Welcome To The Pleasuredome

Man, this was way, way worse than I thought it would be. Relax and Two Tribes are the only remotely tolerable songs - the rest is icky '80's gush. Seemed like something was off with the production too - alternatively too loud and too quiet (though that may be an Apple Music thing, to be fair). And I'm not sure whose idea it was to put the 13 minute death march as the first real song of the album. Two stars for Relax and Two Tribes, but barely.

Interesting cover choices, I had no idea. Anyway, its gay club music, good for what it is, but not really my bag.

Pretty good fun and catchy music. Interesting take on some covers.

It is a good album with alot of classics

A good time, but not necessarily for a long time. The album (and some songs) are a bit bloated and repetitive and the sound is very of its time. It's fun, it's dancy, it's enjoyable. I am glad to have heard it, but I don't think I'll find myself coming back to it.

Entertaining without amazing, the covers in the middle felt like padding, my favorite song overall is Two Tribes, of the songs new to me I liked Wish (The Lads Were Here)

Oula les 30 premières secondes sont intenses et ne font pas de sens quand on vient de se réveiller à 6:30. J’ai l’impression que ce sont des reprises avec des sonorités country . Après l’album à la même vibe que la pochette de l’album : coloré , fouillis , pas trop chercher de sens, juste c est une vibe. Je mettrai ça comme musique de fond dans un restaurant fusion un peu expérimental

RELLLLLAAAXXX. (cette chanson parle de sexe assez cruement en fait j'avais jamais réalisé). Le reste de l'abum est pas la hauteur de ce banger.

A little lengthy! I need to read why this makes it.

It feels like an intersection between Meatloaf and Led Zepplin. It didn't skyrocket too Led Zepplin status to me, but it's a good theatrical album. It has some decent tracks, but fails to keep consistency to earn another star from me.

They take themselves more seriously than I would have guessed.

Actually a banger! Didn’t know the album but was familiar with some songs 4/5

Fun album

Kind of weird

Reeeeally not sure about this one but gets a +1 for Burt Bacharach and Huey Lewis mention

A few great songs that were staples of the 80's, and a few songs that were tedious at best. Real mixed bag. Maybe they were too RELAXed to write good songs?

The hell is this?

Cool nostalgic trip back to the 80s. Fun listen that I will return to at some point. 7.5/10 Top song... Relax

Massive 80 bangers with a social political background what more do you need?!!

I have a hard time with synth-pop, it's one of my least favorite genres. Combine that with this being half full of covers on a double album, and it sounds like an awful slog. However, I'm halfway through this and honestly I'm enjoying it more than I expected. A few cool originals, decent covers, and we'll see how the rest goes. Yeah, so the back half drags a bit and is more like what I expected to feel from a synth-pop album.

It’s the last day of our camping trip. It’s bucketing down outside, and we have to pack up our tent in the lashing rain. This is not the soundtrack I wanted for today. To say I’ve never been a fan of Frankie Goes To Hollywood is something of an understatement. The instantly recognisable synthetic bass lines of their two most famous songs grate against my brain. “Relax” is such a strange song to be a hit. It's quite a risque subject matter to be blaring out of tinny speakers in a supermarket in the middle of the day as families fill their trollies with their weekly shop. “Two Tribes” tackles the other theme of the album, war, but to me it’s just a cacophony of synthpop nonsense. But, I come here trying to understand the appeal, and why this is an album that I must listen to before I die (even if it kills me). It starts off with a cringey Vincent Price impersonation, “The world is my oyster. Ha ha ha ha.” Lord beer me strength. Next up is the thirteen minute title track. The same cringe-tastic spoken word parts are peppered throughout, but I have to admit, the melody is quite catchy. There’s some pretty interesting guitar textures in there too, with plenty of harmonics and, dare I say it, a sustained guitar that sounds a little Pink Floyd Meddle-esque? There’s a hint of harmonica breaking up the electronic sound too. “War” is the first of a few covers on the album. It’s like a deconstructed version of the original. Again, there’s campy nonsense thrown in everywhere with a terrible impersonation of Ronald Regan rattling on about Che Guevara and love. Damn it though, I have to admit that I don’t hate the bass line at all. It actually reminds me of… and I shudder to say this aloud… Kraftwerk or even LCD Soundsystem. I hate myself. But, overall it's a lot to take. There are little skits about orgasms, needless covers of Bruce Springsteen and San Jose, ill-advised rapping and all sorts of cringiness filling the excessive runtime. I know that's the point. It's excess by design or something like that. Some sort of art project that's very smugly certain of itself. But I mean, we still have to suffer through it all. Sure it has some redeeming moments. More than I expected going into this, to be honest. But to be clear, it's redemption from a one star review. And that's the nicest I can be about the Pleasuredome. Overall, it's as enjoyable as packing up a wet tent in the lashing rain.

The gay mothership.

Three fantastic tracks, covers and dross. Scrapes a 3.

Sounds just like it did when I first heard it in the 80s: long, uneven, and boring. 2/5.

Ima tu par dobrih stvari, ali overall ne mogu dati previsoku ocjenu jer mi ostale pjesme nisu baš nešto i preveliki mi je kontrast. U usporedbi s drugim albumima ipak je to bolje, zato 3/5, 5/10

Started out slow for me and I liked the releases back in the 80s. Once the covers kicked in the album really took off for me. Still probably a 3.5, but dropping.

The Power of Love

2 - early 80s electronic/dance music. not vibing with it.

Felt like I was in some late-night 80s discotheque. Pure, unadulterated fun here. It's a wild ride. You don't go to a carnival for the subtlety. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - Welcome to the Pleasuredome - Relax (Come Fighting) - Two Tribes (For the Victims of Ravishment) - The Power of Love

