Reviews (page 4 of 8)
This was ok, but the original artists did it better
What a frustrating album this is. On first glance it's pretty ridiculous that the same band made 3 of the best pop songs of the 80s, let alone all on one album, and their debut too! You could throw in 5 synth pop filler tracks and it would be a great album, right? Right? At the first "Ooh hah" of the title track I was already drafting my 5 star review in my head. Then it keeps going. And going. And ends...nope. Ends again...nope. FFS, are you frickin' trolling me?! It's like they knew listeners would be waiting for Relax, so they deliberately stressed them out. War isn't a terrible cover version, but Born to Run is a cover absolutely no one requested, and the Burt Bacharach cover sounds completely out of place. Sure The Power of Love is a classic, and normally I love it when an artist is confident enough to leave one of their best songs to near the end of the album, but I was pretty fed up with it by the time I got there. So all in all it's a pretty terrible album with 3 stellar songs. 3/5 feels a bit too straight down the middle for an album that gave me strong feelings, but I don't know how else to rate it.
Relax…an album for its time.
Þarna voru góðir smellir og skeþþtilega útfærðar ábreiður en mikið hrikalega var spjallið tilgerðarlegt og leiðinlegt. Það togar þessa plötu niður
1.6
I thought it was a one hit wonder, then I realised I knew quite a few songs on the album. Some real bangers
God this was so much fun. Pleasuredome was meh but the covers of War and Born to Run were so high energy, also the unexpected Zoolander callback. Good stuff.
A surprising amount of bangers
I found it sorta plain. I liked the intrumental side of the closing track
I don’t know what to make of this album. It’s all over the place. Not necessarily in a bad way, it just seems like a lot of odd choices were made and they couldn’t really decided what they wanted to do. The few tracks are very concept/prog. Then it moves to the hit, which is a straight 80’s sounding banger. But then they also do some weird covers, some slower ballad-y type songs, and a song that seems like it’s supposed to be the musical equivalent of a sex session. Overall it’s fine, but weird. Maybe that’s the point?
oui
WHY THEY GOTTA RUIN BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN LIKE THAT MAKE YOUR OWN BAD MUSIC MOTHERFUCKERS DON'T STEAL SOMEONE ELSE'S AND MAKE IT BAD
Not sure how you can hear this and not think this is one of the greatest albums ever. Masterfully produced and played, and totally immersive. I fall right into their little world. Or perhaps its a movie
Good record! I would even give it 3.5 out of 5.
3.4 some good classics and unique upbeat vibe. What else they got.
Didn’t know how iconic Frankie is!
Producto prefabricado (aunque ellos cantaban y componían), éxito descomunal con Relax, a todos los niveles: imagen, marketing y musical. El resto, a años luz de esto, salvo la balada The power of love y Two Tribes. Es un disco creado por Trevor Horn, que aquí se hizo (nuevamente) de oro. Sonido bombástico, exagerado, potente, escandaloso, pretencioso al que la voz de Holly le va como anillo al dedo: Welcome to the Pleasure dome es el mejor ejemplo. Ahórrate el resto (versiones como War, San Jose o Born to run!!) ... o no. Legiones de seguidores, influencia en todo el sonido ochentero (Duran Duran como más obvia, pero hasta el Chimo Bayo les cogió lo suyo). Arrasaron, hasta que se les descubrió de qué hablaban realmente en sus letras, entonces simplemente arrasaron aún más. Jugada maestra, doblemente.
No brained had only listened to this album last week , as I love it , so controversial and one of the best music videos of all time with two tribes . In my top 10 albums
Relax, Two Tribes, Power of Love and even Born to Run The 1984 memories are flooding back Nice to hear again, but I dont live here anymore . . .
на любителя. понравилась только одна песня, и то Брюса Спрингстина.
This is a wild, fun listen—and absolutely bonkers as a debut. It’s outrageously self-indulgent in a way only the mid-80s could get away with, but that excess is half the charm.
Just another Brit bias pick on the list in the end. It’s sad too, because this album kicks off really strong. Sadly it eventually goes into very mediocre covers, and the entire 2nd half of the album is dull as fuck. 2.5 / 5
Too avantgarde
One of the highlights of the 80's in style, performance and production.
relax.
Allein schon wegen "Power of Love" 5 Sterne wert. Das Album ist abwechslungsreich und immer wieder interessant zu hören. 5/5
I don't know what I was expecting but an absolute banger, of which the single is only a part, was not it.
Uf. Na prvi pogled vsaj dva komada znana? Ok, začetek je res dramatičen, z nekimi ženskimi vokali. Fak, po pa drugi komad, istoimenski k album, 13 minut 40?! Kr eni ptičji zvoki v ozadju? So far je ta album predvsem wtf. A, ok, muska. Very 80s. Kr nekajkrat se ponovi fraza 'the world is my oyster" (že v uvodnem komadu je blo to) pa kinda obnoxious smeh. Iiiin, ta znan komad, "Relax (Come Fighting)". It's fine. "War (...and Hide)" je funky, spoken word je čez in v bistvu priredba znanega "War" komada ('War, ugh, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing. ') O, fuck me, nasledn je fakin intense ("Two Tribes (For the Victims of Ravishment)"). Mogoč nism največji fan 80s popa. Ful je... A lot at once. (Po razmisleku, mm mogoč specifično sam ne maram tega banda. Ker je en kup 80s muske, k bi bla loh classified as pop, k jo mam ful rada.) Pol nek debatiranje o orgazmih? Cover od Springsteenovega "Born To Run". K zveni totalno stilsko drugač k album do zdaj. Naslednja je isto cover, kar se po kojem mnenju sliš, ker spet, čist drug vajb - lounge-y, k fakin elevator music. ...več komadov kasneje... Hm, sm mislila, da bo "The Power Of Love" čist en drug komad. Je pa baladast. Oo, prišla sm do konca.
I enjoyed this way more than I expected. It was varied and well produced. I am a big fan
Good energy. I was a bit surprised by the covers on here. They were kinda cute though. I think Relax, Two Tribes and the title track are the biggest bangers.
Typical 80s album not bad so far... A 13 minute song by an 80's pop band?... Oh hell yeah Relax is on this album!... Is this a cover of War? *flashbang to the dome*... Is this a cover of Born to Run? *second flashbang to the dome*
It's actually a pretty bold move to essentially open the album with a 13-minute, genre-spanning Opus like "Welcome to the Pleasuredome," and I think they mostly pulled it off with that song. I was then surprised to hear a number of familiar tracks on the record such as "Relax" and "War." Unfortunately, the remainder of the album threw away the good will it had earned as it slowly descended into mediocrity. Songs like "San Jose" sounded lackluster and out-of-place, and I found the random Springsteen cover completely pointless and inferior to the original. The rest of the tracks were completely forgettable as well. After the first quarter of the album I wanted to like it, but unfortunately the remainder fell flat. 2.5->2/5.
One of those albums that you have to know the political context to really enjoy it. The latter half feels a little meandering but the first half carries it.
Många covera. Dock en bra version av born to run. Försöker ändå fokusera på de andra låtarna. jag gillar det lite mer än jag trodde, det är en del inslag i låtarna som jag ogillar. "Who ha" och lite andra ljud. Men man dras med. Det får jag erkänna. Skön röst!
