As I said in my 21st birthday post, my first experience with Rocky Horror was one of fright and confusion. Now, years later, it’s one of my favorite movies, albums and activities. In fact, there’s a showing tonight in Lexington at the Kentucky Theater.

MP3: The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Science Fiction/Double Feature
It’s hard for me to talk about a Rocky Horror song because I just wind up yelling out the audience participation lines alone in my room. But I’ll get into that later.

The craziest thing about the Rocky Horror Picture Show is that it’s absolutely, 100% impossible for it to have worked out as well as it did. It’s a bad-on-purpose, self-parodying flick about transvestite aliens, a rock ‘n roll lobotomy, two chaste lovers and some frankensteined up man-meat, all with a soundtrack that’s somewhere between Ziggy Stardust, Mott the Hoople and Meatloaf. By the numbers, this should have been a flop. The problem was, it was actually quite good.

The RHPC starts off with a Rolling Stones-esque pair of lips inciting a litany of early sci-fi flicks. “Science Fiction/Double Feature” sets the mood for the musical at irreverent (a fact which no doubt contributed to the audience participation — a.k.a. the first Mystery Science Theater 300). It’s paying homage at the same time as it’s setting the audience up for a serious left turn.

Musically I can’t say enough good things about the entire soundtrack or the opening number. Though there are a great number of instruments vying for your attention during the chorus, I think the real winners are the bass and piano. The bass wanders and weaves around the verses and the piano quietly give the song its second layer of soul.

Again, Rocky Horror will be playing tonight in Lexington. Or you could always find a showing near you.

As a side note, let me say that one of my favorite birthday presents was the one my friend Kara gave me: the Rocky Horror soundtrack on vinyl. Does she know me or what?