Welcome To The Pleasuredome

I remember reading a long time ago about Frankie Goes To Hollywood and the controversy around releasing an album that so openly speaks about gay relationships. Perhaps albums like this wouldn’t be so shocking these days, but it would have been fascinating to have been around when this was released. The music is fun funky disco for the most part, with occasional rockier elements thrown in. It is a really fun listen, with memorable bass lines throughout. An easy recommend here.

Really enjoyed it

Wierd, very explict but funny and for sure something peculiar i want to rate 3.5

Really interesting songs, relax and War I have obviously heard but I enjoyed how the band really tried to make it a concept album. Not all of the songs hit but overall really cool album

This is really corny

3/5. This is mostly my kind of weird. Electronic, dance, progressive rock, classical. They are trying stuff out and I love the experimentation that sometimes lands but the effort is there and each song is different enough to stand out on its own. When I listened to the 13 minute opener, it kind of felt like a more poppy Rush song and even the later songs feel like they could fit on an album like that. Either way, this band makes some hype and maybe pretentious stuff but they make it work enough to be fun. The unfortunate thing is that as the album goes on, the quality drops a lot. The second half of the album is honestly not good. If it was just the first like 5 songs, plus one or two later on, it would be perfect. A double album that needed to be edited. Best Song: Relax, Welcome To The Pleasuredome, War

I generally like this album but it is long and you can kind of lose interest towards the end of the hour.

... Long time ago.... Still nice to Heard. A Milestone

What a powerhouse of an album. Like most I was aware of the singles and was expecting a lot of filler. However there are numerous other quality songs in here. The whole album feels like a bit of a runaway train, all over the place but never relenting and giving you a moment to compose yourself. So much better than I was expecting.

Yes!! Love it!! (Is this related to the Kenneth Anger?)

Packed with hits, but also a generous sprinkling of average cover versions. A slightly disjointed album but good nonetheless, and relax….

I have always liked this lot from afar, without of course ever listening to this album. The singles and the band itself were clearly groundbreaking on several levels as per their banning etc. I tend to disagree with tgl when it comes to the extended versions, especially the title track, which I thought sounded great here and ahead of their time (although not that well qualified to comment on that really). That set me up for very high expectations for the reminder of the album which were then busted by the frankly odd covers and some much weaker material mid album. They could have just made a shorter album. But overall I do think they were an original band that put one great songs on this album which have stood the test of time. I would listen again, just no the whole thing.

I’ve surprised myself at how surprised I am that this isn’t a particularly great album. I’m not a fan of 80s pop, but I’ve always rather liked Frankie’s singles, they always felt a bit darker and more subversive than other 80s toss. My hope there might be more depth to explore here was tragically misplaced. A couple of songs nearer the end were OK, but most of it just felt like a bit of a panic so they just ended up pointlessly extending songs with dull synth noodling so they lost their pop focus and adding some crap covers. Ahh the 80s, you never fail to disappoint. Still, I’ll give it a 3 for a couple of great singles and probably more so culturally for just being openly gay. Getting the BBC to renege on banning their biggest hit because it was ‘a bit gay’, was quite the FU.

This stinks of the 80s pop.... I had better things to do than listen to this filth. A lot of filler, not enough killer.

God, wat een ontzettend lekkere opener is dit eigenlijk. Welcome to the pleasuredome is een fantastisch nummer en dan ook nog eens de lange versie van 13 minuten? Geweldig. De bass line op War, echt puur genieten hoor! Sowieso is het instrumentaal echt een fucking dik album, met nummers die lekker lang duren maar geen seconde vervelen. Geen seconde vervelen? Nouja, tot we bij de tragere nummers aankomen... De 2e helft van het album is meer gericht op ballads in plaats van de synthpop nummers van de 1e helft. En heel eerlijk? Dit doet het dan weer totaal niet voor mij. Frankie Goes to Hollywood is voor mij op zn best als het fout en catchy is, niet als het traag en emo is. Gelukkig knalt het einde er weer ouderwets vandoor. Dusja, eigenlijk alleen even jammer van het middenstuk, maar daarna weer echt top. Zelfs de ballad Power of Love trek ik best goed. Uiteindelijk gewoon echt een goed album, niet perfect door de harde inkak in het midden, maar echt een beter album dan verwacht! FAVO: Welcome to the pleasuredome, Relax, War, Two tribes, Black night White Light, The only star in heaven, The power of love

This band gets an extra point for having the best licensed game on the ZX Spectrum.

exactly what i expected, except the Bruce Springsteen cover.

pretty good 80's synth pop, but bored me here and there

Enjoyable album, love me some old weird music

GAY! No offense, I think it was their objective. Not bad at all, pretty catchy, not really my style of music though, but definitely gay as fuck.