Helvete vilken bra skiva! Storslaget, varierat, grym energi och enastående sång. Alltid varit svag för Power of love och Relax har man förstås också hört, men i övrigt var det här nyheter för mig. Bra covers också, även om deras egna grejer är bäst. Inte en tråkig stund trots längden. Det verkar inte bättre än att man kanske får konstatera så här på ålderns höst att man puttar från ruffen.
Awesomeness!!
Relax is the best song on this album. Everything else feels rather bloated and more complex than it needed to be.
3.1
Very 80s, but has some bangers
For me the definition of a 'good' album. It is overall good, has some highlights but not really that many. Some weaker points but they are easily ignored. Some massive hits on there as well. And an interesting concept behind it. It just doesn't really do anything exceptionally well in my opinion. Therefore I can't give it any higher than what I do here, compared to the 1000 other albums on this list. 3/5
This album makes me want to assassinate the prime minister of Malaysia
Best Track - "The Power Of Love"
This was a lot more fun than I thought. I was close on giving it a 4
Started really strong less favorable in the backend.
Kinda boring but ultimately decently fun record
Important on a social and political level. Bloated by unnecessary covers and a poor middle to final quarter. Buoyed by some amazing singles, Two Tribes is still an incredible standout track.
This album was a monster back in the day, and was released around about the time I was really getting interested in all things pop culture. The massive problem with it is that it tries to shock more than it tries to be good. This is FGTH trying to sound like Depeche Mode, but actually sounding like Heaven 17. There is no way that this needs to be a double album because it is just the four singles, and some other half-arsed rubbish. Side three is redundant, and if you substituted The Power of Love with the War cover, you have a really strong single album. It’s also a greatest hits.
This album plays out like a provocative and theatrical concept album. I can definitely see how it pushed boundaries. Not just in terms of production, but culturally as well. It was way ahead of its time. The scope of this album feels so much bigger than most synthpop or new wave records from that era. If you like “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, then you should absolutely give this entire album a listen. They even did a cover of “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen, and honestly, I think they did a pretty good job. Surprisingly fits into the album’s larger atmosphere and helps maintain its cohesiveness.
what a glorious experience of an album. it could have been 5 stars except that the later half was all covers in the FGTH style.
Not for me
Legendary one-hit wonder, so it was interesting to listen to a full album. The first half got kind of a slow start, but the second half starting with their cover of "Born to Run" was pretty good!
bop. very cool covers in there. enjoyed it a whole lot, just the right amount of experimental to not dominate the album. 4/5
This is definitely the definition of a one hit wonder and while I do love to Relax, the rest of the album is not worth checking out and not very interesting. There is no reason Welcome To The Pleasuredome should be 13 minutes long. Relax is the only reason this doesn't get a 1 star, but it should still not be on the list.
This is certainly one of those albums.
There are a lot of bangers on this one, real classics. That doesn't hide the fact that there are some crappy ones too, including some not so great covers. "San Jose (The Way)" for instance, is terrible. As others have mentioned, the 2nd part of the album drops off at bit. Those classics hold it up a bit, but not enough for me to give it a 4. High 3 perhaps.
Some absolutel bangers.
Felt like they kept getting in their own way, every time there’d be some flow, they did something weird to kill any momentum
Ton of absolutely fabulous gay anthems, and some unexpected covers that were unique enough to pull it off. Enjoyed this more than I remembered. Prob a 3.5.
Fun stuff…didn’t set the world on fire and was pretty repetitive but i enjoyed and that’s enough.
‘Relax’ is a classic hit but o was surprised how good the rest of this album was. I ended up listening through 3 times and it kept getting better.
later
Dated and cheesy. Not for me. As it progressed it became more and more objectionable to my ears.
Some good songs. Some filler.
Meh. Some good tracks but pretty arty.
When I was in grade 6 I had to do a book report on Journey to the Centre of the Earth. I attempted to read it the night before. I liked it but as you can imagine, I came up short. Same with this album. I left it until the end of the day. I was surprised to find out it’s a double album. I also realized I wasn’t going to get the full listening experience on one play through. Too bad, because even though I recognize it as possibly an excellent achievement, I’m not likely to return. Same as I did with Jules Verne.
Really liked it
Shhhh
I liked this one quite a bit more than I thought I would. Probably not a frequent listen, but interesting and well put together.
A witty antidote to yyThatcherism and 80s hyper consunerism..And yet on the other hand, here's four good songs and 35 minutes of filler, give me £6 please!
Fun fact: Relax is one of my grandpa’s favorite songs. He even has it as his phone ringtone 😅 He doesn’t really know what the song is about, which makes it kind of hilarious. That aside, I really enjoyed listening to the album. It covers some great themes, with intriguing synth work and Frankie’s unmistakable style
Didn’t think I was going to like this but it surprised me. Had good flow as an album but the covers threw a curve ball. Born To Run was decent to be fair. Wouldn’t listen again but thought it was decent. The 3 big tracks of theirs that I knew are all on this album
Àlbum del Relax. Interessant. No l'he pogut escoltar sencer (cap de setmana). L'altre single Two Tribes està bé, peròem queda pendent el videoclip.
Some very recognisable songs Relax don't do it War huh Born to run cover Power of love etc Solid album but didn't add any songs to liked playlist
Unsure what to do with this one.
If Ross Gellar got a record deal for “the sound” this would be the result.
artig men helt ok
Has some bangers. Better than I thought it was going to be
fun listen
Cool 80's electronica. High energy good time record, if I was a DJ I would have this in my collection
Classic 80’s album.
Nice! What's there to do here?
Better than I expected it to be since I largely just knew one song going in.
Fun guilty pleasure
It was okay, no bangers other than the singles
This is an album that would be easy to write off, given how much airplay "Relax" got back in the 80s. But I think that would be a mistake. There's more to see here, from the covers of "Born to Run" and "San Jose" to "The Power of Love" and "The Only Star in Heaven". Listening to this album brought back memories, and also introduced me to songs that I missed the first time around.
Vibes bizzares, mais sans être si mauvais. 2.5 Round up
Ça commence vraiment cool et original mais ça fini par drag à un moment
I don't know why I thought this band was a late 90's thing, but I guess they are an 80's band. They're alright. This album has "Relax" which is an all time great. It's got a pretty decent version of Born to Run on it too, but I don't rate covers unless it's more iconic than the original. Slightly below average record.
This album is kind of a hot mess. It starts with a 13 minute "Welcome" song that's actually not half bad, but it goes downhill from there. Born to Run was a terrible choice for a cover song, and they didn't even do anything interesting with it. Krisco Kisses is just plain terrible. Relax is a different version than their previously released single. Like, what were they thinking on this album?
Have to say the surrounding songs don't let the singles down, it's a solid album.
This is a great album and probably my favourite from that time having that distinctive 80’s sound. There are one or two caveats - the album could be regraded as a Trevor Horn solo album as I gather few of the group members actually played. The singles on the album whilst good received much better treatment on the 12” singles and subsequent remixes. Also there is a lot of padding and would have been better as a single album. This can be achieved by formulating your own playlist missing off those duff tracks. The best feature of the album is the accidental Christmas song Power of Love. Behind Fairytale…. this is probably one of the best Christmas songs ever. The title track is really well produced and sounded great played loud over my middling hifi system. If the lesser songs on the album are disregarded this is a top 80’s album. 5/5 7/10/25
Fun, but not everything is great
Side 3 kinda ruins it for me.
