Welcome to the Pleasuredome is the debut studio album by English synth-pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, first released on 29 October 1984 by ZTT Records. Originally issued as a vinyl double album, it was assured of a UK chart entry at number one due to reported advance sales of over one million. It actually sold around a quarter of a million copies in its first week. The album was also a top-10 seller internationally in countries such as Switzerland, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand. While commercially successful, the album also drew criticism for containing new versions of all of the songs from the group's (already much-remixed) singles from the same year ("Relax" and "Two Tribes", plus B-side "War"), as well as a surfeit of cover versions in lieu of much new original material. It was later revealed that Trevor Horn's production dominated the record so thoroughly that the band's own instrumental performances were often replaced by session musicians or Horn himself. Frankie's second album, Liverpool, actively featured the full band. However, the album's evergreen ballad "The Power of Love" subsequently provided the group with their third consecutive UK number one single. To celebrate the album's 30th anniversary, in October 2014, ZTT through Union Square Music released a limited edition (2,000 copies only) box set entitled Inside the Pleasuredome, available exclusively from the website pledgemusic.com. The box set contains rarities on 10" vinyl, as well as a book, a DVD, a cassette (featuring 13 mixes of "Relax" and its B-side "One September Monday") as well as a new 2014 remastered version of Welcome to the Pleasuredome on 180g vinyl.
I'm shocked at how good this album is, it covers a lot of territory and is a satisfying journey. I had no idea; the only song I'd heard before was "Relax" which, by the way, mashes up really well with Rammstein's "Du Hast". If you're the kind of person who likes every song on the album to be similar then skip this, you won't like it. Also, you're lame. Go back to the safe playlist bubbles of Spotify or whatever.
All of the 80's collective cheesiness rolled into one album. I hate this corny shit.
This was very different to what i expected. It starts out like quite a decent dance record. Inexplicably throws in a few covers which add very little. Then the latter part of the record goes nowhere until the massive hit "power of love" comes on. Not sure how much of a coherent album it is but its fucking mental and mostly enjoyable if only in parts. 3/5
I really enjoyed this. It was weird, trippy, indulgent, all the things that can be annoying and make an album less enjoyable potentially, but this one hits the mark. A really unique and cool experience.
You know, I really liked this a lot. More than I thought I would. There’s a very cinematic feel to it, maybe kind of a broadway show feel. You’ve got kinda synthy stuff like Relax, you’ve got bossanova on the San Jose cover, there’s a Born To Run cover, there’s a skit or two. I’ve listened to it like 3 times in a day because it flows together so well even though it might not be the BEST.
FGTH were MASSIVE. Relax and Two Tribes sound like a huge outburst of rage against the system. Great Britain in 1984 - Thatcher’s sweeping social reforms, massive unemployment, miners’ strike, troubled in Northern Ireland, deepening North/South divide and genuine fear of nuclear obliteration - an absolutely awful time to be anything other than obscenely wealthy. And here were a band from Liverpool, making loud, raucous, frenetic music, as maximalist as the excesses of the Tory government but this belonged to them - we’ll sing about sex, we’ll sing about war, we’re blatantly queer and we’re going to be huge. And they were. Radio 1 banned Relax from the airwaves - it made no difference - the song hit number one, followed by Two Tribes (with Relax now occupying number two in the charts - practically unheard of) and Power of Love. Three hit singles. And for a short while, these Lads from Liverpool ran the country - not the fascist regime in Westminster. Anything was possible. Perhaps that explosion of energy explains the shortcomings of this album. The hits and a few other tracks aside, synth pop cover versions do not an album make and perhaps the interference of Trevor Horn meant the creative spark was diminished somewhat when the band tried to make more music. Not a classic album, then, but an important one. Never forget what this band meant. Frankie Says Relax, yeah?
Genius.. Well mainly
Thank you for welcoming me to the Pleasuredome
Fantastic, varied synth-pop album.
My wife says she feel like I was cheating on her with Spotify while listening to this.
Relax, Two Tribes, The Power of Love - these were all tracks I was well aware of and liked, but I had never ventured further into the Frankie Goes To Hollywood oeuvre. Well, I'm very pleased that I now have! I would have originally said Frankie... was decidely 80s pop rock but there are tonnes of different elements going on here, I hear tones of jazz, funk, dance and R&B. Fantastic record!
Full album changed power of love for me
OMG, I bought this LP when it came out. I wore this album out, there is nothing like it.
I was undecided for so long whether to go 4 or 5 with this album, but you know what? It's a classic. So many legendary tunes. Flows well. Powerful album
Peak 80s
Now this was unexpected! After the opener there was a 13 minute song and I got very nervous but the rest of them leveled out and I actually found a ton that I liked on here. Obviously Relax is a classic but I really enjoyed Two Tribes, Born to Run, and San Jose (which I think is a bit from who's line is it anyway). The album cover looks way better on Apple Music, this looks like Picasso went to the Queen Mary's and had his life changed.
