I found myself subconsciously and inadvertently singing along...

Here I am, listening to the "Rocky Horror Show (Original Roxy Cast Recording)" and taking a Pinecone survey, when all of a sudden I find myself singing along with the artists. Unfortunately, I can't even tell you the names of them. I can, with certainty, tell you the song titles, if you wish.

Sure, Tim Curry and Meatloaf are on the recording of this stage production, but since the film didn't exist yet, the Roxy Cast is potentially what kicked the hornet's nest of a cult phenomenon. I honestly would not know the rest of this crew, should they pop up in front of me and I needed to pick them out of a jail line up. 

Abigale Haness? No clue. Bill Miller? I don't know, except he does look "All American, Folk" in a way (for 1974). Boni Entin,  Bruce Scott, Graham Jarvis, Jamie Donnelly, and Kim Milford? Doesn't ring a bell. Sorry, this group is definitely before my time.

Although, from what I've researched, if Jamie Donnelly is the same one that was in the "Grease" movie, then she's the only face I recognize. I still wouldn't know her from a hole in the wall if I tried, however. 

I can't help; I'm stuck not knowing these random singers. *Shrug* 

It's so strange to listen to this soundtrack because it varies slightly from the movie version. It feels rushed but not rushed because it's supposed to be live and they've got stage acts (conversations) in between each song to get to. 

Much like all stage productions do. The chit chat is what drives the next song, right?

Right?

The movie version is a little more slow, drawn out, clear. For being a highly low budget film that everyone got rained on while in the skivvies. Except Susan Sarandon. She got pneumonia. *rolls eyes*

Conversely, the Roxy recording is not muddy (rough sounding) by any means, but it really gives you the Broadway feeling, for having Los Angeles West Hollywood theatrics. As I'm going through each track, I'm picturing the scene from the movie in my head and I'm watching Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Patricia Quinn and Nell Campbell run their lines with Richard O'Brien, Tim Curry and Meatloaf. Peter Hinwood doesn't really count on the vocal part, as that wasn't him singing. His gold lamé shorts and muscle body (with "blonde hair and a tan" to boot) were nice to look at, but he's a model; his normal job (at the time) was to get to be eye candy. Being the star attraction of a film wasn't on his bingo card as he wasn't part of the acting world to begin with. 

I do have to say, right in the middle of my train wreck circling, I was wrong. 

My last post about "Rocky Horror", I stated I vaguely remember going to the Brattle Street Theater in Cambridge. Through a little more research, it was the  Loews Harvard Square Theatre, which was formerly located at 10 Church Street in Cambridge. That was the brick building I remember standing next to with my youth group. I still have no idea why I kept thinking it was the Brattle Street Theater. I honestly don't know what I may have done at The Brattle in order to be so sure I was there, at night, with a group of other 12 year olds, seeing a shadow cast performance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It's the weirdest thing because I didn't go out to Harvard Square a lot at that time, especially to see see any type of moving pictures. I know while at college, I was there frequently to cruise "The Garage" and hang in "The Pit" (which I learned today doesn't exist anymore; it got leveled).  But as a young teenager, I had no reason to be there. As a bored college student, I went to a lot of random places and saw a lot of random sights. I enjoyed my solo trips; I got to find random bookstores, music stores and coffee shops, among other one off establishments. You learn quickly, the places you find, that will have you gravitate back to and decades later read they've shuttered their doors completely. 

Anyway, enough reminiscing about a lost childhood event. 

The Roxy version of the soundtrack, for 1974, is rock and roll meets folk in a way. Like I said, it's theatrical, so there's a lot of pulling and pushing with it. Hippy happy feelings for the theme of the show. There are points where it sounds like it belongs a few years in the past because it's got a folksy vibe with some of the guitar work, but at the same time, the riffs sound like the start of a rock opera. It's so strange to listen to, knowing that my first introduction was the movie. 

I've heard the 2000 Broadway Cast "revival" version, and that truly sounds like the 2000s called. They want their 90s rock back and they aren't taking 'no' for an answer.

Essentially, every generation that puts out a major cast album to this show, really sounds like the time they're in. The decades that define us, also make us subjects to that era. Future proofing your sound can only go so far, as the Wall of Sound isn't made for everybody. 

This Rocky soundtrack laid the groundwork for future productions, yes, I give it that. The lyrics are slightly altered as well, so you know they were still working out the kinks (in more ways than one. 😜😉). As the Roxy cast was the American introduction, there was a London version prior, were Tim Curry really cut his teeth as "Dr. Frank N Furter". Every time he performed this character, he changed things slightly, to what we know of in the film. It's so minor, you don't realize it unless you're hearing it or have been told about it. 

Oh, and by the way, I've picked up a copy of "Vagabond". It's a hardcover and I intend on reading it after I finish the current book I'm reading. Most likely within the next couple weeks (I'm slow.. I have opportunity to speed read at one of my jobs, however). I'm bummed now - today, the book is three dollars less than what I paid 3 weeks ago, and I bought it on Amazon too. I don't want to return it just to rebuy it at the lower cost. Oh well; at least it's not the Elton incident...

Much like I had to keep an open mind for watching "Some Like It Hot" this year, the longer I'm listening to the Roxy Cast sing "Rocky Horror", I am kind of liking it. I can't explain it and I know I keep repeating myself, but it's truly giving me folk vibes. I like folk music, especially from the late 1960s and early 1970s, which this falls into, for sure. It's pushing the rock limit, but it's not fully there, as a cohesive unit. You can definitely tell they were trying things out with this, if you've not seen the production. 

It's like when comedians back in the day would sign up for troupes like The Groundlings, Second City and other venues to workshop their improv skills in order to find a jump off point and make it big. This Rocky Horror sounds like a workshop, oddly enough. 

It's growing on me and I dig it. I wish I could see a recording of the live performance so I have something visual to put the music to, but unfortunately, most videos don't exist for stage shows, even now. It's too expensive, especially for those pre 1990s productions, due to technology. The cameras were big and bulky; be glad we have good sound quality from the early shows to begin with. As it is, good bootlegs that show up for the fans are due to some people, some how, hooking into the audio booth. Or, at the very least, it's the audio engineer creating their own copy and distributing it. Otherwise, with these "cast albums", the performers are in studios, doing their thing, and that is what gets massed produced. One never knows.

I do know, however, this is one of those surprise sleeper albums I never thought to look into, but am glad I did because now I can say I've listened to it and although it's very different from the album I know of (the movie), it's another option to get to sing to and get lost in some wild science fiction.

Until the next head bopper comes out, stay safe out there. You never know what some other reality will do next...

Cheers;