*Welcome to the Pleasuredome* is less a simple album and more a spectacular, multi-million-dollar explosion of 1980s excess. It's an artifact of its time that still sounds astonishingly audacious. Produced by the wizard Trevor Horn, it's an album defined by its contradictions—huge hits and baffling filler, sincere emotion and ironic posturing, progressive ambition and pop simplicity . Here's an in-depth look at its music, themes, and lasting impact. ### 🎼 Music and Production: The Trevor Horn Spectacular The album is famously a producer's masterpiece. Trevor Horn, fresh from his work with Yes and ABC, treated the studio like an orchestra, building a wall of sound with cutting-edge synthesizers, huge drums, and elaborate orchestration . The result is a pop record with the scale of a prog-rock epic. - **The Hits as Showpieces:** The colossal, 13-minute title track, based on Coleridge's poem *Kubla Khan*, is a prog-rock Trojan horse that snuck into the charts . "Two Tribes" is an apocalyptic, synth-driven funk-rock beast, while "Relax" remains a sleek, tense masterpiece of build-up and release. "The Power of Love" is a hyper-ballad with lush strings by Anne Dudley . - **Production Techniques:** Horn's craftsmanship is legendary. He infamously recorded street sounds by putting a microphone out the studio window after the Notting Hill Carnival for the title track and even sped up the master tape of "The Power of Love" because it felt too slow . - **Eclectic Covers:** The album includes four covers, which were a point of contention. The over-the-top version of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" and the bombastic take on Edwin Starr's "War" (complete with fake explosions) are thrillingly excessive, though other covers like "Ferry Cross the Mersey" feel less essential . ### ✍️ Lyrics and Themes: Sex, Politics, and Sheer Audacity The album is unapologetically transgressive, dealing with themes that were genuinely controversial in 1980s Britain . - **Sex and Liberation:** The album is saturated with sexual and queer themes . "Relax" was famously a euphoric ode to, as bassist Mark O'Toole later admitted, "shagging" . With openly gay members Holly Johnson and Paul Rutherford, the album confronted mainstream audiences with a flamboyant, queered take on pop, acting as a Trojan horse for gay visibility . - **Cold War Anxiety:** "Two Tribes" channels the era's nuclear dread, featuring a spoken-word impersonation of Ronald Reagan that both satirizes and reflects the paranoia of the time . - **Postmodern Irony:** The album is filled with ironic asides, from Prince Charles impressionists talking about orgasms to slogans like "Frankie Say..." that comment on the very hype surrounding the band . The opening lines of the title track, "Using my power, I sell it by the hour," are a knowing wink at the commercial machinery that created them . ### ⚖️ Pros and Cons **Pros:** * **Monumental Production:** Trevor Horn's soundscapes are breathtakingly ambitious and still sound incredible . * **Unforgettable Hits:** The singles—"Relax," "Two Tribes," and "The Power of Love"—are essential 80s pop classics . * **Cultural Impact:** It was a groundbreaking moment for queer representation in mainstream pop and a masterclass in marketing and hype . * **Audacious Vision:** The sheer scale and daring of the project is impossible not to admire . **Cons:** * **Inconsistent Pacing:** The album suffers from bloat. The second half, in particular, is filled with filler tracks and covers that drag the experience down . * **Over-Production:** For some, Horn's polish obscures the band, and the ironic, hype-heavy packaging can feel like style over substance . * **Covers:** The inclusion of four cover versions was seen as a cynical move to pad out a double album and, aside from a few, they lack the spark of the originals . * **Dated Elements:** The Reagan impersonations and 80s synth sounds firmly plant the album in its era, which can feel like a gimmick to modern ears . ### 🌟 Influence and Legacy Upon release, *Welcome to the Pleasuredome* was a massive commercial success, debuting at #1 in the UK . While it was the band's high-water mark and they would soon implode, its legacy is significant. It paved the way for other pop groups to combine electronic music with a sharp, ironic, and queer aesthetic, influencing acts like the Pet Shop Boys . It remains a fascinating, glorious, and messy monument to the possibilities of pop when ambition and budget are given free rein .

Sorry just wasnt my thing

This was another surprise album on the list. I was aware of the band due to the hit singles, and didn't think much of them aside from the hype surrounding the album and the controversy at the time with the song Relax. And I never thought they were considered "good" at the time. This turned out to be a mostly fun album. I loved Welcome to the Pleasuredome and was excited to listen the rest after that. Their version of War was quite interesting. I'm a huge Springsteen fan, but never listened to their version of Born to Run before. While paling by comparison, it wasn't bad at all. And San Jose was also quite a nice surprise. There was a bit of a lull after that, but it ended very strongly with The Power of Love. Overall a much better album than I ever expected.

Another really pleasant surprise. A record I’ve never owned so this was a voyage of discover outside of the singles. The title track at 11 minutes was a glorious prog-pop masterpiece and I really enjoyed the cover in the middle. Overall an ambitious pop record that stands the test of time. 4/5.

Started of weird, but got there in the end

loved it

You get up in the morning to hit play on Frankie Goes to Hollywood and you expect Relax. You expect some synth-y 80s pop stuff. Then you hit play and you get a 13:40 song. You get whatever War is. You get covers of Born to Run and San Jose. It ends with some strange acid trip in bang... and it takes you over an hour to get there. If the 80s ever had a cocaine fueled indulgence album, this has to be up for it.

More less.

Relax, don't do it... Seriously, just don't.

What is this shit? That question only implies dismissal when the shit you're asking what the shit is is shit rather than 'shit' being a generic term like, 'oh yeah, I dig this shit.' 2 tracks in, which covers a good 15 to 16 mins, I was pretty sure Welcome To The Pleasuredome was shit. 'Shooting stars never stop / Shooting stars never stop.' 'Relax (Come Fighting)' is not e'en what you could call a respectable 80s hit, tho I guess if it came on in a club or a film score, I could get down. Otherwise, 4 tracks in, & I knew this was shit. A prog & arena mismatch, this is truly a dismal, dreadful, dated, dumb, &, I don't know, decaying record: I'd show this to those wanting to get a sense of the bad side of culture. The problem is it can't e'en do the bad side well.

Un ritmo de canciones de discoteca acompañado de letras sobre guerra y amor pueden hacer algo increíble e intrigante.

Another blast from the past, and one of my favorite albums ever. There's nothing about this album I don't love. The album rolls seamlessly through the huge bombastic bangers, the flamboyant up-tempo dance anthems and the moody haunting ballads. It's got such a clean, huge sound overall, with great music, awesome vocals and fantastic lyrics woven together so well. I wore this thing out in high school and it easily got three enjoyable plays here 40 years later.

I love the 80s… so many good songs on this album, but one of my favourites is ‘The Power of Love’ it’s such an anthem. ‘Relax’ and ‘War’ are also worth mentioning cause duh.

Most songs are 33% too long.

A lot of good stuff on this album, and the rest is kind of annoying. 4 stars or B-.

This contains my most hated song ever. The rest of the album was okay I guess but hearing the voice just reminds me of the one song. I don’t hate it as much as I used to, but still no.

This felt like an entire album of the intro and outro to relax. Then it turns into a cover album for a while. I didn’t mind it but too long.

"We work hard, we play hard!" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjElZ-O9EpM Pretty eclectic and VERY charged synth pop album. Don't think that the covers really hit, however.

Such a great album! Tons of fun and encapsulating perfectly the 80s! I absolutely love those synths and the various experiments! It's a bit less interesting in the middle of the record (I'd say from Wish to Krisco Kiss) but the A side is amazing and the end of the B side is rock solid.

A fee covers reduced my experience, bit the bangers are banging

Fine. They were never my scene

Growing up in rural Appalachia, I had no context for what gay was. Heck, I didn't know anyone who was gay until I got to college, I think. (Or, rather, I knew people who were closeted and passing -- only for them to come out years later.) As a result, I had no concept that an album with a song called "Krisco Kisses" was about gayness. Man, I grew up sheltered. But I loved this album then and it still holds up pretty well. Maybe not five stars -- but there's good stuff therein.

The production on this is amazing. Some of the song choices are questionable and reveal a lack of original material.

wtf Fav. Track: the one that says war sucks. It really does.

Well, this was sensational when it was released, I remember watching the “Tube” - it was so fresh and new, but now so dated😂

A proper 80’s club record. Good luck trying not to tap your foot or hum along.

Gay history landmark. Can’t believe I’ve never listened to this album before now.

I think this album wants to be epic, huge, theatrical, but it’s let down by a bunch of filler, poor mixing, and weird production choices.

This album is trying SO HARD to be an epic masterpiece. It's a double album, has a bunch of spoken word moments, and a few ambient sections that are trying to raise the emotional stakes of the whole affair...and it all sounds completely ludicrous. I laughed out loud a few times...during the hooha chanting on the title track...when the singer sings "Who wants to die?" during their cover of War. And oh, the cover songs! There's four of them, which is fine for a debut in 1965, but pathetic for one in 1984. And the songs are either barely changed, uninteresting, or ruined by bad ideas, like War. There was no need for any of them, and they were a quarter of the run time. What's funny is the basic sound on this album is fine, if a bit dated. I mean, "Relax" is a decent song, and the last quarter of the album is tolerable, or at least fairly free of cheese. But when you take their decent sound and mix it with the pompousity of what their doing and how amazing they think they are, this album is truly an airborne flaming turd worth dodging.