As someone who generally likes synthy 80s music and new wave, I expected to enjoy this, but I found it irritating and overlong. Although it had moments that showed promise, I’m going with my initial impression in the rating.

So cheesy, so poppy, so 80's but...... ...how to resist something so undeniably big in hits and swagger?

This album is a dated, teased hair, shoulder pad wearing synthesizer playing 80's movie loving period of time that is rarely mimicked for a reason.

Surprisingly brilliant. I literally didn't know what to expect having only heard the hits. But this album is banging. Lots of really great music in here! It's not perfection for me but it's a solid 4/5. At points I thought I'd fallen into a Floyd album it goes that prog, then to funk, disco and pop. The album flows and has definitely got something special about it!

Not really a work album haha. I can see how important it must have been to the queer movement but didnt do it for me

Hier heb ik de dubbel LP van. Gekregen uiteraard. Dus kan ik 'm mooi op die manier luisteren. Side 1 (track 1 + 2 op Spotify) is een ontiegelijk lang intro. Theatraal, bombastisch. Side 2 (track 3 t/m 6) bevat de hit en hier lijkt het album pas echt te beginnen. Het zijn wat meer liedjes dan side 1. Het blijft allemaal vrij theatraal. De tracks worden wat korter, dat is wel prettig. Een scheutje songfestival en derhalve vanzelfsprekend tamelijk gay, met de halfnaakte mannen voor op de hoes en de gigantische penis als je het album open slaat. Side 3 (track 7 t/m 12) begint weer met een soort intro en daarna komt opeens The Boss om de hoek kijken, wat ik niet helemaal had verwacht. Verder ook op deze side weer genoeg theater: Die galm, die zang, dramatische effecten. Anderhalve keer iets wat doet denken aan een skit. Stukje Michael Jackson, Wham, Prince en helemaal aan het einde een instrumentale Pink Floyd. Side 4 (track 13 t/m 16) begint aardig druk met die wardrums en een dikke laag synth. Track 14 (die begint met een soort hele slechte rap) is een klein dieptepuntje. Ook "The Power of Love" (de 2e grote hit van dit album) kan me niet echt bekoren. Omdat het zo gigantisch over the top is, is het wel een leuk luisterproject, maar dat is het dan ook wel. Deze gaat niet meer veel vaker aangezet worden. Dit had een 2 kunnen worden, maar omdat het wel echt een album-album is maak ik er 3 van.

All of the negative traits ascribed to 80s synth-pop on this site, this album has basically all of them. Insipid, completely pretentious double-album. Fun fact: almost every single vinyl copy you come across has the inner sleeves falling apart from a bad glue run. A good metaphor for this album - superficially ambitious but lacking the basics. The subversive homo-eroticism of bands like Soft Cell is here replaced by Holly Johnson’s completely ham-fisted vulgarity. One or two of the covers (and there are a few of these to pad out this double album with derivative guff) are decent (Born to Run in particular). But this is a snooze fest and even the singles haven’t aged well. Skippable.

This was a total surprise to me! I knew Frankie Goes to Hollywood were gay icons, but really thought of them as one-and-done with Relax. But this whole album was a ton of fun! I will say that I think a band has to work hard to produce a cover worthy of an original and the covers on this album ain’t quite it. But I still had a great time listening.

Oh shit, for real? I’m genuinely puzzled why this record made the cut. It’s not bad. It’s fine. But I don’t understand what’s great here. Must be another of the UK/US cultural differences. The hits are still good. San Jose is cute. But it’s not essential listening. It’s just fine.

More brit pop with one famous song, just what this list needed. This album is below average and boring.

Relax - One hit wonder War - Version of The Temptations The rest of the album is pretty good too...

Relax is a fun song but the rest of the album is ass. Synthpop twaddle, not in a good way.

An album that was made for the 80's and probably should stay there. Also the Born to Run cover came out of nowhere.

