Richard O'Brien - "Absolute O'Brien"

By Ruth Fink-Winter

When I first listened to this album, I was really disappointed. Richard fanatic Vanessa Vittoe disagreed and said it was great music to close a Blockbuster to, and, having listened to the disc a few more times, I have to agree; this is an album to listen to when it's late, it's dark, and you're a little relaxed. This isn't the Richard you're used to, and you will hate the album if that's what you're expecting. Play it through a few times instead of just dismissing it. I am listening to the album for the third or fourth time now, and I'm much happier with it than when I first popped it out of the case (my husband called it "horrid", and I wasn't rushing to disagree).

A few general comments: if you're looking for the soundtrack to the Mephistopheles Smith show, you'd do better to find a bootleg (though the quality of this CD makes the underground recordings of the M. Smith  hows sound like crap). Only a few of the M. Smith songs are included, and most of the rock 'n' roll arrangements have been converted into jazz. In general, however, it's the Meph Smith songs that are the best on the album. They seem more finished, and the lyrics are clearly superior. (Sadly, signature tunes "Must Be Mephistopheles Smith" and "Disgracefully Yours" are not included.) I'm going to refer to them a lot.

Richard's voice is pleasant, but missing the edge Rocky Horror fans may expect. It is, after all, a jazz album. There's a lot of sax, and the drum has been mellowed out. there are also several slow songs.  

"Incubus of Love" is a slow arrangement, verging on syrupy. There is a lot of nice sax work, and the breathy vibrato flute sounds like an imprisoned dove. Nice, though by the end of the song it's overused. I barely recognized Richard's voice at first; the edge I associate with his voice peeks out occasionally, but overall it's very mellow and smooth. I strongly preferred the faster version Richard used at Transylvania 1992, but this one has finally wormed its way into my consciousness. I'm won over, though I had to play it several times to get there.

"Which Cup You Brew" is fast, with a nice intro with a good beat. Lots of wailing harmonica. The edge to Ritz's voice is back, right from the beginning, though it's still mellower than I am used to, especially on the choruses. The arrangements are spare, and in contrast with the show, the lyrics are easy to understand.

I like "Ain't That to Die For" better than the M. Smith version; it is fast and propelled by the beat. There are repeating chords at the beginning that sound like a tolling clock. There are some interesting chords, and it works well as jazz.  

"Fixation" is very slow, and totally failed to grab me the first two or three times I listened to it. The lyrics are pedestrian. There is a dreamy beginning of solo guitar with synth backgrounds. I thought the drums were too loud. The music is almost an equal partner with the voice, and neither of them really has much to say. Consider it a mood piece.

"Dance of Love" is a treat; the M. Smith show version was basically incomprehensible, and it's nice to hear Richard singing it at last. The Meph version had more raw sexuality; here Ritz sounds almost contemplative. Some major chords have been added, which adds an interesting upturn to it. In places his voice is a combination of breathy with just a touch of bass peeking through, which is very sexy. On some of the verses he does sound just a little too concerned with fitting in all the (admittedly complicated) lyrics. The intricate lyrics and internal rhymes are classic Richard. The drums are just the right combination of insistent but not too prominent.

"$100 An Hour" is slow and mournful, which is appropriate to the depressing subject matter. The lyrics tended to just slide over me. Richard's voice is pleasant, but is almost overwhelmed by the music. There's lots of trombone. There isn't really a melody, just a repeating thematic background.

"Rhythm of the Heartbeat" has lost the elaborate and slightly silly intro from the Meph Smith arrangement. The tempo is jaunty and relaxed, and it's fun to listen to.

"I've Been There Before" is an almost-anthem. The guitar and drums are just a touch more prominent that I thought they should be. The drums sounded just a little country/western. Richard projected some emotion into these lyrics; unlike most of the other non-Meph numbers I didn't find myself analyzing the tone of the lyrics or criticizing the poetry; I just listened to them.

"Running With the Noisy Boys" features rock and roll guitar, but it's kept carefully in the background on a tight leash. The drums are definitely too loud here; they're louder than Richard is.

"I Will Always Hold You In My Heart" has kind of a pedestrian jazz background of guitar and trumpet. The lyrics are treacly and the rhymes are flat, but it all kind of melts into a pleasant surface when you're doing something else.

"Angel in Me" features much less melodramatic vocals than the M. Smith version, which is a relief. The synthesizer forms a haze over the song, almost like an organ. Richard's joined at the end by background singers who are also less syrupy than the M. Smith version (thank heavens). There is a spoken section towards the end which has a sort of mischievousness to it. I almost like this song now, and I hated it the first time I heard it back in 1996.