One of the classic early rock live albums. Too few songs though.

Joyous

뭐라 쓰지

Oh man, when this shit started out I was ready to give the album a 5. The first track Oyster was a pretty good multi phase 80s prog song, but the titular song was so goddamn interesting. I love the chaotic aspects of it. All the animal noises and the strapping young men muttering "Hoo. Hah. Hoo Hah." really call back to the cover art and the animal orgy art on the back. Relax was such a welcome surprise after that and totally kept the hype going. Unfortunately, it was downhill after that. Some mid and unimpressive covers, and exceptionally forgettable songs. I wish the whole album was the first three songs, but alas. 3/5

I only know about Relax because of Zoolander. I hadn’t heard any other song on this album other than that one. They made some choices that didn’t jive with me. For one, the title track was super long and not worth the time. Relax was enjoyable, as was Power of Love. But everything in the middle was nowhere near as good as those two songs. Including the covers (of which, there were too many). I was kind of hoping they would expand beyond what I knew of them and I’d get some very interesting songs, but alas, it didn’t turn out that way.

Relax was a pretty cool track but the rest of this album is try hard self-indulgent 80s barf.

Sure. It’s music. Definitely not completely full of itself. No amount of moaning women and rock-n-roll-isms and jungle chants can take away from the incredibile level of humility and restraint that’s obviously on display here. In fact it’s probably the most humble album ever! And don’t get me started on the deep emotional message and insightful personal reflection in the writing… 1

This is an album with some great songs that could do with a little curating either in some track being too long or too many tracks. But still very enjoyable.

Didn't realize this was partially a covers album. What theming! Great surprise. 4/5

7 - GOOD

This very faithful cover of Born to Run is throwing me off. And San Jose. And War, come to think of it. Is this like half-club/dance half-covers?

I love this album. Reading about it has revealed lots of interesting aspects as well. The use of synthesisers at this time was so exciting - making new sorts of music. (I heard that there was a rush to be first to produce a record using new capabilities when each machine first came out, and that there's an Amii Stewart (?) album which is dominated by a pre-production early release of a new synth she had received. )

Enjoyed immensely. A gigantic sound.

Eclectic, interesting and 3 or 4 well known hits

Why do people rate this group so highly? They are just another 80s electronic band who use suggestive lyrics to enhance their sales.

This was surprisingly meh for me. I kind of expected to enjoy it more. Perhaps I set it up for failure by expecting too much out of it. 3 stars.

Typical 80's new wave - not something I enjoy very much. A high 2, not quite enough for a 3.

A synthpop album with good moment, that ultimately is suffering an identity crisis. Some parts kick ass, others are forgettable.

The opening four tracks are monsters, the rest of the album falls away a bit and doesn't quite reach the same heights. Yes, session musicians were used in part, and it's massively over-produced, but this is less an album, more an event. Trevor Horn, take a bow. It's on the shelves. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★★☆(8/10) Total reviewed : 392 Already owned : 87 Purchased : 21 To buy : 3 Nope : 281

Very interesting synth pop album. Notable high points early, but is bogged down by a fairly bloated runtime with filler tracks and lesser song covers. Would be a lot more impactful with a more concise song selection. Top tracks: Welcome to the Pleasuredome, Relax, The Power of Love

71/100. It's an enjoyable album, with many great songs. Quite a few recognizable cover tracks on this album and some pretty good versions at that. Thematically it's a bit all over the place, but musically it holds itself together. The songs don't feel like they belong to the same story, but the production makes them feel like they belong to the same world. The title track and Relax are really great and definitely worth checking out. I find the whole album really interesting and different.

Some real We Have Peter Gabriels at Home energy

What an interesting diverse record. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. It's very 80's, but it takes all the best things from that era and condenses it into a powerful funky record. It also contains some very well known bangers such as Relax. Their cover of war is not that good however. The original wins by a mile, but it is passable.

This was the most 80s album I've had on the list. It is luckily also some pretty good 80s pop music.

It has happened again: another album by another band I have never heard of and have completely fallen in love with. Unironically, the first five songs, back to back, is just perfect, even if one is just a (really good) cover of War, and another is Relax, also known as "the brainwash song from Zoolander". Welcome to the Pleasuredome, being a 14 minute song, should be annoying, but no, I was all in for all 14 minutes. After that, the rest of the album has a great cover of Born to Run and several catchy songs. Wish The Lads Were Here is great too, but it's especially elevated by The Ballad of 32, the next song, starting with a bunch of cars and someone going "The Lads!" before playing a bunch of car crash noises and the same person going "Oh no! The Lads!" Genuine peak comedy. Yeah, this one completely kicks ass.

El tema de Relax carrea todo el disco

If you enjoy the 80s cheesy and goofy synth sound with over the top vocals then this is the album for you.

I like it when a one hit wonder band has a whole sick album. This isn’t one of those.

Must say I was a bit unprepared for this. Album and band name didn't ring a bell - though Frankie Goes To Hollywood definitely is a 5+ band name. Noticed 'Relax (Come Fighting)' is on the album, cool, I've heard that one before. But it just kept giving! Very cool 80s album that doesn't shy away from doing it's own thing. Much sex references (looking at you 'Including The Ballad of U32' with your Pink Floyd-like guitar, sprinkled with some orgy vocals). Cool beats all over the place. 'Relax (Come Fighting)', 'Two Tribes', 'San Jose (The Way)', 'Black Night White Lights', and of course 'The Power Of Love'. An album with both depth and breadth. Good sounding, always groovy. Singing is on point and powerful. My only complaint would be that it's a bit too long. But honestly, between every segway track is a very good one, so that more than makes up for it. Actually, I can't think of any song that was really bad. Overall I'm a bit stunned by how good this was. Loads of songs that I haven't heard before that I'll revist soon. Real treat. 5 stars!

The more the album went on the worse it got though. Some mediocre to bad covers (War, Born To Run) and it just devolved more and more. It also got uncomfortably horny, sure with a title like “Welcome to the pleasuredome” it is hardly surprising. Still “Including The Ballad Of 32” was a real low point. 3 stars

Started very well (4 or perhaps even 5 stars) but degenerated into nothing special halfway through.

classic 80s pop, more of a testament to Trevor Horn's production than to the band themselves who, as I understand it, hardly played a note on the album. Not my scene really but it holds up pretty well forty years later. For the prog fans, a little trivia - Steve Howe plays acoustic guitar on the title track

More intriguing and in depth than the other 80s chud on this. Has a touch of english irony with very melodic instrumentations. The Born to Run cover was great, but the War cover was bad. I land somewhere between 2-3 stars. A little under developed and one dimensional for my preference. Probably lean 3 stars because of the boss cover.

I really just have no idea what to make of this...

hollywood is the jungle, like high school is the animal world? the born to run cover >>>>>>

The most 80's thing I've ever heard. Had never heard of this and didn't realise that so many famous songs were from it. Felt like I was watching an 80's movie with endless needle drops. Favourite tracks: -Born to Run -War -The Power Of Love

90 songs. 7 hrs. Absolutely not

This was kinda all over the place but enjoyable and the song “War” has a special place in my heart because of the movie Rush Hour.

A couple of catchy tunes but super dated. 2.5

There are so many cover songs on this album, should it really be on this list? I used to love the song Relax, but as I've gotten older and the more things I notice and hear in the song, the more grossed out I am lol. I like the guy's voice though.