80s synth punk. Sleazy and manic. The album leans so heavily into irony that it crosses into parody at some points. The Born to Run cover feels part wonder and part mockery. Punk is cool, albeit a bit exhausting.

There is one good album in here and one very mediocre album. Born to Run is an unlikely excellent cover.

Classic 80's music with electronic elements.

Frankie-mania is difficult to overstate. I was barely old enough to be conscious of their brief impact on the culture but it was still extremely evident years later. Enough for me to be fully aware. There was a bloody computer game made of this on the ZX Spectrum. A computer game, about a band! The 80s is absolutely the most crazed decade to have ever existed. I had no idea anal sex involved laser beams. Must try it sometime. Also Holly sounds uncannily like Seth Rollins doing his daft laugh at the end of the title track. The covers here are certainly random. Apart from War, they should all have been dropped. Overall an enjoyable listen, but really only those massive and deserved hits stand out. So it's an average score for me.

All three of these stars are for The Power Of Love, which is a five star song, but the rest of the album just pales in comparison.

69/100

One or two decent songs, the rest were very dated.

It's supposed to be synth-pop. I think it's a odd mix of 80's genres. But in some unfathomable way, it somehow works. 3.5/5.

2.4 listened once, didn't really love the 80s, but a few bangers

So 80s it hurts, not my thing at all. The power of love is good, the cover versions are all very odd and feel like filler, much of the rest is pretty rubbish.

It’s amazing that the 60s and 70s produced some of the most timeless and memorable music ever, and then there’s the 80s. This sounds so dated. His vocal tone, the Casio synth, drum machine, everything.

Ok

Goes on a bit but a couple of great tunes.

The covers keeping this afloat

Always loved this album.

I bought this on vinyl from a charity shop for 20p but never really listened to it properly. It's actually really good.

What a trip down memory lane that was. I remember before this was released me and my siblings would try and tape all the 12 inch remixes of both Relax and Welcome to The Pleasuredome off the radio. I remember being slightly disappointed when the album came out as I was too into the cover versions of the weird little Ronald Reagan skits. 11 year old me was pretty oblivious to the sexual innuendo going on throughout the album. Still slightly oblivious...

I think this is the most stereotypical 80's album in existence. If you asked AI to write an 80's album, it would just be this album

It’s not really doing anything for me. First two tracks were promising but I got bored of the sound fast. Not for me.

Seemed like a good 80s band, but lots of songs on this album felt like filler or not interesting to me. Born To Run (not sure why that needed a cover here), Krisco Kisses, Wish The Lands Were Here, The Ballad of 32, The Only Star In Heaven is my short list of songs that should have been cut. There were more I'm sure. Probably a 2.5.

3.75

Het begint geweldig, maar de tweede helft is toch echt veel zwakker.

This is incredible. Not sure how I hadn't listened to it the whole way through before

Had a few tracks I quite like

No va

Got some bounce but every song sounds the same

Love it. Listened to the alum many times. Stellar from start to finish.

The absolute best thing about this for me is the consistency and flow of it. One of those albums that drops little notes and flavours that follow-through to the rest of the album and make it work well as an individual piece of work, with a consistent mood. On paper this isn't for me, but actually I'm down with it. There's some great tracks in here, solid instrumentation, some good covers, and he has a great voice to boot. And it has actual atmosphere that carries through like I said, with layers of sound. Quite the surprise as I was expecting this to be not for me at all. 3.5 rounded up.

Kind of a mixed bag. By making this an unnecesarry double album, it gets a point less. It could do without the covers. The title track and the singles are the highlights in my opinion.

I actually really liked this!! I'm still making noises with my mouth and it's been 8 hours since I listened!!

Classic. Remember that one time... 😂

This album had a serious case of identity crisis. Feel like they didn’t know what sound they were going for from one song to the next which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Altogether not something I feel compelled to go back to though

