HAIRSPRAY (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) LP NM/NM - John Waters

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Hairspray [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Review by Richie Unterberger

John Waters' films may not be to everyone's taste, but give him credit: when it comes to assembling a soundtrack, he uses a lot more imagination than most directors. Set in the early '60s, Hairspray has a few hits from the era (Gene Pitney's "Town Without Pity," and Barbara Lynn's "You'll Lose a Good Thing," Jan Bradley's "Mama Didn't Lie"). But it's mostly given over to dance/R&B tunes that don't get played on the radio anymore, like the Flares' "Foot Stompin'," the Five Du-Tones' "Shake a Tail Feather," and a couple of the most ridiculous dance tunes ever waxed (Gene and Wendell's "The Roach," Jerry Dallman's "The Bug"). Also included is Toussaint McCall's soulful ballad "Nothing Takes the Place of You," and Little Peggy March's pricelessly silly "I Wish I Were a Princess." Ray Bryant Combo's "The Madison Time" and Rachel Sweet's performance of the movie's theme are a bit incongruous in this company, but as these are the first two tracks on the album, those who are treating this as an oldies collection can easily avoid them.

 GRADING

MINT ---- It should appear to be perfect. No scuffs or scratches, blotches or stains, labels or writing, tears or splits. Mint means perfect.

NEAR MINT ---- Otherwise mint but has one or two tiny inconsequential flaws that do not affect play. Covers should be close to perfect with minor signs of wear or age just becoming evident: slight ring-wear, minor denting to a corner, or writing on the cover should all be noted properly.

VERY GOOD PLUS ---- The record has been handled and played infrequently or very carefully. Not too far from perfect. On a disc, there may be light paper scuffs from sliding in and out of a sleeve or the vinyl or some of the original luster may be lost. A slight scratch that did not affect play would be acceptably VG+ for most collectors.

VERY GOOD ---- Record displays visible signs of handling and playing, such as loss of vinyl luster, light surface scratches, groove wear and spindle trails. Some audible surface noise, but should not overwhelm the musical experience. Usually a cover is VG when one or two of these problems are evident: ring wear, seam splits, bent corners, loss of gloss, stains, etc.

GOOD ---- Well played with little luster and significant surface noise. Despite defects, record should still play all the way through without skipping. Several cover flaws will be apparent, but should not obliterate the artwork.

POOR ---- Any record or cover that does not qualify for the above "Good" grading should be seen as Poor. Several cover flaws.