Due tre pezzi belli, il resto dimenticabile. Tre stelle sulla simpatia
Very 80's (compliment).
Frankie says the first few songs are pretty good, the rest is a mixed bag
This mofo dropped a Xanadu reference right at the top of the album!
Relax. It’s better than you might guess.
3 stars if I'm just listening at home. It's interesting, fun & a little too long. 4 stars if I'm dancing after a couple martinis. Location, location, location.
Relax was not just a song……it was a pop culture moment. I lived trough the 80s and the magnitude of that song (and the shirt) were huge and seemed to last a while. That being said, if I listened to this album back then I did not remember how varied the tracks were. Bruce? Bacharach? I like when musicians have a sense of humor also and that shows on this album.
Softboi mad max concept album. Two tribes now makes more sense but is less enjoyable
Shouldn't really have come as a surprise how good this sounds, I suppose. I'd heard the hits of course, though none of the other stuff. A grand production!
Trevor Horn’s production is so slick it could sell you a timeshare in the actual Pleasuredome! The hits (Relax, Two Tribes, The Power of Love) are iconic — bold, brash, and gloriously over-the-top. But then come the cover versions, which feel like the band got lost in a record shop and started recording whatever they touched. It’s ambitious, chaotic, and occasionally brilliant — but also a bit bloated. Three stars for the classics and the sonic wizardry. One deducted for the karaoke detours.
Pretty good 80s sound
Has a lot more substance than I was thinking. Just knew those as those 'relax' guys, but they actually try to talk about serious issues like the Cold War. Also, pretty solid cover of 'Born to Run.'
Pretty good. It's always fun to hear classic songs re-worked and included in new music. just using small samples of songs from the past and update them, I can't imagine how that all works ... but it does! # stars because this does go on a bit long, and some should have been left off.
Wasn't expecting all the covers!
Fun but inconsequential album most notable for Trevor Horn's maximalist production. Contains the hits that initially propelled FGTH to stardom, also a bunch of unnecessary cover versions ("Born To Run", anyone?) and nearly an LP's worth of stuff that's sounds like Kajagoogoo b-sides. Worth a spin to hear Horn's gleaming synths at work, but no one will blame you if you bail out after the end of LP #1 of this double album set.
No denying this deserves to be here as they were everywhere for a short time, and the ‘Frankie Says t shirts are iconic. The hits are fantastic, the rest not so much, and what is with all the random covers? The whole thing is a testament to Trevor Horn’s production skills and Paul Morley’s pseudo intellectual PR campaign
Frankie goes to Hollywood... and Malcolm in the Middle is born. Interesting album... a real variety of sounds and interesting moments, multiple queered Springsteen covers?? Weird!! I do feel welcome in the pleasuredome though so thank you for that
i do like that genre of really gay british music (I guess its called "new pop" ... anyhow this was just ok for me but I suppose i will automatically like anything that is fun, gay and british
The energy on this is kind of crazy, mostly in a good way, but it feels like it goes on forever. One to play in the background and dance to, but nothing I'd play on it's own or because I really wanted to listen to it in particular
own
It’s a collection of singles. I didn’t mind born to run actually. But is this must listen? Hmmmm. Maybe it is. But it’s more the singles that are important than the album. The singles are ridiculously fun though. 3 stars.
I remember when Frankie GTH first appeared. Those singles were just amazing! They leapt off the radio like they were the future. they were bright and shiny and ornate and over-the-top and sexy and amazing. It really is a paean to Trevor Horn and the ZTT team of crack studio-rats (special shout-out to Anne Dudley, whose name on album credits is always a sign of great work, especially her orchestrations). I was also a big fan of The Art of Noise, which was the same production team working a little more out on the fringes on semi-instrumental work. God knows who else played on it; the Blockheads certainly recorded some demo versions, and only Trevor Horn really knows who and what made the final edit. But that DOES NOT MATTER! Did anyone know who played everything on a Phil Spector production or early Monkees records? Pop music has always relied on session musos and production impresarios. Frankie GTH was... amazing. It had the advantage of the ZTT production style matched with an amazingly charismatic frontman (see also Grace Jones' Slave to the Rhythm, which similarly paired an iconic frontperson with that amazing production). Holly Johnson's unapologetic homosexuality gave the Frankie singles a frisson of danger that is still surprising for a time when even the most camp acts still tended to remain officially closeted (Boy George, Marc Almond, etc) As an album, however, this is bloated and full of filler. The covers are nearly all terrible. I assume this was a double album because someone thought that "nothing exceeds like excess". But those singles -- Relax, Two Tribes, Power of Love, Pleasuredome -- are towering monuments of pop. They foreshadow what pop is today -- the remixes, the multiple releases, the multimedia hype, the complex digital production, it's all there. The singles are five star classics, but really need to heard in their natural environment -- on a 12" single, preferable booming through an enormous PA on the dancefloor. I own this album, but I _never_ play it, because it is all about the singles. 5 stars for the singles, 2 stars for the rest of the album. let's call that 4 overall.
I had heard 3-4 songs in the past without knowing it was them. Kinda surprised.
AAAAAAAAAAAA i am such a sucker for these kinds of albums!!! the drive-by truckers one…..the meat loaf one…..2112 to an extent….. just so good. i love these highly theatrical full stories of differing styles of music. no songs specifically stood out during this one but i had a great time throughout. anything less than 5 would be disingenuous i think
Awesome and unexpectedly full of classic covers...
Дурацкий, но и прикольный.
Relax ein klasse Song auf den Mann von Sekunde 1 wartet nur um zu sehen das Power of Love auch mit drauf ist. Ich muss aber sagen das mir die Cover nicht so zugesagt haben, also ich versteh schon warum das Album auf dieser Liste ist, es gehört meiner Meinung nach aber nicht zu den Besten.
Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe bad.
Sehr durchwachsen, jedes Lied klingt anders. Mag das Relax Lied nicht besonders. The Power of Love ist hingegen ne geile Ballade, die mir gut gefällt.
I really enjoyed his album, it surprised me quite a lot. Very good.
Iconic album
++: Relax (Come Fighting), The Only Star in Heaven +: Welcome to the Pleasuredome, Wish (The Lads Were Here), Krisco Kisses +-: War (...and Hide), Two Tribes (For the Victims of Ravishment), Born to Run, San Jose (The Way), ...Bang -: The World Is My Oyster (Including Well, Snatch of Fury), Ferry (Go), Including The Ballad of 32, Black Night White Light --: (Tag), The Power of Love 2,4/10
I've never listened to this album (19). Really good and ages well. Killer basslines all the way through.
Weird
Weird but somewhat enjoyable
What have I done to get so many mediocre brit pop albums on a row?
Hard to believe this dropped over 40 years ago. A weak debut from Frankie, two lead-off originals and a bunch of covers. But not a bad listen. They musta been short lived as they were not heard from again after Relax. L = (2.8*s) Lots of drama but I liked it. J = (2.7*s) Some interesting song choices for a debutt; Do You Know The Way To San Jose, Born To Run…
Not as good as I had hoped but I guess I really didn't have that high of hopes. "Relax" and the title track are decent (later being a bit too long but changed styles enough). Some pretty lame covers added that did not benefit the record. What is going on with "Including the Ballad of 32?" I feel like I may have walked into the wrong room at the Pleasuredome...that door should be locked. Not the most impressive debut album...2.08 stars.
