the dialogue bits get a little tiring. Most of the dialogue consists of a LOT of overacting (my guess is that it was recorded that way to make up for the disadvantage of not being able to SEE what is going on) which sounds a bit corny, but this is a fabulous album to introduce new Rocky Horror fans to the original stage show. Here, you discover that YES -- Rocky speaks!, and a lot of the show's jokes come off a bit funnier than they do in the film. There are even a few small lines added into the recording (I'm not going to give them away -- they're funnier when you first hear them for yourself!) that were not in the original show. Even though it is wonderful to have such a complete recording, the dialogue gets dry, and after listening to it repeatedly, one might find him/herself skipping to the songs.
Being the completist fan I am, I always tend to favor the complete RH albums over the ones that do not feature all the show's songs. (Especially today in the 90's, when it is very easy to fit the whole show onto a single cassette or CD). So, of course, I hold this album in high regards as being one of the best.
When it comes to the songs, they are all pretty good, but at times the performers seem to lack energy, and in a few places it sounds like they are just mimicking the soundtrack music to TRHPS. The saddest thing about this album is Tim McInnerny's performance as Frank. It is not all that terrible, but it definitely is not one of the best. It is too bad this album couldn't have been recorded with Anthony Head playing Frank. (He played Frank in the London Revival Cast in the early '90's and gained a TON of acceptance from British RH fans; he went on to record a single of Sweet Transvestite which is one of the best versions of the song ever recorded, in my opinion. Anthony Head is best-known outside of Rocky Horror as "the guy from the Taster's Choice commercials" and more recently, a co-star on the TV series "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer".) In any case, McInnerny's Frank sounds tired and totally lacking in the energy needed to make Frank sound good on a recording. Gina Bellman's Janet sounds kooky at times, but entertaining all the same; Adam Caine turns in a good Rocky Horror (he also performs Rocky on the various NSO Ensemble studio cast releases). But the highlight performances on this album are those of Jonathan Adams and Adrian Edmondson.
Overall, I highly recommend this album to ALL Rocky Horror fans. It is a fabulous album (especially for those fans unfamiliar with the stage production).
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Shawn McHorse