Сара га сад већ претерује са учењем Марко 4

In the UK during the mid 80’s Frankie ruled the airwaves, they were massive and very controversial. The 3 singles were huge and I think maybe Relax and Two Tribes were number 1 and number 2 respectively. I liked the singles but have only listened to the album once while round a friends house playing on his new Amstrad home computer back in 1984/85 so didn’t remember much of it to be fair. The album starts off strong then just seems to lose its way a bit before finding itself again with Power Of Love, don’t get that mixed up with Jennifer Rush! Anyway, it has some great songs but it also has a lot of fluff, where on earth did the Bruce Springsteen cover come from!

'80's dance music has never really been my thing. It's just a little too frenetic for my taste. Kind of like an over caffeinated toddler.

Fands geil, es war camp und joyful

Clearly of its time and without the shock value it had for some when it was released it’s just OK and maybe a bit bland in parts.

There’s times where Frankie Goes To Hollywood are doing a sort of ‘80s update to disco, even going as far as to have an overly controlling producer, and those parts are pretty awesome. But then there’s like 30 minutes where they turn into a mediocre cover band or are just doing voiceover over a pretty standard groove. It’s a tale of two albums here and I wish we got more of the greatness of those singles and the title track. Relax!

There was some good music in the 80s. There was some fun music in the 80s. This isn't good. It tries to be fun, and on occasion it connects. Overall, though, no thanks. 2

This album! Who-ha! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing Playlist add: "War" because I had to put something

So I saw yet ANOTHER British '80's synth-pop new wave blah blah blech. I had a very itchy 2-star finger. But you know what? This one was pretty good. Enough diversity, enough of something to say, and enough of a good time. Let's not get wild, but this was surprisingly good.

This was a very interesting album, wasn't expecting the covers but beyond that it was weird lol not terrible but not great

This is a pretty impressive pop concept album. Some of the tracks are familiar out of context but I had never given it a go as a unit.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Welcome To The Pleasuredome (1984) On Day 194, I found myself another truly great LP. This project was really something special, driven by premium production values and incredible, Trevor Horn's operatic vocal performances throughout. While there are definitely some provocative lyrics on a track like "Relax," the title track "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" was completely stunning. It is a long track, but it is incredibly beautiful, catchy, and deeply groovy, instantly becoming my favorite song on the record right now. The depth of the tracklist is amazing. Their cover of "War" instantly stood out to me because the song sounded highly familiar, and I realized it was the same anthem later used so memorably in the movie Rush Hour. I also loved "San Jose (The Way)," which brought a marvelous bossa nova touch to the sonic palette, while "Two Tribes" was an absolute banger. The highlights on this record go incredibly deep, including "Black Night White Light" and "The Power Of Love." The bottom line is that I can easily see myself getting obsessed with this masterpiece and continuously returning to it in the future. A definitive 5/5.

Groupe connu par le tube Relax, mais pas vraiment apprécié. Cet album est ... très long, mais plutôt plus original qu'attendu (+1). Le titre éponyme et ses 13,40 mn est particulièrement inattendu et assez bizarre (choeurs, parties parlées). Bizarrerie qu'on retrouve sur quelques autres morceaux. L'album contient aussi quelques reprises (bof). Ceci dit j'ai eu du mal à accrocher, et je ne suis pas sur d'avoir envie de l'écouter de nouveau. =>2/5

Didn't realise they only had the one album, or rather all the hits came off one album. I enjoyed this more than I expected, though I'm not sure how much of that was due to the nostalgia factor. Not a fan at the time but I don't mind hearing he songs now. I'm sorry, but its going to be another 3. It's better than a 2, but not worth a 4.

Iconic and powerful singles mixed in with some dubious cover versions that just feel like fillers. The album definitely loses its way in the 2nd half, but worthy of 4 big shiny stars for the magnificent highlights.

Relax was the first record I ever bought. FGTH were a cultural phenomenon in 1983/4 and I was completely sucked in in by it all. By Two Tribes we had Holly Johnson strutting around the set of TOTP,  completely owning it. The video of Reagan and Chenyenko wrestling. Then The Power of Love, a weird Xmas song, and the single Welcome to the Pleasur Dome. What a start to their career. What seemed to me like a lifetime later, they released their debut album. I had moved on. I never bought it or even listened to it, until now. It was an excellent soundtrack on out journey on the M6, the wife howling her way through 'Ferry Across the Mersey' and that strange medley with the Springsteen number. Then the moment where we were both killing 'The Power of Love' if poor Holly had been sitting in the back, he would have been horrified. What a great album, the pinnacle of the gay movement in music of that era. An absolute blast. I wonder to this day why I never bought it back then. But I purchase a copy recently, but it is yet to have a spin. Its a 5 star job!

Absolutely mad album, mad songs, mad covers, a fun listen

Decent tunes but not entirely my style.

Some great moments!

muito muito foda.

like probably most other folks, i'd only previously heard "relax", so it's interesting to hear it in the context of the rest of the album. and what a weird fucking album it is. we've been getting a lot of double albums recently so the length of this one made me wince but as soon as i reached the second track and saw it was most of 14 minutes long i realised this album is on some bullshit. but honestly.... i think i fuck with it? i'm for sure picking up whatever they're putting down, even if im not really sure what exactly it is that they've put down in the first place. the structure is bizarre, with the 14 minute title track loaded right up front as mentioned, followed by the undisputed banger "relax", and then..... a cover of "war"?? featuring spoken word segments on the relationship between love and war???? which are read out in a ronald reagan voice by the guy who played rimmer on red dwarf??????? it keeps pulling wild shit like this for the whole album and it kind of rules. it could stand to be more concise maybe, but i respect whatever the hell it's doing. as far as the music itself goes, the synths have a largeness to them that a lot of other synth-heavy music of the time was still lacking, and it's especially fun hearing that put to use in the covers of "war" and "born to run". the whole album really encapsulates the 80s pop sound, and even if it feels a little cheesy now, it's probably because of music like this popping off like it did and securing airtime for itself and other similar sounding stuff decades into the future. it's the half life guns thing again, yknow? a sound suffering from success. its a little too long but despite that im glad i finally heard the rest of this crazy album. and the album art (the version illustrated by lo cole) is awesome too. what a fuckin ride...

Sometimes maybe good sometimes maybe shit

Good listen, only knew the big ones but Born to Run and San Jose was a nice surprise (3.5)

Very surprised this is their first album, big pretentious 3rd album energy from it

This album is so fucking good. Then and now!

I think this album got me pregnant - you owe me child support Frankie.

4 sterne

Extremely mid-80s. Height of synth pop era. And it’s too not bad for that genre. Kinda fun in spots in an 80s kinda way. The title track Welcome to the Pleasure Dome is a good one, albeit a little long. Could totally see that being played at Studio 54 and in the clubs in NYC with everyone dancing and doing coke. Quite a gay party vibe too. Relax is the highlight for sure. That song was truly everywhere in the mid 80s. And while maybe by today’s standards the lyrics are tame, back then this was really pushing the envelope. War, Born to Run, San Jose are covers (seem like filler) At least they put a twist and their own stamp on War with the voiceover and different musical arrangement. But Born to Run is basically a slightly glammed up straight cover of the original. And it’s not nearly as good as Springsteen’s classic. It’s a low point on the album for me and really detracts from the record. Also doesn’t fit thematically… definitely not a gay party song. This is clearly a one album wonder band. Relax was definitely ubiquitous in the 80s, but that doesn’t mean this album is a must hear even though it was impossible to avoid in its day. It’s better than a 2, but not much.

Dated and a little long, but some undeniably fun tracks on here.