What an entry. I guess I should have expected something a little out there from the gang that hit the map with Relax. I can't say I've ever heard anything else by Frankie Goes To Hollywood and I guess I can see why as Pleasuredome seems like it would have had limited commercial appeal beyond its initial launch and reaction. Seems like a perfect amalgamation of a new fad that Frankie managed to encapsulate by being at the right place at the right time. A little hard to believe this album actually features (3) British #1 hits but kinda cool that they managed to strike a chord at one point. I'll always give credit to an act that manages to do something completely different and make it work. It's a fun album for a single listen but the lasting appeal is pretty limited. The weirdness is just enough to keep it approachable for the masses, though I expect the novelty wore off pretty quickly. It's got some solid production and some varied subject matter, but all in all I'm not sure the album holds up over time. Not sure we need a cover version of War, Born to Run, Burt Bacharach, or Huey Lewis from the likes of Frankie but I guess they shot their shot. Even if I don't think I'll come back to this I did enjoy the listen as a time capsule to a strange project and unique point in time. Welcome To The Pleasuredome is a little tiresome (both single and the overall album) but still a cool example of a long-form electro-pop track / concept album from the time. I am truly glad that I heard this before I died which is about all you can ask when reviewing this list. Great entry for 1001 even if it isn't anywhere near the top of my list. 2.18 stars
Vilken platta detta är! Inledningen med Two Tribes, Relax och War i rask följd. Världens bästa cover med Born to Run. Och avslutande Power of Love. Produktionen, the dansanta svänger, drivet i trummorna, mixen av instrumentala och synthinsatser Solklar femma.
enjoyable but nothing special, weird at times
I like that the songs are quite different to each other. Very interesting album to list to
There was one song that was way too long and I even thought that I had Repeat on, but it was almost 14 minutes long (Welcome to the Pleasuredome). The band sounded quite familiar, and then I heard Relax and The Power Of Love, so those were songs that I knew. Overall, pretty chill having this album in the background, nothing too exciting but it's not too bad.
This band was pointed to be the 80's Beatles... Don't know what happened but I remember they're huge and some of their songs we're playing every day on the radio! Two Tribes and War are always great tunes and listening to them nowadays is scary, considering everything that's going on
That was a long welcome to the Pleasuredome. High-energy and fun but kind of exhausting. This has no business being over an hour long. It’s an artifact of its time that I can understand the popularity of but will most likely not revisit. I didn’t really review the tracklist before listening so the covers kept jumpscaring me. The “War” cover mystified and surprised me. The “Born to Run” cover also had me say “What the fuck?” out loud when it got started. The covers overall are fine, I guess, just startling.
This is a classic. ★★★★
I really enjoyed a lot of this, and even for the tracks I didn't care for, the production/mixing/width and breadth of sound was incredible. Huge fan of the 80s sound and aesthetic. My favorites were: "Welcome to the Pleasuredome," the cover of "Born to Run," "Relax" (of course), and "War." Will probably not return to a lot of particular songs off this album, but definitely will do a deeper discog dive on this artist when I can.
Didn't really like this one, 2 stars.
A good album from my youth. 3/5
Okay. Zoolander gets it an extra star.
Relax. . . don’t do it. (Listen to this drivel that is)
I came for the Relax, and stayed for the rest of the opera that had quite a few re-makes (surprising, yet still decent).
This was a vibe to listen to - the name is definitely a name to live up to. Definitely pushed the boundaries of acceptable and l'm so here for it.
Definitely an 80s milestone
Meh, was expecting more 2.1
This album is good. It's length is the worst part because there's a time in which it loses interest and becomes the same thing over and over. I'm not saying it's a long album, this one is not, but it has many songs that sound the same. But it's a nice album. I enjoyed a lot the begging. And I thought I would have liked it more, but it becomes the same thing, more or less, when you've listened to half of it. So, it's good (and enjoyable) but not a highlight for me.
a debut album as crazy and bombastic as this isnt something you see very often, much less something good. All the hallmarks of 80's pop but also with a much more grand presentation. it feels like a musical or soemthing in terms of scope. Also an amazing title for an album.
If someone told me this was the original soundtrack to Showgirls I’d believe them. Perfect for a production of Goddess staring Nomi Malone
Preferred the second half over the first half. Wasn’t what I was expecting but it was pretty enjoyable overall, rlly like the singer’s voice.
This has gotta be one of the most 80's albums ever made. Had never listened to it in full before now, but it is...certainly something. For starters, I didn't care for all the cover songs. I think "Relax" sounds dated and was mostly a product of the time.
Something about hearing Frankie Goes To Hollywood cover "San Jose (The Way) hit my funny bone in exactly the right way. I hadn't laughed that hard in ages. Thank you for the mood boost, generator! Absurdity of the cover songs aside, this is peak queer 80s synthpop - I much prefer this to Soft Cell.
Better than I thought this would be.
A couple classics and a bunch of meh
Some classic records on here but overall this was an ok album. The classics are definitely doing the heavy lifting
“Why?” Is a question I’ve asked myself a few times, in listening to this album. Weird abrasive soundscapes, obnoxious vocals, the use of the word pleasuredome, a 13-minute opener with tribal chanting, a Born to Run cover… the list goes on. The only answer to this cosmic question, after great pondering is… Cocaine. One of the only 1* records on this list I’d happily buy.
It’s good that the first ⅓ or so of this is so enjoyable, as if the last section was what opened the album then I’d be much faster to write it off completely. But before descending into a mid-eighties synthy sludge, Welcome to the Pleasuredome opens with an incredibly surprising and honestly quite prog-like title track (complete with Steve Howe on acoustic guitar, come on) and the undoubtable classic of Relax. It can hold up without the context of its BBC radio play controversy, but adding that just builds on the carefree ‘we don’t give a fuck’ nature of its lyrical content, heavy production and subsequent immenseness of its popularity, much to the BBC’s dismay. I’ve even got the 7” in the house, courtesy of my mother. Unfortunately for this, an album is the whole contents, and the whole contents of everything really past track 7 (the pure genius lyrics of “a point is all that you can score” notwithstanding) is a conglomeration of 80s sloppy synthy sludge, the sort of stuff you’d find in the £1 bin today. It really didn’t need to be a double album, but this was the age of endless 12” single mixes, just after the height of the ‘album era’ and just before the CD made eighty minutes of uninterrupted listening accessible. So whilst nowhere near ‘timeless’, that title isn’t needed. Being a product of its time is just fine.
To touch a great variety of genres and sonorities inside of the same record is somewhat risky, since the lack of cohesion might not be of everyone's taste. Some artists, however, have been able to pull it off. Apparently, before KG&LW or even Ween could run, Frankie Goes To Hollywood walked with Welcome To The Pleasuredom. It's interesting to see how funky, rocky and corny a band can get without it feeling much of a stretch within a sole hour. Definitely recommended.
History will question why side 3 of this includes a bunch of completely unnecessary covers. The album is plenty long without them so it didn't need the padding. The first 5 tracks should be half a 5 star album. Two Tribes remains one of my favourite bass lines despite not being a bass. And it features Chris Barry! But after that the bass disappears until the very end. Black Light White Light and the Power of Love restore things but really this could have been a 5 without the covers.