Didn’t realize they did relax. Had some other covers. Very 80s sounding with the new wave and all that.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood were unapologetically gay chart-toppers in the mid-80s from Liverpool. And pointing out the inherent queerness in this album is kind of important, contextually. The song Relax was actually pulled from mainstream radio stations such as the BBC after a DJ played the single, calling it "disgusting" after stopping the song halfway through. Despite this, it remained at the top of the charts for 5 weeks. Even Top of the Pops refusing to show it didn't stop it. This is music that people clearly wanted to hear, further evidenced by Relax also hitting Number 10 on the USA's Billboard charts. I mention this because the controversy surrounding this album is juxtaposed with a Springsteen cover, particularly Born to Run. What a statement to make, honestly. As much as I do want to praise a genuinely queer cover of Born to Run, I do actually think this album is bloated, and the covers are a big part of that. There's a fair bit of filler here past the excellent A and B sides, and I do want to also mention that the full versions of Two Tribes and Relax are superior to the versions here on the album, taking a form similar to the excellent title track. Effectively, it's like the difference between the single version of Pet Shop Boys' version of Always On My Mind compared to the full 8 or so minute version. The difference is night and day, and the extra time for those songs to develop a bit helps them out a ton. I wish that's what happened on this album, cutting some of the covers and lesser cuts like the Krisco Kisses and Black Night White Light and giving the remaining time to better versions of already great singles. Though, I suppose that's difficult to do when you want your album to be a commercial success. This would've proven moot in hindsight, however, as they would break up following their second album, Liverpool. Overall, a great slice of 80s new wave that removes a good amount of the cheese associated with the genre, but quite bloated with cuts that really don't help the album all that much. I'd give this a 7/10 if I could, but regrettably, due to the 5-point system on this site, it'll have to be a bit lower.

No thanks

Never did like them much and listening again after 40 years, I haven't changed my mind.

Zwei Killer Tracks. Der Rest langweilig.

Si esta es la música a mi también me gustaría ir a Hollywood.