What a fabulous work of synth-pop! I only knew Relax! going into this so i was a bit skeptical if it would be a „great single and then the rest“ thing but i was definitely proven wrong. That insanely long title track? Mama, this is art! Relax? Still a stone cold bop. Two Tribes? Joined the tribes into one. The Power of Love? Where’s my handkerchief? I really love this. The only thing i’m unsure about are the covers. While i really like War, of the Ring could do without Born To Run. Not sure what it is supposed to do here.

Very long songs FRANKIE SAYS RELAX Most songs are fun Anti war

This isn't my era, nor a genre I enjoy but what a record this is. Can't help but admire Holly Johnson, full of rage, a forthright, angry, political, gay man in a time when it was rarely done. Top lad.

I had certain preconceived ideas coming into this. Considering it includes their four huge hits – Welcome to the Pleasuredome, Relax, Two Tribes, and Power of Love - I thought this would be one amazing fun fuelled extravaganza but there are so many covers, one perhaps, but four? It made me wonder how songwriters that could write such amazing powerful, political songs couldn’t just write. some. more. Perhaps that is the curse of the double album, over reaching leads to overpadding.

Wtf

Terrific album. Never listened to the entire album before; in addition to the familiar FGTH songs, particularly like the Born to Run & San Jose (The Way) covers.

Seminal singles, ambitious throughout, lush, exotic production. Coleridge would approve!

Ah yes, “Frankie says” T-shirts, 1984, a non Christmas Christmas song which still earns seasonal coin and all that. Seminal. Trevor Horn’s masterpiece feels as fun and fresh as it was upon release. Its pace changes, its soundscape, its OTT flourishes. Just sumptuous listening! This album has long been a guilty pleasure of mine, and is a release whose reputation I’d happily defend to the hilt, even if it meant being group bummed by a bunch of moustached Scousers. The first half is a clear 6 stars out of 5, the second though not soaring to the heights of the first is still full of banging tunes (the run of 3 covers aside, “San Jose” admittedly feels a bit misplaced despite the obvious nod to Hollywood dreams as does “Ferry” although the foreshadowing works really well, whereas I’ve never understood how or why the Boss cover fits). PS: They even do skits way better than 90s Gangsta rap! 😎

Know the singles but definitely haven't heard anything else. It's aggressively 80s and thus takes itself far too seriously, the big tracks are very catchy but id be pushed to say I enjoy them. Don't think I knew they were Scouse, always glad to see a Liverpudlian band do well (even if it was one albums worth of fame), but won't be listening again.

Well, I knew they were from Liverpool. Actually, I didn't - when they started singing about Ferry Across the Mersey, I looked it up. The track Welcome To The Pleasuredome is a 12-minute "here's what's coming up". I was quite disappointed overall - Relax and War were on an earlier album, so the versions here are remixes, and the only song worth writing about is The Power of Love. The Power of Love is a soaring, intense ballad, and is written carefully - the use of language is sublime. I love the little ornamentations through the song too - extra synths, relatively sparse drums kicking in when needed. A really, really good song. I didn't mind that the rest of the album was all over the place, gave me a chance to look forward to the next track, already highlighted by Welcome to the Pleasuredome. Would have been a 2, but I'm a big fan of that one song, so I'll knock it up a notch.

As I've said repeatedly, the whole synth pop sound doesn't do much for me, but I probably found this better than I thought I would. The ferry across the Mersey confused me.... Didn't realise they were from Liverpool! Didn't enjoy that one though. Begrudgingly, the born to run cover wasn't awful but I don't think covers should be on studio albums. San Jose too.... do your own songs! Anyway, aside from those covers and the weird interludes, there are 3 pretty iconic tracks on here. Unfortunately they don't redeem it for me. Better then I was expecting, but not for me. 2

Fine as far as 80s synth pop goes.

It’s over the top in every way but because that includes length, it struggles to hold out.

I think i would've enjoyed this more if it was a little shorter, I like my heavy 80s synth in small doses

Crap...? Or maybe it's just me.

Fun listen

Never listened to this album. Very familiar with the hits from the 80's. Some strange covers, would have been much better as a single album with the best of the songs. as it is can only give it a 3.

I appreciate that they tried to have a few different genres on this, but the middle was full of weak covers and the rest had too much 80s synths and drum machines.

Not much to say really.

Really unique, and a lot of fun. Enjoyed it.

A lot of strong stuff and then a bunch of unnecessary covers

Need a show of hands, who expected the title track to be a thirteen minute prog-esque synthpop experiment??? I didn’t. I like it. A shame the covers that take over the midsection of the album bring things screeching to a halt.

Incredible start then flounders somewhat but still good

Franklie gets the anthem/synth/pop/techno vide perfectly and the whole band is in top form for the first third of the album. After that, Frankie leaves Hollywood and appears to renew his license in a musical DMV somewhere in rural Nevada, and he never really makes it back.

Welcome to the Pleasuredome is a pretty interesting snapshot of what was happening in the UK in 1984, and when Frankie Goes to Hollywood locks into their big, funky, synthy dance-pop sound, this thing really works. Tracks like “Relax” and “Two Tribes” still sound huge and weird and exciting. Even their version of “War” fits better than I expected, mostly because it has enough punch and drama to sit comfortably next to their own material. That’s definitely where the album is strongest. The middle stretch gets a little shaky, especially with some of the cover songs. They don’t really feel like "Frankie’s" style, and I found myself missing that bold new wave energy from the beginning. The second half also has moments where the original material gets a little awkward and overstuffed, like the album is trying very hard to be provocative and theatrical at the same time. But honestly, that might also be part of its whole identity. It’s big, messy, strange, and not exactly interested in being normal. They’re at their best when they fully lean into their own funky, synthy sound instead of borrowing someone else’s jacket. That said, “The Power of Love” is the big exception to the style issue. Slowing things down there actually works, because it’s a genuinely great ballad. So yeah, this is technically more of a 3.5 for me, but I’ll round it up to a 4 ;)

Oh, yay, another new wave album with one song that anybody remembers! Interestingly, for an 80s pop album, this attempts a lot of things. A large part of the album consists of covers of popular songs of the era rather than original songs. The covers sound wildly different from the original songs, which are mostly standard new wave. The attempts at different musical styles are commendable but ultimately undermine the album's cohesion. The original songs are mediocre, as they're not particularly memorable. The lyrics are not that great, and neither are the vocals. Hooks are not very strong at all. The album is an interesting but ultimately mediocre effort that is incoherent and bloated, as the covers ultimately don't work within the album and hurt it significantly. It's also slightly too long, being a double album that runs for an hour. The list can do better than this. This album is ranked #10 of 16 albums for 1984. Other 1984 albums rated by me: Purple Rain(1/16)-4 1984(3/16)-4 Diamond Life(4/16)-3 Ocean Rain(7/16)-4 A Walk Across The Rooftops(16/16)-3

06/13 Holy shit? This is a banger of an album!