It's all pretty good. They have a cool sound and some great songs. I'm not sure they had a double albums worth of great songs and as is often the case with double albums that is a bit of a shame and it does drag a little. Although since many modern albums are about an hour long anyway it wasn't the worst example I'd heard. The singles jumped out a lot, but then the 3 big ones are particularly catchy.
When this came out I thought it was great. It's big, almost orchestral. I don't think it aged well.
Ok. Some classics
Welcome to the Pleasuredome by Frankie Goes To Hollywood [1001 albums]: 2/10, One of the most perplexing albums I've ever heard. Starting with a weird sound collage and then a 14 minute song that can't decide what it is, I had no idea what the point of any of it was. At times very very funny, mostly boring, and frequently uncomfortably sexual, I have no clue what they were thinking when they made this and the fact that anyone enjoys this confuses me the most of all.
This is brilliant and had aged really well, which is rare for this era. There are a collection of top tier pop songs here that stand the test if time. But what really comes across is space and time given to tracks that really allow them to grow and breathe. Its a mark of supreme confidence in the artist that really pays off.
This album is something. A load of covers, somehow I think they all kinda work. A 13 minute epic in the title track: a really fun track at points, at others a moody ambient soundscape. Relax - certainly the best song about not jizzing I can think of. Random voiceovers like in Tag and Fury. And then The Power of Love at the end, a really powerful ballad that its hard not to sing along to. It somewhat defies explanation, but I think it all works really quite well together. Fave Tracks: Welcome to the Pleasuredome, Fury, Wish the Lads Were Here, Krisco Kisses, The Power of Love 4.3/5
Only know FGTH from the three big singles - Relax/ Two Tribes and Power of Love. Whilst the first two are clear classic 80's bangers - they don't really do it for me - partly because I have no particular childhood memories linked to them so fail to trigger any hit of nostalgia. By contrast I really like the sentimentality and Christmas vibes of Power of Love. As for the rest of the album thought it was particularly disappointing with a number of weak covers (fury apart) that did not really bring anything to the party. The rest of the songs were paler rehashes of Two Tribes.
Initially loving the in your face '80s glam at its finest. But the album seems a bit like stuff was added as filler around their big four songs. Some filler is good, some not. An EP of their big four would have made for a top record.
I like the sound, good debut album. Lyrics a bit too much on the nose.
Quintessentially 80s. Energetic, catchy and irreverent.
a mad eclectic mix of ballads, covers and epic arrangements, never thought i'd 5 star this but there you go
Listened Before? N This is an interesting one. I was not expecting the cover songs but overall they did a pretty good job with them. Another enjoyable 80s album. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Relax
The cover art did not lead me astray. This is a flamboyant and fun 80s listen.
I was bored most of the time. Not for me. I liked couple of songs tho. It is 2.5 for me.
Somehow, through the miasma of my teens, I recall FGTH fondly, and it holds up! They seem to have caught the magic on this album, that inscrutable sauce that makes the plain more than its sums.
Interesting but not sure when I’d be in the mood to listen to krisco kisses again. Frankie says relax.
An hour+ long album from the mid-80s is definitely not a strong start for me, but I haven't hit play yet so we'll see where it goes. "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" was extremely long but pretty fun the entire time. I was absolutely not expecting a Bruce cover. It's a great song, but they're not really doing much more than the boss himself. This is a nice album. Nothing blew me away and it went on forever. The really big hits weren't that much better than the other music. 6/10
I appreciate the over the top theatricality. It’s just that outside a couple of songs there isn’t a whole lot memorable or essential here. 2.5/5
Good, but not great. 7 out of 10, rounding down.
Es ist ein bombastisches Debüt voller Provokation, Glamour und musikalischer Vielfalt. Frankie Goes To Hollywood verbinden Synthpop, Rock und Theatralik zu einem klanggewaltigen Erlebnis. - „Relax“ with the „Power of Love“. „Fury“ sticht als düsterer, intensiver Track hervor – ein brodelnder Kontrast zum opulenten Titelstück. 😊
Great singles, but so much filler.
It's got some bops; huge, and those would elevate it to a perfect album. But in the midst of that, there's a Born to Run cover, some really needless filler....what is going on? How can an album with Two Tribes, Relax, the Power of Love be....boring?
For a moment, I thought this was going to be an 80s rock opera, based on the title track. Then, it kept shifting and became more of what I expected. It was fine. It was a lot.
My immediate complaint here is why on earth would you make it a double album? That's quite a bold move for a band's debut, also considering that fans would have had to shell out a lot more to get a double vinyl back in the day. What's even more frustrating is that you could easily cut out the intro, the unnecessarily long version of "Welcome to the Pleasuredome", and all of the cover tracks. If they'd done this, they would have had a tight 35(ish) minute, 10 song debut, powered by 3 very strong singles. Or a bit more with the edited version of "Pleasuredome". And that would have been a pretty solid album, with some classic 80s songs, and a good celebration of LGBTQ+ themes. But the extra bits just feel a bit underinflated just to make it a double album, which definitely hurts it. So I'm a bit torn between 3 and 4 stars here, but I feel like the shortened album that could have been is actually pretty decent and deserves some points. If nothing else, "Relax" is a hell of an earworm and the whole album (including the covers) is pretty fun.
Have this album in my vinyl record collection. A few good songs, lots of cover songs. Well produced by Trever Horn
Gold. Gotta love FGTH. Or there's something very very wrong.
There's a crazy amount of covers and this is too long. Relax is a definite 80s vibe. Sure. Put it on the list. Not a masterpiece.
This had it's moments of fun energy. Super 1980s sound. The covers don't add anything. Ultimately there are a few too many tracks. Just doesn't intrest me enough.
A classic production, using a host of un-credited guest musicians (including Ian Dury's Blockheads) and leading the way in the use of the studio, with ground-breaking use of the Fairlight CMI to make brand new sounds. Trevor Horne and his team put all of this together, assembling it like sleek sonic Meccano, with many layers of sparkly samples to brighten it all up. However, the album is vainglorious, has many tracks that are filler - Born To Run is a pointless, aimless cover - and is far too long.
Some good/great songs. (Relax/ Two Tribes/ The Power of Love) Lots of filler. Who needs 13:40 of cut and paste crap (welcome to the pleasure dome) even if it's extremely well produced crap. some decent-ish cover versions, some dismal (San Jose) and all in all not enough to make this a great album.
It was definitely 80's but also a nice deep for the 80s. Relax will forever remind me of Zoolander.
Relax is an 80's classic that's been so overplayed it's hard to get excited about it. The War cover was awful. The Born to Run cover was okay but didn't really do anything different original with it. Might as well just bust into Do You Know the Way to San Jose. A ridiculous mix of covers. The originals sound shlocky.
This was really fun and indulgent feeling. I couldn't have told you before today who sang Relax, now I know! An 80s classic. I also really loved their takes on the covers in this. It was an eclectic mix of songs to cover, and they did a great job. Overall, this was very 80s and pretty epically over the top, but in a way I very much enjoyed.
Definitely an 80s album. Usually, I’m a sucker for heavy 80s stuff, but this was just alright. I feel like there were a couple of standout moments, though I was hoping for me. The parts in between couldn’t hold my attention.