Relax un clásico. War pues otro clásico.
Relax is a classic but the album really drops off in the second half
Back to the '80s baby! Of course, the only song I know from this group is "Relax," and thankfully that is on here. Somehow I never picked up on how sexual that song is until hearing it in the context of the album. There are also some covers, like "War" and "Born to Run," and I enjoyed those. Overall, I like their style and enjoyed a handful of songs, but this didn't strike me as anything special. Favorite tracks: Relax, Born to Run, War. Album art: Pretty cool art cover, though the picture framed on this site is different from the one I see on Apple music. I like the colors and art style of this one though. 3/5
Woof this is all over the place. Horrid title track, great songs that would probably sound better covered, very dated, and interesting album experience touches. Too confusing for anything but a 3.
Could’ve done without the Springsteen cover
Fun and eclectic, lots of classic rock singalongs with interludes of weird narration or groovy instrumentals.
Wow, I didn’t expect to like this nearly as much as I did… really solid listening experience. The originally songs were fun jams and even the covers were really original takes on those tracks. Overall thoroughly enjoyed this and I might check out more of their stuff. Favorite Tracks: “Welcome To The Pleasure Dome,” “Relax,” “War,” and “The Power of Love”
I'm biased
- strong musicianship - kinda out there but also poppy - wildly explicit lyrics, truly shocking
Just the perfect pop album. Doesn’t sound in the slightest bit dated it was so ahead of its time! Classic!!
great!!!
I had sort of decided this wasnt for me as I am not a massive pop fan, however this is an amazing album full of great records
Pretty much perfect for me
So 80s, I love it.
Un disc excessiu, pletòric, que aglutina i expandeix els '80. Hi ha de tot i no tot és perfecte, però la majoria és material molt robust. Estan els singles: 'Relax', 'The Power of Love', Two Tribes', que van marcar una época. Estan les versions, una 'Born to Run' efervescent o un 'Ferry Cross the Mersey' reverencial. Estan els growers que amb les escoltes guanyen pes, com 'Krisco Kisses' o 'War'... La producció de Trevor Horn i la imatge i actitud del grup, que va marcar aquells anys, acaben per reivindicar-lo com un dels grans discos de la década
Their cover of Ferry Across the Mersey is the hidden gem.
relax goes so hard i love this album
I'm ten percent gayer whenever I listen to this synth-pop masterpiece. That's how good it is! All jokes aside, this is an album that should probably be taken far more seriously than its current "critical reputation" lets on. First, this is producer Trevor Horn's Sistine Chapel: the 13-minute+ cinematic extravaganza of the title track is here to prove it. Secondly, fillers are pretty rare here, which is a feat given that *Welcome To The Pleasure Dome* is a double-album: that string of covers in the middle of the record (standards once sung by Bruce Springsteen, Edwin Starr, Gerry Marsden or Dionne Warwick) are always fresh and interesting, and the vast majority of the FGTH compositions stand out as well. There's the steamy hit "Relax", of course, and getting you ten percent gayer is the very minimum said hedonistic anthem can do. There are also "Two Tribes" and that touching-yet-fully-epic ballad "The Power of Love", aptly concluding the proceedings. Yet as good as those highlights are, they should not *fully* divert attention away from the lesser-known "Wish The Lads Were Here", "Krisco Kisses", and "Black Night White Light" towards the end of this record, along with the instrumental "The Ballad Of 32". Those tracks are pretty catchy as well. As a matter of fact, I find those deep cuts catchier and more satisfying in terms of melodies and hooks than 90% of the other synth-pop acts of the time. And I'm including the overrated Duran Duran here, or even Tears For Fears (ar least as far as their non-singles are concerned). So yep, Frankie Goes To Hollywood released an all-time classic in the synth-pop genre, period. And to be clear, punks, anyone who disagrees with me on this can get on his knees and suck my d... Well, only if said oral activity gives you pleasure, *of course*. And if you're nice and gentle enough, I may even return the favor at some point... Jeeze, did I say this album made me "ten percent gayer"? Maybe it's more like 25. 😎 One last thing, the topical overtones of this double-LP also make it an essential listen, and here I promise I'm not kidding you. Tackling the themes of gay liberation, the horrors of war, and the joy and love that communities must try to reach in times of hardship--all of this during the dreadful era of Thatcherism and the AIDS epidemic--is a pretty serious thing. And managing to tackle those themes while conveying the feeling you're having a blast at the same time is a rather admirable achievement, all things considered. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 here. Number of albums left to review: 552 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 217 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 105 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 128
9/10 cool maximalist gay 80s synthpop. a little uneven and tiring
Really good album! I really like "Relax" from my entrance into new wave. The entire album's vibe really resonated today. I enjoyed the covers as well. Solid 4 stars!