When does this shit get good? WOAHHH i feel like I’m marching into war I truly feel like I’m inside the pleasure dome Frankie say…

Hey, this album. I quite like the album cover, though I'm stumped as to what this music could be. I'm thinking some funky electronic dance music like Tom Tom Club, if only because their self-titled album released around the same time and has a similar illustrative style on the cover. Here goes. Well, those bass guitars are certainly funky. New wave was actually the second genre prediction I had in line for this album. Anyways, this was fine. A little long-winded and fatiguing, but I had a decent time kicking back and letting this music wash over me. This album is very difficult to put in a box. It changes its tune with just about every song and features some very unlikely covers. Speaking as broadly as I can, I appreciated the vocals for how English they were and thought the songwriting was generally competent for what this album was trying to be, though something about the vocal performances made me feel like something was missing. Perhaps they just aren't my style. As far as the instrumentals go, they're generally solid. I favoured the songs with a mist-like ambience the most, though the heavy, brooding tracks were decent as well. The aforementioned bold, funky guitars give this album an impressive level of scope and scale, too. On the whole, this album is quite impressive for how busy and full it sounds despite being made up of relatively minimal compositions. It definitely wins big on the atmosphere front, though I do find the hour runtime to be a bit of a tall order. Still, for what this album was, it's competent. Book time. The band are remembered mostly for their two big singles (Relax and Two Tribes), though this album proved their mettle as a band. Incredibly varied, but works as a complete package. The producer for this album "...inspired an entire generation of precision-engineered, super-crisp albums in the 1980s." Quite ugly and filthy in its lyrical content. Wikipedia says this album debuted at No. 1 on the UK charts and topped the charts with three of its four singles. The album was well-received by critics and made the top ten in eleven of the twelve countries where it charted (it peaked at No. 33 in the US). It was notably the tenth best-selling album of 1984 in the UK and the 33rd of 1985. In 1985, it was the 11th best-selling album in New Zealand, the 17th best-selling album in Austria, the 18th best-selling album in Germany and the 33rd best-selling album in the US (among other, more modest year-end chart performances). Yeah. This seems like a solid pick. I cosign this inclusion.

I wasn't expecting this to be some bizarro cover album. Not bad, but not quite hitting either.

Much better than just the singles which are all excellent. Power of love making a claim to the be the best Christmas song of all time. Could give this another listen happily. Single version of the title track would do though.

Pure 80's cheese in the best way possible. Super over the top and varied across almost the whole run time. Such great energy too which is needed because if they weren't 1000% committed then this wouldn't work nearly as well. A couple misses in here but that's expected with how much they experiment. 4/5

Fun fact, the full name of the band is “Frankie Goes All The Way To Hollywood Desperately Looking For Anything That Can Pad This Album To Full Length”. Sympathy point for Two Tribes and Relax but yikes…

Gets five stars for Relax and Two Tribes alone. The rest is just an extra treat.

+++++55555

As much as it pains me to say this, Welcome to the Pleasuredome is by far one of the biggest let downs I have experienced on the entirety of the 1001 albums to hear before you die list. I was only ever familiar with Relax for the longest time but have held onto a vinyl copy of this album for years in anticipation to hear it in full and now that I finally have, I am left feeling very bittersweet. Don't get me wrong there are some bangers here but there are also a lot of missing on this very inconsistent and lost project that make it feel so much more hollow than I had built it up to be. This project has no consistent style and is jumping around from a lot of half assed New Wave songs, iconic covers, and weird progressive bits with no rhyme or reason. I struggled to find favorites from this album because everything felt watered down by how messy this project was. I wish I could enjoy Frankie Goes to Hollywood's iconic 1984 album but unfortunately it just doesn't seem to stick to me whatsoever.

The sensation this album give me is like I've accidentally bitten into some deeply disgusting food but I'm in polite company so I can't spit it out and I don't want to swallow it either.

Maximalist synth-pop and dance-rock built from booming drums, glossy synthesizers, cinematic production, and theatrical vocals feels like wandering through a gaudy theme park that cost a fortune to build but forgot to include enough rides—spectacular, excessive, and ultimately less exciting than it wants to be. The album throws endless sounds, ideas, and production tricks at the listener, yet much of it struggles to justify its enormous length. Its ambition is impressive, but the experience mostly feels bloated rather than exhilarating.

Not bad! A pretty fun experience the whole way. The Born to Run cover was okay but unnecessary. Sort of loses steam near the end.

Why'd he start talking to me about orgasms half way through High 3

Keep getting 80s albums lately and well if it isn’t one of the best shorthand Now That’s What I Call The 80s! records of all time... I loved Relax as a melodramatic kid, not having the slightest idea what they were singing about. I also thought The Reflex was by the same band (because the song titles and sound are similar, see) so for a while there I was a big 8 year-old Duran Duran/Frankie fan. I admire what Horn accomplished here but it’s...a lot.

Rariiisimo electro synth pop medio psicodélico y flashero. La era al servicio del album. Increíble como respira 80s y su noche todo el concepto del album, los excesos, todo. 6/10

An extravagant and over-indulgent explosion of new wave, for better and worse. Woe to me for criticizing an important piece of gay history for being too much, but this album is extremely bloated. At its best, this is amongst the best of 80s synth-pop, but it is far too long and there is far too much filler for me to listen to it regularly

There's one original that was the mega-hit from this album, and I recognize a couple cover songs by name, but otherwise, I've never listened to this album start-to-finish. This was mostly what I expected given what I knew of the mega-hit "Relax." In general, I'm not a huge fan of 80s stuff, and this is pretty heavily steeped in the 80s. I didn't really enjoy this. I'm a big fan of the original version of "Born to Run" and this group should not have attempted to cover it. I'm deducting points for it. I am leaving the Pleasuredome and will never come back.

A very peculiar album in that it kinda just does whatever it wants with its exploration of genres. Most of it revolves around pop, but there’s some covers in here, some very dramatic 80’s ballads, and even some more intimate/mellow songs like “San Jose” which is just bossa nova outta no where. The “War” cover is the best of the bunch, a very updated take on the classic that still retains the heart of its original. The “Born To Run” cover didn’t do as much for me, I kinda just wanted to listen to the original afterwards. Some tight compositions and solid musicianship thats all just missing an X factor imo. Respectful 3/5

Say Gex

first 4 tracks sounded all the same. Hate his awful camp voice. rest of album was dreary and hope he got a black eye of Springsteen.

I quite like this. The jungle drums adds something to 80s synthplop. I've never liked The Power of Love but I sang along anyway from enjoying the vibe.

One good song.

HAPPY PRIDE 🏳️‍🌈

It was good

Powerful, pleasingly OTT, but way too long, would have packed much more of a punch as a single album and without the unnecessary covers.

What on earth to say about this. I think there is some cultural and political context I am missing here due to my youthful age which perhaps means I do not appreciate this as much as I should??? Relax, great, two tribes great, cover of War, horrible, weird mumbly and talky interludes, rubbish. Truly a mixed bag, almost leading me to DNF before Power of Love. Which would have been a shame. So, 3 due to a last minute redemption.

Amazing classic 80s pop cheese. Sometimes good cheese, sometimes bad. Was worth checking out in any case

This surprised me by being incredibly good

From The Commitments: Cos you know everything about music, Jimmy. You had Frankie Goes To Hollywood's album before anyone heard of them. And you were first to realize they were shite.

A blast from the past - very enjoyable. The covers were very good - according to Caroline they didn't try and replicate the originals and put their own mark on them.

all over the place

It’s not just a great album, it is an experience.

How much more 80s could this be? None. None more 80s.

3/10

My favorite album to feature both Bruce Springsteen and softcore porn

the world is my oyster!!! HAHAHAHAHA! this ace attorney ass beat.. some great synth stuff going on but some of these tracks feel like im being held hostage as a bruce springsteen disliker i like this cover of born to run a lot overall not really my thing but i get it

what a weird album. of course i knew the singles, but the rest? so disjointed, but i didn't hate it. one and one with this though.

There were a couple of standout tracks on here but others had me lost and uninterested. 6/10

Got us through a glum day of work - it was upbeat and also has the only two Frankie Goes to Hollywood songs I already knew.