Pénible.
just too long... wouldve been a 4.if it was just extended versions of the 4 big singles
Enjoyed this more than I expected.
An entire world in the album. I expected Relax to be the only song. But this was an 80s fever dream complete with originals, covers, and crazy 13 minute tracks. It’s on my list to come back to again because it was waaaay more complex than one listen.
Yes.
Gear: ZMF Bokeh Artwork: 👨👨👨👨👨 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🏰🌈🔥 Rating: 🎉🎉🎉(🎉)/5
WTPD is a prog song. The longer it goes it the more it drags.
Phenomenal - totally blew me away
Ummmm, this was weird in a way that's on the other side of the multi-dimensional weirdness hypersphere that I usually appreciate. So although it's not exactly my favorite, I really do appreciate it for what it is ❤️
I don't understand how you can have War and San Jose on the same album.
This came straight after Soft Cell, and there's a huge difference. Epic pop production vs bedroom drum machines. This is a huge powerful sounding record, and when it's right (Relax, Two Tribes, TPOL) you can see why they were so huge. Had to mark down to 4 stars for two reasons. 1 - I kept hearing the same licks and motifs. The same vocal flow, the same 12th fret harmonics. It led to the feeling of a mistake rather than an album. 2 - a string of four covers back to back. They were all fine, but it gave the impression of "We ran out of songs to record"
What a awesome surprise. I have never listened to Frankie before and didn't realize he was the artist behind some of these songs.
You might receive some pleasure here, but you're not going to relax. This album almost feels like a fever dream. And boy howdy I've never seen so many cover songs on a non-cover album.
Props to Frankie for making this sprawling synth-pop odyssey sound as if it was one continuous sonic journey, but could we have maybe relaxed just a little more and cut this puppy down from 64 minutes?
Not that bad, some songs were ok
i thought I hadn't heard this artist before, but my mom has Relax in her playlist! I've heard Born to Run as well. Reminded me a lot of David Bowie. Glad to hear shootouts to Malcolm X and Che. It was a fun listen but I would only listen to Relax again. 6/10
Ok. I was born in the 80's so this band is brand new name for me, although I do remember "Relax (Don't do it), might have hearrd in a TV show or something. The album is eclectic but not in a good way, it does bring all the cheesy sounds of the 80's, that electronic sound with rock and pop that is especific of that time, again not in a good way. Apart from that the album is bloated. It looks like a 1 hit wonder entered this list, and once again I ask myself if this is really an album to listen before I die. . . If it is 1 hit wonder, I prefer the New Radicals.
After the intro, I was expecting something truly awful. Instead it was merely very boring. I’ll admit there’s some creative ideas, it’s not *shockingly* bad... but there’s also much better synth-pop / new wave music out there. The album as a whole is a mishmash of songs that somewhat seem randomly put together. « Relax » has a catchy tune, but it’s basically just one sentence repeated over and over and over again until you want to puke. Some of the songs were probably good for clubbing at some point, but the rest is too corny, with too much synth, too much filler... And I truly hate the singer’s voice (yes, I know, it’s entirely subjective). It was honestly painful to listen to for me, and I had to skip a few songs towards the end to preserve my sanity. It’s exactly the kind of stuff that made me hate 80s music when I was growing up.
First few songs are actually really interesting. Even the first seven songs are good. The first three sound like the song equivalent of 80s brutalist architecture: dated, angular, not very soothing but kind of beautiful and interesting. But the two covers of Born to Run and San Jose really take you out of it and don’t add anything to the originals.
A little bloated for me. I cannot see why this needed to be a double album that includes two covers. Neither of which are very compelling.
1. oyzter - 0 2. dome - 1 3. relaz - 1.5 4. War - 0 5. Tribes - 0 6. Tag - 0 7. Fury - 0 8. Run - 1.5 9. Jose - 1.5 10. Wish - 0 11. ballad - 1 12. Krisco - 0 13. night - 1 14. Heaven - 0 15. love - 1.5 16. bang - 0
3/5
A surprisingly good album. A mix of pop, psychedelia and classics.
Making your debut album a double album and then having the first real song on that album be almost 14 minute long is kind of pretentious right? It is a good song, I don't think the extended solo section really adds much and could have been trimmed, but it is a good song. I think I would have really liked the song if they condensed it to 4-5 minutes, there just isn't enough ideas to make it that long, it also ruins the pacing of the album. I like Relax, but I just can't listen to it, because it is too obvious and kind of gross. He really didn't need to call it a laser beam. Man, every song so far, is just so close to being something I dig, but then they mess it up. I like their cover of War, I think it is funky and they put a cool spin on it, but the spoken word is just WAY TOOOOO LOUD. I was digging Fury too, and then it just ended... And this Springsteen cover is just weird. And now the album is 1/2 over and IDK and I really don't have any strong feelings. There is a good album in here somewhere, but it needs a LOT of editing. Mid 3.
This is ridiculous. Obviously it has a big hit on it, but the rest of it is uneven and inexplicably contains cover songs. It's not bad by any means, just very much not essential.
It’s quite erotic.
Really enjoyed the flow early with a strong driving beats and had high hopes for the rest, but it faded into insignificant covers, and felt like it lost it's way. Overall enjoyed the listen and reading more about them and the album, definitely belongs on the list.
Great 80s album.
This was horrifically bad. I wanted to cry and cut out my ears while listening to this.
Chill
p516. 1984. 3 stars. Oh dear. This has not aged well. Point immediately deducted for it being a double album. Far too much filler - redundant covers, and multiple 5+ minute tracks, including a monstrous 13+ minute abomination. It does feel like Trevor Horn saying "hey! Look how clever I am!". Set against that we have Holly Johnson's wonderfully sinister voice, fabulous production and some classic 80s singles. If this had been a single album, it would have been an easy 5 stars.
The only star in heaven was shockingly fun and I was surprised by how much of a ride this album is
Title track is brilliant. Bloated and fun
The random Bruce cover was interesting
So dramatic 😂 and so overtly and predictably sexual. Couple of interesting covers: War and Born to Run. Not bad. Love the 80s dance vibe.
Only knowing their hit songs I was really surprised at how wild this album was, I thoroughly enjoyed it
Kinda just okay. 5/10
et af de koldeste og mest fabriksagtige new wave albums vi har haft, det lyder mere som Kraftwerk end andet i denne genre. Rigtig fedt. De store bangers er store bangers. Ville nok have været en 5'er hvis der ikke var så mange covers på, selvom de var overraskende gode
Altså, klart, det er lidt for meget, men det er også en plade der hedder Welcome to the Pleasuredome, så no shit. Jeg synes ikke der var behov for covers, men ellers virker det sgu for mig!
Pretty horny. A few bangers. Kinda enjoyed it.
Weird. The guitar was really nice at points, reminded me of pink floyd. e.g. in "including the ballad of 32" but not particularly fan of the moaning in the background?? obviously with this album name its not unexpected however that doesn't make it a pleasurable listening experience. Overall quite a well put together album though regardless of it being all over the place, definitely works, just not my style. Definitely enjoyed the second half more. Strange in the shift, The Power of Love, massive hit etc, such a change from a lot of the album. very sporadic. Actually enjoyed listening to this more and more, found it a slog at first and then it picked up, my ears seemed to find it more interesting.
Other than a couple of songs, this album is a bit dated. However it was certainly ahead of its time and still resounds in the mind.