Wish I could give it a 3.5. At times unique, at times an 80s kid’s wet dream.
Definitely one of the better pop-funk-disco albums of the 80s.
this was actually very great, very very 80s, very cheesy, very talented and very varied
didn't realise the title track was sooooo long...
Some pretty darn good tunes.
Groooooovy. RELAX
4/5 That album was mostly good!
Loved this album....great memories Relax & Enjoy!!
A pretty good album with disco-style calm songs.
It's definitely a more advanced pop album when compared to the rest of the 80's
Love this album
Crazy album. A 13-minute epic right at the beginning, a couple of covers I wasn't expecting ("War" and "Born To Run"). End of the album was a bit weak, but otherwise a fun album.
Kinda sick actually. Very sexual, but some bangers in there nevertheless
Brilliant, singles like relax and the power of love are enough to make this thing timeless
Pleasantly surprised by the musicality in the album. Another deep dive from what i thought was a one-hit wonder reveals another solid artist.
Spooky vibe Jungle sounds lets goo Baby we were born too run - wat een schijf also is het deze waar Michel Wuyts aan dacht bij de finish van Van Aert bij de Amstel Gold Race?
3,8 Waar is die pleasuredome en hoe geraak ik daar?! (ik wil gaan met men lads, where they@?) Album is een vibe, nummer van 13 minuten stoorde mij niet omdat het leuke sounds had. na het einde had ik wel het gevoel dat er paar nummers een beetje filler waren. Niet persé een album dat ik ooit nog volledig ga luisteren, maar ik ga wel zeker nog vaak een paar nummers luisteren! Relax en The power of love fatte bops!
Welcome to the pleasuredome is echt een bop. RELAX ook . Eerste helft was echt goed. Album in totaal was wel iets te lang waardoor tweede helft minder boeide..
bastante chulo la verdad aunque es larguísimo además tiene la canción esa de Relax que es muy famosa está guapa
Uhhhh has relax on it Do be pretty groovy idk I liked
6
Aesthetic
No sabía que "Relax" era de acá y me parece muy buen hit. Un disco con altibajos, aunque quizá rescate más lo bueno, porque no suena mal y de pronto se antoja como una chispa experimental, de repente parece entre Tears for Fears y Duran Duran. Creo que tiene es todo ese dramatismo, que yo he aducido como representativo de Queen. Otras canciones que me gustaron fueron "Two Tribes", "San Jose" y la cursi "The Power of Love". 7.5/10
Muy chistoso, se ve que hubo buena producción, un sonido muy de su época. Pues me gustó en general, tiene variedad, aunque si tuve que dar un skip por ahi, mis favs fueron sobre todo las primeras canciones hasta Relax, don't do it,. Tararararartara, relax...
some things i love: the bass - great tone, and man, can that guy rip. the liverpool/merseyside stuff - totally a personal thing, but liverpool is definitely special in my world, so hearing that accent was awesome. the rest of the album was a great snapshot of pop music in 1984, for sure. also, the contemporaneous cover of Born To Run! never heard it before, but it totally rocks.
Interesting
💥
Sweaty. Basically lots of different versions of Two Tribes (no bad thing!) and some utterly redundant cover versions which ruin the tone of the album and stretch it out too much.
Whilst I have kind of heard of Frankie Goes to Hollywood I didn't realise that the absolute classic "Relax" was by these guys! Welcome to the Pleasuredome is an amalgamation of what I think the 80s would've sounded like. Full of deep synths and electro dance pop goodness. Best: Relax; War Worst: Tag
A great album that seems to encompassing of everything 80. Synth pop, new wave, some prog rock esque sounds, a 15 minute song on the first half, couple of covers and sandwiched by two of the biggest 80s songs with Relax and Power of Love
A shockingly engaging album with various movements and genres well blended into a single album. I was impressed by the several famous singles and covers, and while some may describe the structure as messy sounding, it kept me interested from beginning to end.
I was fourteen when this came out and was too cool listening to Pink Floyd in my Led Zeppelin t shirt to give it the time of day. Of course I knew some of the songs but listening to the album was a joy. Clubby, dancey and a pivotal statement in Gay culture. I love it!
Quite the song writer. I'm impressed. I really expected them to be a one hit wonder where everything else sucked. But these guys are good.
I had heard Relax many times before but didn't know anything about this band. Now I know. There are more great songs on this album.