I so heard of them, but somehow never listened to them the way I wanted to. I've read a lot of reviews and now I have hiiigh expectations. Genre-wise I'm all here for it too, synth-pop is generally catchy and now FGTH must have a unique sound that will hook me. I only had "power of love" added to my playlist, though I have no idea how it sounds like. Also the cover is very very gay and I love that, makes me feel like they're a comedy group and doesn't take stuff seriously, maybe they don't, but they also make too much of a quality music apparently. First song, opera? It's definitely an intro to the whole album, but because of such a long song title I thought it would be longer. It's eerie and the woman is already singing opera, love that tbh. Oh he talks and laughs. Guitar is joining with the woman alongside. Already hearing the synth. He vocalised a little and stopped, so did the song after it. Second song, 13 MINUTES? This better be worth it wtf. I do like the name tho. There are animal sounds in the background and he sang a little. It sounds like Gorillaz's interlude. The beat came on and now it sounds like real music. The vibes are good, it's not dancey nor happy or sad, just fine. Monkey sounds made by man, I think. He doesn't really sing, just talks. Just realised that Spotify's album cover is fully different from this one, but it's the same album and they do match in a way. He's talking fast now and there's a sonical and lyrical interaction. He has a good voice too. It's full and doesn't need anything else, but also I'm waiting for something massive to happen. The beat progressed. It got undervolumed now. He has good lyrical delivery I suppose, makes it less boring. Made it like the song is finished, but it's still going with some weird sounds. Ooh the beat drop was amazing. It's non lyrical and sounds like Pink Floyd getting ready for the next song. It's getting more and more uninteresting, I was gonna add this to the playlist, but I'm just gonna skip the half of it anyway. It's vibey and listenable just some parts are extended unnecessarily. Just realised that there are two types of voice here, either two guys sing or they just change their voice. Outro is quite good, it's progressing, getting faster and stuff. Talks like a villain at the end, deep voice he has I mean, also manically laughs. It's a grower for sure. Third song, this is the most listened song, so I should like it. Chorus really hit me, it's a catchy one. He has vocals and I love them. Production-wise it's different and full of sounds, perfect for my ears. Oooh the instrumental break is soooo good sonically, he sings a little, but it's a break for me. "When you wanna come...come" such a funny line to me, plus idk how to interpret it. 4th song, world music as a genre vibes already. Ohhh it's that song named "war" sample of that, maybe vice versa not sure. The beat is so dancey and exotic. 6 minutes is a lot, but if it stays this good I'm here for it. He is talking like Madonna does in some songs, but this one seems more informational vibed. There're long pauses in between and that's kinda annoying. The Spotify album cover is so artistic and stuff and this one's straight out gay, still don't know which one is better. Finally he sings. The last parts of the song are too good to ignore tbh, thought it would be worse and I am happily mistaken. 5th song, violin and dramatic vibesss loveee that. Ooooh nevermind beat is energetic and fast, the intro is sooo misleading. This one's more rock with synth. His voice is overshadowed by the instruments, which mostly I don't like, idk what to think about that here for now. It's fully rock now and it's kinda progressing. Oh everything stopped and than technotronic beat came on, then the previous loudness renewed, the chaos, people, album is extremely chaotic and that's the best part in it. 6th song, he's so British here, and the fuck is he talking about. It's veeery rare, but I extremely like this interlude lyrically and sonically, equally. Couldn't have made it any better. 7th song, it's giving funeral. Lyrical delivery is just sad, not "someone is dead" sad tho. This one is pop and less synth and rock. There are men background vocalising after he sings a little. There is a dialogue at the end at it perfectly transitions into the 8th song, he screams "ha" and the song is fast and full of energy. This one's more rock I think. It's catchy and doesn't sound unoriginal. He moan screamed more than one time at some point. Lana made "born to die" based on this, she took the negative turn tho(totally joking if it isn't clear). Every song is different and I love every of them differently. 9th song, is this bossa nova? This one's a soft one, his voice and the whole vibe calms me. It's kind of jazzy too, but very little of it is in here. Chorus is so catchy and the delivery of it is the best part. The versatility in this album is too much in a good way. 10th song, weird instrument I've heard before played at the start and then their classic beat came on. Chorus is not their best. The verse is catchy in a way that I want to learn it. It's chaotic now, they all sing together, that's what it sounds like. Didn't get the vibe of this one. 11th song, there's dialogue at the start. Oooh and then western beat appears. There's no lyrics here I suppose. It's getting better and better sonically. It's rocky overall, and very catchy, but there's something missing, it sounds like an intro to something. It got worse somehow. I think I hear moans, but they are not very loud and they don't make the song any richer. Song is fading away, but it's too early. Definitely smn is breathing here. Weirdest song on the album, in a bad way. 12th song, started with some talking, and now it sounds like a soldier war song, nevermind it's funky and dancey now. The chorus is very good, that's the one that made me think it was soldiery. Ohh they're saying "hunger hunger", makes sense now. I wanna add the song, but it's controversial not in the way you think tho. 13th song, the start and the first verse is quite boring, but then it builds up. The chorus is catchy especially the lyrical delivery. The beat was progressing and now it's back to the original one. It's fully rock now, and I think I hear an electric guitar. Last verse(I think) is quite different even sonically. Song is fading away. 14th song, the start is the best thing I've heard today. Same goodness is followed in the verses too. Oooh that guitar delivery is soo satisfying. This is giving Tim Curry with the way he sings. Chorus is so Arctic Monkeys, kinda erotic voice he has suddenly I mean. Then it gets childish in the best way possible and also clownish. There's a woman R/B voices joined. Idek if I'm listening to a verse or a chorus, because it's fully different, might be a bridge actually, and it's the best follow-up of what happened before. Everything stopped and he started singing like what I said Arctic Monkeys sounds like, again. One of the best songs in the album in my view. 15th song, I so don't remember this song at aaall. It's a sad one, expected from the title. This one's more pop than rock and synth, this happened for the second time, but these two songs are quite different. OOOH THE VIOLINS ARE THE BEST PART, really push the song to another level. Chorus is so strong. Celine Dion also has a song named "the power of love" and I don't remember if it's the same, must be tho, but who's the original singer, I can't fine anyone who sang this song before 1984. Unexpected mood change, but necessary tbh. 16th song, oooh this really does finish up the album. Sonically it's very something they haven't done before, he said "no more" and bang the album is finished already? I wanted more, sad thing is they don't have much albums out apparently, and I really want another one from them at some point in this list. One of the most fun and entertaining albums I've listened to tbh. My expectations are greatly met. They couldn't have done more to impress my picky ears. Some songs are growers and I'll get to know them at some point, before that happens it doesn't sound like a 5 star album, but it isn't any less either, technically it might be 4.5, which is basically 5 so I'm going with that and I'll have no regrets about it.

Better than I expected, but still not very good and way too long. 2/5

A bit patchy, but the supreme example of Trevor Horn’s production style

Frankie walked so Sparks could run so HMLTD and Last Dinner Party and the flamboyant theatrical pop rock trend of today could dance the night away.