Solid
Pretty good pop album. A lot of different and varied songs.
3/4 synth pop anni 80 carino, ma alla lunga stanca
After the first track I was prepared to suffer through this one. Then it got really good. What a vibe for a while there. Then the back half kinda let me down again. It was a ride, to say the least.
incredibly unmemorable
I just learned that when I picture a gay bar in the 80s I picture it playing Frankie Goes to Hollywood. First half is stronger than the second.
This album (or at least the song Relax) was so wildly popular in the states in 1984. You could go into huge dept. stores and see giant Frankie Says Relax t-shirts for sale. I was 8 so I didn't understand what a fad was. I didn't think they could possibly have anything to do with a song. Now im older and hearing this album for the first time. And I still don't get it. Maybe Relax is a OK song, but what is this album? It's a disjointed collection if songs squarely of a time with a few covers (more than should be on a debut album after 1969) and their one hit (in the States). Pass
I always knew Frankie Goes To Hollywood as a perennial one-hit wonder (Relax), but this was a surprisingly enjoyable album. Their cover of 'Born to Run' really impressed me.
I like the first half of the album enough to give it a 4, and am so ambivalent to the second half it still ends up getting a 3.
The first half is quite all-right, not my genre but not annoying to listen to... the second half though, I don't get the random weird noises like the ??birth?? part? So a 1,5/5
This is a good album, but the opening track is less than ideal, and the end really looses momentum. Some absolute bangers though.
Pretty good
calkiem przyjemny ale nie porwal. zas czy nuta tytulowa byla warta trzynastu minut.. obawiam sie ze nie
Weird. But jokes on you, I'm into that shit.
This is absolutely fantastic. Anthems of songs, great themes, vocals are on point and instrumentals are out of this world
Another album that's too long for its own good. 2/5
The most 80s album. Not bad but nothing amazing.
Some great, classic tunes but also a fair amount of filler. Power of Love was a milestone for me.
Someone referring to this album as “cheesy” sounds like a two-time Reagan voter
Highlights: Ferry, War, Relax, Two Tribes, San Jose. In a nutshell: take it all in. Maximalist and cheeky synthpop. With Trevor Horn, Anne Dudley and J J Jeczalik helping record, this was destined to be a hit. Overall: 7/10
Is it a 2? Is it a 3? It’s got “Relax”… Cmon, it’s a 2.
Theatrical, strange adventure
Very much of its era - synths drum machines, pounding beat, MASSIVE over-production, but yet, it still works. The big hits are obviously the high points, but the rest of the tracks work well. Even the inclusions of the cover versions are fine - they give an easy reference to what Frankie is trying to do differently.
Sometimes this album sounds like a showcase of what New Wave can be. Other times they cover Born to Run for no good reason
Wasn’t too interested after the first track, but started enjoying it more and more. Several great covers.
Really enjoyed this. Full of bangers and without any real filler. Listened multiple times
Not a fan of this kind of 80s production specifically.
Didn't make it very far into the album. It's funny how often my bandwidth for something new relies on the vocals. I'm starting to get the feeling that the footing that this project takes, that I HAVE to listen and appreciate these albums is making me a little more resistant to getting through them than I might otherwise be. Also all of the albums have been insanely long
Surprisingly listenable and quintessentially 80's.
This is such a powerhouse. The power of love song is soooo powerfull. It's been on my mind ever since it was the closing track of "all of us strangers", so great. just incredible
Very interesting coincidence that this came directly after The Associates album. I also don't really like this, but it's light years ahead of what I listened to before, so it gets a little bump. Plus, Relax is a pretty good song.
What a ride. A very gay ride. It’s so menacing in the funnest possible way. If you’re not careful they’re gonna party! And there’s nothing you can do about it! Welcome to the Pleasuredome baby. Feels like a 2 for my personal taste but adding a star for the very bizarre style/MO. May grow to a 4.
When I saw "Genre: Dance" and "Published: 1984", I knew exactly what kind of experience this was going to be Man, I just don't get the sounds of 80s pop. Its a decade of sound that I find hilariously overdone most of the time. The sound effects that are thrown about on this album are CORNY. Occasionally, I like the percussion creativity, but it can also amplify the 80sness of it all. Sigh... Sorry to folks who really dig that (certainly memorable) funky weirdness Relax is an interesting song. Popular enough that i've heard it before. The album saves itself from 1 stardom with the somewhat interesting covers of War, Born to Run and San Jose. They're funny and punky enough to keep me listening.
Haven’t heard this album in decades. T
Epitome of the 80s, it’s alright though
Aika erikoinen levy, kun on vähän sellaiset musikaali fiilikset, mutta enemmän perinteisen leffan soundtrackin fiilistä. Tosi vahva kasari soundi ja monta coveria. Parhaat: Relax (Come Fighting), Black Night White Light, The Only Star In Heaven
Good
Very confident that you could die without having ever heard this and still get into heaven first try. Its inclusion on this list says more about the list's editors than anything else.
It's a little disconcerting to get yet another early(ish) 80s album in a row, but I'm glad to have a chance to hear something by Frankie Goes to Hollywood aside from their mega-hits "Relax" and "Two tribes". I'm not sure I needed a double album's worth of Frankie, but it's an interesting album despite the too-long runtime. It almost seems like the 13-minute-plus title track is a bit of a capsule/showcase of the other songs, and almost begs to be the soundtrack for some 80s movie (a la one of the Beverly Hills Cop or Lethal Weapon movies) (but definitely *not* to Mad Max III...). I'd never seen the video for "Relax" before now, but I'll admit it didn't really shed all that much light on what the song is about (but remarkably suggestive for the 80s given the S&M themed gay nightclub setting). And fun to have a pretty creative cover of "War" as the following track; the "Born to Run" and "San Jose" covers aren't as distinctive, however. It's a mystery to me why the video for "The power of love" is basically the Christmas Three Kings story.... It's kind of a bummer that it sounds like Trevor Horn's production of the album pretty much dominated the band's sound on the album (to the point that most of the band members didn't even play most of the instrument pieces on the album). It's hard to know how different the album might have been without Trevor Horn at the helm, but hopefully Frankie doesn't regret the choice too much. And kudos to them for being insistent on being open about their sexuality.
Listening to The Soft Boys put me in a good mood, so I'm liking Frankie more than I ever did, especially their bass player who's bringing a John Deacon-like vibe. Love the covers, esp Born to Run which is about a million times better than the Boss's. I'm not surprised to read the band disintegrated--this album is high concept and executed so well--esp for a debut (!?)--where could they go but down? Still, wish they'd cut the last 5 tracks.
fun one, funky, very 80s
What is the point of this album and why is it on this list. Because Trevor Horn is talented? No consistency here, and just a lot of 80s programming and garbage writing. A few decent tracks. Admittedly. I like welcome to the pleasuredome and relax. You can keep the rest. 2 stars because it’s not completely worthless
cheez
155/1089 - Name a better combo than music hipsters and gay loads of cum! I liked the New Wave parts and disliked the Synth Pop parts.
Weirder than anticipated
Only know FGTH from the three big singles - Relax/ Two Tribes and Power of Love. Whilst the first two are clear classic 80's bangers - they don't really do it for me - partly because I have no particular childhood memories linked to them so fail to trigger any hit of nostalgia. By contrast I really like the sentimentality and Christmas vibes of Power of Love. As for the rest of the album thought it was particularly disappointing with a number of weak covers (fury apart) that did not really bring anything to the party. The rest of the songs were paler rehashes of Two Tribes.