More like Loose Swingqueens
Absers bangers. Can't think of a better band to come out of Liverpool
Ended up quite liking this after not being sold on the first track. High energy with some proper good tracks all the way through.
Those cover songs we’re a bit cringey, but Relax was one of the first songs that I was aware of in the zeitgeist Of the MTV heydays. Love that.
mis a part le fait que toutes les chansons sont les mêmes j’ai bien aimé
Some great songs of their time.
Oh damn. Like this a lot more than I was expecting to. I had Frankie Goes to Hollywood mentally filed next to Soft Cell as being a more or less uninteresting pop act with a smash hit single or two. Really enjoyed the first sequence of three tracks - really did feel like entering a pleasuredome! I also dug many of the covers, especially "San Jose (The Way)"... Not quite a five as the second half has some lulls, but I'd definitely go 4.5 if that were an option. Fave track - "Relax" - that shiz is utterly iconic. The title track was great too, and "San Jose"...
wow, what fun, got a bit weird around born to run but such a nostalgic sound
Surprisingly good. Loved the cinematic feel, changes in pace and level of drama.
An album ahead of its time. It’s about “to thine own self be true”, positivity and a better future. Although it has an 80’s vibe, it is not dated. This is an album that I have never heard (other than what was on MTV or the radio), I’m glad I had the opportunity. These are the albums I am looking to find by participating.
First half of the album was stellar, second half fell off a bit.
Great 80s disco vibe. Just needed more synth vibes
From the bawdy opening number to the cordial closer. Welcome to the Pleasuredome is a journey masquerading as a double album that leaves you breathless as it rockets through its track listing.
I enjoyed the varied use of instruments and styles e.g electronic, orchestral sections. A well balanced album Would listen again
Trevor Horn's production is at its peak, Frankie turn out a high divisive and political LP that's too confidently queer for the media... but so catchy they could never contain it. I only wonder how Frankie's first LP would've sounded without Horn's influence? They're a really bloody good band, it just sucks that the production shines over the musicianship.
Ik vind het wel een lekker album. De bekende nummers staan er ook op! ****
85/100: "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" stays on during sex. Joking aside, this was a shocker of an album. It felt like every song that fit in the category of "I've heard this before and loved it but never knew who sang it" was on this album. On top of that, there were many songs that I had never heard before but thoroughly enjoyed. I expected this album to be really shitty '80s synth pop. I'm ecstatic that I was as wrong as I was. I will listen to this album many more times in the future and think I'll probably buy it on vinyl too.
Didn't totally care for the spoken interludes, but this album is a vibe. Love the track transitions & overall flow
A classic 👌
Classic 80’s
A true classic, and one of the defining albums of the mid/late 80’s sound and night club dance scene
Pleasant surprise. Loved the flavor of some of the covers....
Pretty decent but it all kind of blurs together. There’s a very consistent sound throughout the album (including the covers) so if you don’t like “Relax,” you probably won’t like the album. Dance music is my favourite genre so I enjoyed it for that, but I probably wouldn’t come back to any song other than “Relax” (which of course I already knew).
It's good. It's proggier than you'd expect from 80s dance pop, at times to the point of being a bit pretentious. But when it bangs it bangs. It's probably 20 minutes too long though. Sam Jose could easily have been dropped!
Stand out tracks are great
Ik word heel vrolijk van het eerste deel van het album. De sound die ik via de radio van hen ken. Beetje een guilty pleasure. Typisch jaren '80 met een schone rol voor de synthesizer. Maar dan met wel een hele bak geluid. Daarna volgt een grapje en verdwijnt de muzikale handtekening van Frankie. 3.5 ster
This was actually pretty good. It was corny, being an entire concept album about love and incorporating religion, but it wasn't bad. I was scared since most of the double albums on this list go on for far too long, but this album actually was pretty varied and indulged in many different 80s sounds. This all being said, I probably won't listen to the album as a whole again (especially because some songs are dreadfully repetitive), but there were several songs that I'll hear every once in a while on my liked songs on Spotify. It was really weird to hear a fully 80s pop song be 13 minutes long, but I enjoyed it. This album brings a lot to the table, and does it pretty well. The thing that really irks me is "The Power of Love" which is a 5 minute song with no? verses and feels like only a repeating chorus which felt like it dragged on forever. Highlights: 2, 3, 5, 13.
The animals are winding me up The jungle call The jungle call Who-ha who-ha who-ha who-ha In Xanadu did Kublai Khan A pleasure dome erect Moving on keep moving on, yeah Moving at one million miles an hour Using my power I sell it by the hour I have it so I market it You really can't afford it, yeah Really can't afford it 4/5
A diverse one, love that
Another one from the never listened batch! This was surprisingly enjoyable though