Richard Unplugged

To anyone who has caught the VH1 special from 1997 when
Richard performed a few rather tasty tunes from the RH(P)S
soundtrack, this will be a treat. As it will to others, but I know
many of us have since hoped for light acoustic versions of the
songs since that particular show aired.

On the RIHS disc, there are several .avi files of Ritz
performing songs. While in the game, you can play them
on the jukebox that can be found in the gallery. Otherwise,
they can be accessed directly from the disc,

(go to x -x being your cd-rom drive- X:\Data\movies\Robrien\SONGS\AVI)

Like so. The songs are:

Science Fiction/Double Feature- There seems to be several glitches
in this file, and as it's a CD-ROM, I can only assume that
they are on every disc. There is a stutter to the first chord and
the file "skips" much like a scratched record in certain sections.
Beyond the technical problems of the file, this is a great
rendition by Richard, with some very silly faces to
accompany the lyrics. ( And watch close for the "spit" as he
sings that line )

Superheroes- I've always loved this song, and to hear Richard
sing it makes it even better. His vocal on this one is smooth
and heartfelt, and I also enjoyed the impromptu scat bit
at the end of it, as well as his low-budget effects- he provides
the sound of wind at the end of the file. Another thing I really
liked about this one is the way he seemed to really get into the
guitar playing. Fun to watch, and great to hear.

Sweet Transvestite- What can I say? Even though this one is
only the first verse and chorus, you can't deny that RO'B
is, indeed, a sweet transvestite himself, dolled up in a
punk rock girl get up, guitar placed firmly between spread
legs on that beautiful lips couch.

What's that phrase about a picture being worth a thousand
words? ;-)

Over at the Frankenstein Place- Another fabulous vocal, Richard's
intoning here is enough to send any fan into a frenzy. The only
disappointment in this track is that the second verse has been
omitted. Besides that, it's a winner. Also listen for that
deep resonant voice we've all come to know and love adding
at the end "and that's the truth."

The Time Warp- What would any Rocky disc be without the Time
Warp? ( besides original and new ) In this one, unlike the
others, Richard plays an unplugged electric guitar, and is standing.
Cute version, and fun to watch Richard realize he's not hitting the right
note and amending as quick as possible. Only the first verse and
chorus appear here, much like Sweet Transvestite, and his added
"shame on you" at the end is enough to make the whole file
worthwhile.

The Techno Tunes

Not that we really needed (yet another) mix of The Time Warp,
but it is one of the best known songs from the show, so I suppose
it was inevitable.

The three tech mixes on the disc can be played in a
conventional CD player ( tracks 2, 3, and 4 )

The Time Warp- A nice groove, and although I'm not much into
remixes of the Time Warp, the fact that Richard's vocal is here
does tend to bias me just a little bit. ;-)

Richard doesn't sing, but rather speaks in a low, droning tone
reminiscent of Depeche Mode.

Over at the Frankenstein Place- An odd take of the song, very
little is here to give the feel of the original melody, but it's not
BAD either. I think what throws me off is that I know the original.
On a good note, the second verse is here, although the words of
the first are changed.

"In the velvet darkness,
Of the blackest night
Burning Bright,
There's a Light"

Apparently it DOES matter who or what you are. ;-)

Richard again appears on vocals, though, as in the Time Warp,
they are spoken as opposed to sung.

Science Fiction/Double Feature- This track is a rather transient version
of the original song, and all the vocals are Arianne's, and none
by Richard :-(. Still, it's not bad at all, and definitely grows on
you.

Rocky Interactive Horror Show was created by On-Line PLC and is owned by On-Line
Entertainment and Transylvania Interactive, 1999. The Rocky Horror Show was created
by Richard O'Brien, and the lyrics are copyright of Druidcrest ltd.