Welcome to the Pleasuredome Relax, don’t do it, when you want to suck a Chewit. I love Trevor Horn, and this showcases his skills brilliantly, I don’t think there’s anyone else who can make that hi-nrg-disco-rock-new wave pop sound as good as he does - Welcome to the Pleasuredome, Relax and Two Tribes are excellent in that regard. And I love his art meets commerce sensibility, I feel like he’s a bit like a musical Roy Liechtenstein or Keith Haring, a pop-art pop producer. However songwise this is certainly a bit of a mixed bag. I really love the ambitious eclecticism and all the bases it touches, but I’m not totally convinced it quite works as a whole double length album. It does feel a bit scattershot and unfocused as it gets to the 3rd and 4th sides of the original vinyl. A single, more concise album, probably just the first 2 sides plus a couple of other tracks would be a great album I like how The World is My Oyster and Welcome to the excellent Pleasuredome act as a bit of an overture, you hear glimpses of songs from the album running through it, as well as some great bass and synth driven grooves, and Welcome to the Pleasuredome leads brilliantly into the fantastic, mischievous hi-nrg disco pop of Relax - it may be ubiquitous but it is absolutely brilliant. I do like the cover of War, hinting at the rhythmic hook of the original, and although it’s a bit dated now the Reagan impersonator speaking about Che Guavara and George Jackson and War would have been very zeitgeisty for the time it was released. And Two Tribes is of course another absolutely superb song, fantastic guitar and bass, its timelessly and brilliantly 80s. I like the melancholy and tender little cover of Ferry Cross the Mersey, an interesting but successful song choice I think. I presume the juxtaposition of Bruce’s widescreen American open road freedom yearning bombast of Born to Run sung by a Liverpudlian pop group is part of the reason they covered it, and while that is quite amusing and despite the energetic performance and Holly Johnson’s hyper-committed vocals I’m not sure it’s ultimately that worthwhile. That goes similarly for the cover of Do You Know the Way to San Jose, I guess the connection/contrast with Born to Run is partly behind it, and while it’s a fine enough version, it also feels a little unnecessary, those two covers signalling a little bit of wooliness as it heads towards the end of the album There are a few good songs to come though, Wish (The Lads Were Here) is a nice bit of pop, and similar to the cover of Ferry Cross the Mersey, the slightly melancholic instrumental of The Ballad of 32 is nice. And Black Night White Light is a great disco-soul groove. I’ve never liked The Power of Love, I’ve always found the melody a bit hard work and the whole thing has a slightly flat, dirge-like quality. And although I presume the OTT power powerballad-ness of it is deliberate I’m just not keen. Holly Johnson has hints of Freddie Mercury, he must surely have been an influence, but he has a bit more of a knowing punkish sneer and playful sensibility, so that he stops himself falling too far into melodramatic theatricality. Length, inconsistency and being front loaded with 3 absolutely fantastic songs in Welcome to the Pleasuredome, Relax and Two Tribes aside I really enjoyed it and will definitely come back to it. It may not totally work, but it’s got a huge amount of scattershot, eclectic charm, and Trevor Horn’s production is fantastic throughout. A single album of the first 8 tracks plus Ferry Cross the Mersey and Black Night White Light and I think it would be a 5, but as it is I’ll go for a solid 4. 😎😎😎😎 Playlist submission: Two Tribes
The album feels very much a cultural flashpoint - riding the brown wave of the burgeoning gay-culture in the 80s, but also shrouded in a slightly menacing and defiant tone - a seeming response to Thatcherite Britain, and even Reagan makes an appearance on 'War' (or a Spitting Image impression at least (yes! It's Chris Barrie!)). Trevor Horn needs credit for the great production, which combines power synth and disco bass, with loops and samples subtly included to create a wall of sound that's dense but atmospheric. 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome' is one of the best examples - epic in fact. So much going on in that track. Sides 3 and 4 are much more questionable, primarily comprising covers and naff 80s vibes ('Wish').
Mental good and bad. What are the covers all about? Singles are incredible.
Ist einfach nicht meins, macht mir irgendwie schlechte Laune
3.5 Stars. Decent, I think I would enjoy it more if I was into this genre
The band lacks one consistent sound, and I love that. Bouncing from tribal percussion and vocalising to what can only be described as hesitant 80s-style prog rock (the title track), to pure 80s fantasy, to an homage to Edwin Starr's "War", to bluesy jam-rock, to a Bruce Springsteen cover... And with a few exceptions, all the songs are really enjoyable, despite being longer than a non-concept album should generally be. I'm a little surprised that the musically desolate album opener, The World Is My Oyster, is getting significantly more Spotify traction than later gems like Wish and Krisco Kisses. But such is the beauty of streaming services. The track "(Tag)" is stupid. (This is all I wrote about the track as I was listening to it, and now, a day later, I can't remember what the fuss was about. But it was stupid, I swear!) The song Including The Ballad Of 32 reminds me of Pink Floyd's Welcome to the Machine, if it were an oversimplified instrumental with a slightly more interesting electric guitar part and weird sexual moans in the background. Special shoutout to The Power Of Love, which has all the elements of a great 80s track... except for good singing. Seriously, what's going on here? Like a significantly whinier Bon Jovi who was ordered to sing during his time-out. To be fair, though, he sounds worse here than in most other tracks on the album. Relax (Come Fighting) is a wonderfully 80s-esque track, complete with light female backing vocals during chorus and heavy synths. Honestly, it's great. The song title is sung exactly how you'd imagine it. 4/5 Key tracks: Relax (Come Fighting), Two Tribes, Wish (The Lads Were Here)
Over all solid album. A little repetitive at times
not bad
Some alright tracks bit annoying at times.
increible. Que buen viaje. Gran disco :D
First thoughts as this album gets rolling: this might require the kind of patience that I don’t have. By Relax, I’m still not into it. Not gonna finish. Life is too short, and there’s 1000 records here.
Eh. Very 80’s. There were some spots which were fun, and others that felt like peak 80’s soundscape. But it’s not really my cup of tea, I’m finding. At least not this authentic. I’d give it a three, but I definitely don’t see myself listening to the whole album again. **A little hippie-ish as well, minus 0.2 points
Well, I didn’t become gay by listening to this like I had thought all these years. This is a well produced 80’s album. It strays away from the cheesy sound that the 80’s was known for. It’s as if you were actually in a Pleasuredome when you were listening to this. I’d say this album is the lighter side of Violator by Depeche Mode. Where The Mode dabble in darkness , Frankie shines a light but still keeps the lights sort of dimmed. I was surprised about how good this album was. I won’t listen to it again but they earned my respect. Choice cut: War
Really fun album that I have never heard before. I had only heard their hit song about not coming from this but the other songs are really good too. Good variety of music and lyrical content. I would probably listen to this again although it didn't change my life or anything like that.
This might be the only version of a Springsteen song that I actually like. Relax is iconic and despite the long run time of the album, it's not boring and presents a real time capsule of the mid 80s.
Couple bops I don’t mind it
The bass and music was often good but the music didn’t go anywhere, no good melodies, lyrics were dumb.