First you ask:
Is this normal for picture discs?
Then you state:
I have many colored discs that sound perfectly fine.
So you already have your answer.
IME, picture discs and colored discs are novelties. The few I've tried sounded awful.
Picture Discs
This will be just a "getting the frustration out" ramble, but i bought my first picture disc at Record Store Day Saturday. One on my favorite childhood albums, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, "Pictures At An Exhibition".
The surface noise on this "thing" basically makes it unlistenable. Though it's a live album, it's relatively quiet in many places and just dreadful to listen to. It sounded like there was a big sticker covering the grooves.
Is this normal for picture discs? I've seen a lot of them on the shelves over the years, but never tempted to buy one until this weekend. I didn't clean it before play but i can't imagine that would make any difference.
Oh well....guess I now own a novelty item.