Started out theater-cord and went into 80's New Wave cheesiness. Far far from my thing. 3/10

much more compelling than i expected. relax is a banger.

An hour-long album that is so boring is quite an achievement. The title track was sort of promising, but in the end, it fails to offer anything special and lacks an idea of what it should lead to. Surprisingly, the group uses a lot of sounds and effects that are primitive. That retrofuturistic sounds that appear to be meant to invoke the images of cosmos sound fake and unconvincing. The vocals are mediocre. The album quickly starts to annoy you, eventually making you wait for it to end. It is only in the last few tracks that you start noticing some real music worth spending your time. The war and sex commentary, though, are of no depth as far as I can tell based on the parts I paid attention to. So, The Only Star in Heaven and The Power of Love are not bad (but I'd rather listen to an instrumental version of the latter). But, sadly, at this point I was already way too disappointed. A bad record, you could skip everything apart from what I've mentioned. The sound is eclectic, there is barely any musical achievement, no idea of why this is so long and what was the idea of putting it like this.

I've always assumed this band was a joke. Upon hearing this album, they are! I actually kind of enjoyed it, I assume this is what the weirdos in the 80s were tripping balls to, it's the only way this makes any sense.

relax goes hard

Idk

I didn't really enjoy this one at all, a usual flat 80s sound

I mean this was a really enjoyable new wave record. Pretty colorful, not at all one dimensional like so many from the genre. That said, i did not expect to hear a Springsteen cover. Low 4

Great singles that I remember fondly. The Power of Love in particular is beautiful.

Classic dance album out of Liverpool. Feels like a collage of sound.

This was ok. Some of the songs had good melodies. Relax is a better song than I thought it was. I like the cover of Born to Run, but outside of that nothing stuck out.

Meh

Overall: 6/10 This album is stylistically diverse, and that's something that I really appreciate about it cause the styles mostly work together. I'd like it a lot more but it starts to lost a bit of steam about halfway through, and there's an admittedly decent cover of Born to Run, but I absolutely hate that song with a passion. Fav Song: Relax

Not what I thought it would be. Interesting history and mix. Also I'm sure some stories on the production and band that would make quite the movie... 3.

Solid stuff. Did not expect to enjoy this as I did.

Ok 3/5

4/5 fav: Born to run

It was kinda hype and sick cover Will I listen to again: 50%

This album can make you gay. The fact that there is a song called Krisco Kisses on here instantly bumps it up to a 5. An absolute rebellion against everything in power in the 80s, this is sleazy, angry, and so incredibly fun.

WOW. Another band I thought I had never heard music from. This album blew me away on the first listen. Welcome to the Pleasuredome instantly secured a place in my “top long songs” as well as an after vinyl playlist. Heart thumping, energy, dramatic, fun, god I wish I had been able to witness this album live. Listening, I realised that I knew Relax, and also appreciated their covers of Born to Run and War. The history behind Relax and the controversy around normalising LGBT discourse makes it all the more deserving of the glory I am bestowing on it.

I recognized Two Tribes from the GTA Vice City soundtrack. I'd never heard this band before. It was a good experience. I also liked their cover of "Born To Run". 4 stars

Is this what cocaine sounds like?

I hated this.

As someone who is only familiar with FGTH from their hits, this album was a nice surprise. The covers were better than I was expecting and the originals are damn good. A pretty impressive debut. Favorites: Welcome to the Pleasuredome, Born to Run, Wish Would I listen to it again: Yes

A bizarre concoction of an album, half brilliant and half...not very good. At over an hour long it would be a better listen if 25 minutes were shaved off the second half, lose the cover versions apart from War, which is great, and the fourth quarter is also pretty superfluous apart from the strong finish on The Power Of Love.

I can't find this thing in full anywhere. I will continue to search but the title track is so good and everything else I've pieced together is just as enjoyable. I'll give it a placeholder 4 until I can find the full album but I have a feeling it could go up to 5.

Mmmm

Some good tracks- "Relax" is still a banger after all these years! I was pleasantly surprised with the cover songs, also, especially "Born to Run."

Alright, but nothing special.

Incredibly weird retro sleaze that managed to bust out a slutty baseline every time I was about to turn it off for being annoying.

soooo camp

I don’t like it but I respect it.

Legendary in parts

Je to snáď jeden z najväčších debutových albumov, čo kedy vznikli. Patria k tým, ktorí ma sprevádzajú od počiatkov môjho záujmu o hudbu...

A bit all over the place, a couple of bangers. A nice change from some the lads with jangly guitars.

Pretty much the definition of a guilty pleasure. Full of empty calories, nothing substantial, but that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable.

Fun but a bit too long

Welcome to the Suck.

Some good songs on here. 3/5

the hell meh

This seems like it wanted to stand out, but just could not to me. Nifty splash blam bonk bazoom older rock, but it never bounced itself out of the box where I tend to put this genre of music.

6 - kinda a bananas album. Wasn’t expecting it. A few good songs.

When released a real breaker

One of the perverse flaws of this system is that sometimes you write a full review of a record and it disappears as the page reloads. Alas, such is the case here. So, here is my abbreviated version. I never listened to this record all the way through prior today. Relax and Two Tribes were ubiquitous new wave disco hits and admittedly catchy, is not my groove. I didn’t enjoy the original disco era and the new wave disco era coming hard on the heels of the New Romantics was even more cringe. And to be fair, while most of this is cringey, there are a few nuggets. The cover of War was an effort to be interesting and for the most part succeeds. The other covers and specifically, Born To Run, fall in the cringe abyss. The real gem however is buried near the end. The Power of Love is a good synth pop ballad. Perhaps a little overwrought and the whole vampire thing hokey, but the vocal performance carries the day. So, does it belong on this list - absolutely fucking not. But that’s not the point. If this is your vibe, then you’ll love this record. If not, then like me you’ll turn off the radio when Relax or Two Tribes comes on because they overplayed the shit out of this two songs when the came out originally. You’ll keep listening when the Power of Love is played, enjoy it, and then switch to something that is actually good. 3/5

So this album rocks. So fun, gay, and cinematic - but with depth and heart too! Listened a few times and could keep going. ‘Relax’ is an all time classic. I feel like this album transported me to a gay club in LA in the 80s and it’s awesome. Top Songs: Welcome to the Pleasuredome, Relax, War, Born to Run, Wish The Lads Were Here, Krisco Kisses, The Power of Love

didn't really care for this although this might not have been the original version since a couple of the song said remix

3 Stars (8/15) Cut out Side 3 & this is easily a 4 Star Album.

Relax is a banger

This was fun to listen to but ultimately hollow

recognised a few songs, not too bad like, enjoyed it as an album

Kinda enjoyed it. Forgot it was a double album

3.0 - Ok

"Frankie say, 'no more'". I couldn't have said it better.

I enjoyed this, some classics on there and stuff I hadn't heard before.

Highlights: Relax, Born To Run 2.7

This was ok, but the 80s production weighs it down for me. Also the weird sexual lyrics don’t land well.

I have this album and have jammed to it for many years, I was primed to go 5 for the fun of it but I forgot how much side C is a let down for me. The War cover is so good, I really didnt need Born To Run or San Jose.

I like this but it feels like half an album. There are 4 or 5 really good numbers on here, a little bit of filler and a number of pretty vanilla, pointless covers. I like the remixes of the singles and some of it, particularly Welcome To The Pleasure Dome, had me smiling.

6/10 La verdad no le preste mucha atencion, pero tampoco me llamo a eso, no es aburrido pero no destaca nada, esta bueno y pasa bien como fondo

5.5/10

I had this album on vinyl in the 80's. My 16 year-old self didn't know what to make of it. I loved the songs "Relax" and the title track...but it's length and it's oddness meant I never listened to it. I still don't know what to make of it. There are some great covers and some interesting musical ideas that don't really coalesce into a whole. They were an interesting band who took a big swing on this and, when it works, such as on the cover of "War" followed by "Two Tribes" it's fantastic. And the closing ballad "The Power of Love" is quite good. Maybe this could have been a really good single album if they had tightened it up and done some editing.

Went in expecting some standard 80s synthpop, but this is a real hot mess. All over the place, has some great moments, some fine moments, some that are best forgotten. Love the cover of War, and love the audacity to do that cover of Born to Run (execution not as much). Power of love is a good ballad too. Solid, but a little too roller coastery quality-wise

Not bad. Huh. Who would've thought.

Hard to deny the significance and impact of the hits to the decade of the 80’s. That said, I think I find the full dose of the album more off putting now than I did what made airplay back then. 2.5/5

This album was everywhere in ‘84. And I mean everywhere. I was never a fan of them, but have to admit that I might’ve danced a time or two to Relax or Two Tribes in hopes of wooing the ladies. It didn’t work. Plus, those damn Frankie Say Relax shirts were also everywhere. Which only prompted me to make a 180 in the mall and head to Chess King to buy me a Def Leppard Union Jack shirt instead. This album probably rates higher for me if the filler covers were not included. Overall a good nostalgia listen.

This was quite the listen. A little repetitive and some of the theatrics aren’t my thing, but I will respect the production and the layers upon layers. Bass player carried it the whole way. Ballad of 32 had me jamming…then blushing. If you know you know.

It's a factual statement that Zoolander would have been less awesome without Relax, and for that I am rounding up. And props for the album title...an all-timer. 3/5

This album is so fucking cool man I kinda want to give it a 4… I wont tho

Weird and not in a way I’m into…

Interesting, different, strange, fun. I like their odd songs and they do a good job covering songs, too.

..

This was a surprise. Good originals with good covers.

listenable

power of love is such a peak song already had it but the rest of the album ahhh

Not horrible but it not grwat

its okay

So fun, so dark, so unapologetically queer and left. Crazy that this was made in the 80s and so popular. I’ll be honest, the second half of this album is not as strong as the first, but the first half is SO good, I’m sticking with four stars.

I quite enjoyed this. The title track was awesome and the Springsteen cover was unexpected but fun! Still nothing earth shattering though

Relax really makes you feel like a brainwashed male model sent to assassinate the Prime Minister of Malaysia

Another classic New Wave record? 100% in. 5/5

This is one of those that I really really like, although I don’t think it would join the regular rotation. But I dig it.

Besides Relax and Two Tribes I don't think I could have named another Frankie Goes to Hollywood song. This album is pretty fantastic and I really enjoyed listening to it. I even liked the Born to Run cover, couldn't they find a sax player though? Excellent album.

Oh look, more terrible Britpop. Complete with a awful cover of Born to Run

The opening track was so interesting that I was preparing for this to be an under-the-radar masterpiece of pop combined with cool songcraft, social commentary, and unabashed queerness - Relax is clearly also a banger, but agree with the critique of it bogging down in the middle with unnecessary covers. That said I did not know these guys were from Liverpool and quite enjoyed the Gerry and the Pacemakers cover. No issues whatsoever with the maximalist 80s production but not enough interesting musical moments to hold my interest for over an hour. So outside of the epic title track and the certified hit, didn't find as much here as I was hoping for.

There were some absolute bangers on here, but they lost me when they did a cover of Born To Run. No chance of another FGTH album on here because all the hits are right here! 3, but the song War could be touching a 5 on its own

Pure 80s.

This album should be half as long. Some big hits, but too much filler. 2.5

I came into this thinking I would hate it a lot more than I did, at least for the first eight tracks or so. Very unique sounding, and doesn't have too much of the annoying new wave type sounds of this era. At least until Wish the Lads were Here--that's full on obnoxious 80s. But I guess I didn't think I'd get through this so cleanly. Krisco Kisses is excessively wacky as well, but not terrible. Most of the rest of the album kind of hovers above and below the tolerable threshold. Based on strength of first part of album, I'll give this a 3, even though it pains me to give this kind of 80s pop any love.

WHAT. THIS IS SO GOOD. How have I heard so many of these songs? I'm literally dancing round the house. Excellent album.

Who in the world doesn’t know Relax? But who can name another song by Frankie Goes To Hollywood? Not me. So I am excited to hear this as it is basically brand new territory for me. Ok this album is great. How on earth does this album hit like it does? This is an album where I don’t want to hear anything else from them not because I didn’t like it but because I don’t want this album to be ruined. It would be perfect if some of the random filler was taken out. Cut 15-20 minutes of filler and it’s brilliant. As is 4/5.

This album eats farts The sexual innuendo is slimey, the Reagan(?) impression is stupid, the songs where they’re trying to say something political just come off like they don’t know what they’re saying. One of the worst albums on this list

Bons clássicos, esteve quase para o 4

Realmente música dos anos 80 não é para mim

Não sabia que a relax era desta banda. Cover giro da born to run

No es mi estilo

tem seus bons momentos, mas é mediano na maior parte do tempo. 3/5.

excellent musicianship and production. bold statement for 84.

you kno its some real gay ass pop when its gets super loud and noisy out of no where actually really great. was a little intimidated by the length, but this was actually really cool. I already love 80s pop, and this feeling a prog pop opera. its so cool and immersive loved it way more than i expected to.

It was alright. War cover pretty interesting.

it was like fine but not particularly fun for me to listen to

I thought this was the weirdest, most fun album we’ve had in a while. I enjoyed it. Loved the over the top theatrics and bizarreness of it all, it was like a performance more than an album.

For the record, I don’t give two sh*ts where Frankie goes. I went to the bank and then to the grocery store. No one cared. Every track on this album, including the covers, sounds exactly the same with different lyrics to be able to tell them apart. At times, the music itself was enjoyable, but I did not care for the vocals. Left me wanting more after an hours listen.

There’s not enough Molly in all of the clubs of West London to get me through listening to this foolishness. If The Pet Shop Boys had a love child with Right Said Fred and let the band from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome give them music lessons, you’d get this pretentious bullshit. It was riding at a 2 before I hit those covers, which are just unacceptably bad.

FGTH gives us different flavors of pop with wildly varied themes. This is far better than expected. Of course the radio hits we remember are great, but the covers stole the show. Skeptical going in but I really enjoyed the different flavor they gave each of them. All things about this album are bold, they took the momentum of a hit single and came out of the gate with a double album. Different vibes throughout, yet grounded by their core sound. A few very racey themes. The twist they put on the covers could have gone very very wrong but they nailed them. All their risks worked. The album is excess and hubris with a wink and a smile. I'm teetering on stars to the end here. The album is legit 3.9....looking for that something that takes it over the line...found it. This is truly the 80's in a nutshell, timecapsule album.

A most interesting and entertaining debut album. Of course there is Relax, but also so much creativity across the other songs. Just a fun album.

A real time travel experience, some great bass lines and great songs, cover versions alongside some poor padding but purely for nostalgia it gets the 5

Another debut album, from Frankie Goes to Hollywood (named after a Frank Sinatra ad). They made a big splash went they hit the scene in 1984, then quickly faded away (although they reunited a few times since then. This is a double album, with several covers, including “Born to Run”. The musical style is distinctive, and overall it’s a decent effort.