There are some legitimate jams on this album, but it’s 2 or 3 tracks too long - trim the fat. It’s not a 4 but it’s not a 3. I guess that makes it a 3.5. Some songs have not aged well.

Do you know what? Just a weird album from some weird guys. I'm not against that at all, and loads of this - the big hits obviously, plus quite a few others, are really cracking pop music that is basically undeniable. But still, very odd. The Boss cover is probably the most apparent case in point there.

LISTIE SAY yeah, it's a real good 80's album. I just wish I had a bit more time to figure exactly **why** it works so well for me. Is it just that I like synthy 80's music so much? That could be something, sure. Do I appreciate how odd this album is a lot of places? Good probability, yeah. Is it just because I recognize a lot of samples that were used in this kick-ass mashup with Iron Maiden's "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner"? I can't say no. Whatever the reason, its hits me (HITS ME) with those laser beams. Absolutely worth checking out beyond its one big hit.

While long, it's still some damn good 80s pop. 4 stars.

I’m at a 4. This is a pretty damn good album, but by the end, it kind of falters into a directionless playlist that makes the album experience suffer just enough to drop this out of the range of a 5. To put it more succinctly, I think by Track 10, a lot of the songs lose the tighter and more focused structure that was present earlier in the album, and devolve into great soundscapes but with really loose lyrics, and while I could look past it normally, it just happens too much and too often over the final 7 tracks to ignore. The Only Star In Heaven might be an egregious example of this; what a great hook to start off with on that first verse before kind of just rambling around a bit. With that said, I still liked a lot of the tracks, even those final 7; I just wish the album was a little bit tighter and a little more focused. I don’t think there’s a single bad track here, but some of them feel like they could’ve been non-album singles in order to keep the album experience flowing better. If anything, the biggest knock I can make against this album is moreso how explicitly sexual it is at times. I’m not trying to add a song to my playlist that straight up talks about how mystifying an orgasm can be without any pretense, or just straight up has sex sounds in it like The Ballad of 32, you know? Regardless, this album is no less than a 4 to me. It could even jump up to a 5 if the album’s structure magically clicks better for me someday, but what’s here makes for an exciting and sort of innovative soundscape for 1984 – I can’t say that I’ve heard too many 80s bands rely this heavily on synth work with an explicitly pop lean, but this album makes it work in spades. It’s a great listen, and it’s very fun; I’m still hung up on it as a full album experience, but it would be ridiculous to not give this album a try. It deserves to be on the list, and it’s a strong 4.

Hadn't listened to this in ages. Such a mixed bag. The first two songs are a showcase of outstandingly GOOD 80s production. I mean, there is such drive - the opening/title track clocks in at over 10 minutes, doesn't really have THAT many different lines of lyrics, and you're still entertained the whole way through. War and Two Tribes are good. Then comes a cooldown. Grand. Then it gets... A bit tricky. I kind of get the Springsteen cover, but then... Bacharach? Then something that showcases bad 80s production and boring songwriting. And then an instrumental that probably inspired Enigma. And then...a sort of bebop/rockabilly song about fisting. Anal fisting. Not what I expected and something I need to remember to slip onto an innocent-sounding playlist alongside Bobby Brown Goes Down. Then two more decent tracks with very driving bass lines, and of course: The Power Of Love, a love song to love which makes it so universal and timeless. In the end... When I first listened to it I didn't quite realise how gay the whole album is (well, I was 16 or so, not gay myself, lived in a very rural area... so a lot of the references and not so hidden innuendoes went totally over my head), and the fact that even on repeated listens, you can delve in the gayness - or just ignore it and enjoy what is mostly a very decent, driving, danceable album. Plus an outstanding, no holds barred pompous, romantic ballad, done very right. All of which was and is probably part of the continuing appeal of the songs and the band. And my God, Trevor Horn can produce. And damn, on finishing the album, I want to put the title track back on. Just skip San Jose and Wish The Lads Were Here, and you're looking at a great album, honestly.

Not bad at all

this album is fire- dumpster fire I mean

80’s

Fun 80s album

Ok

I mean this in the nicest way possible, but this might be one of the gayest albums I've ever listened to. This band was actually one of the first openly gay pop acts ever, at least according to Wikipedia. I guess that's an argument for inclusion on a list like this. As for the album itself, it's alright. I wouldn't call it bad, but it's not my favorite. Somehow this album manages to be both pretty ahead of its time and incredibly dated simultaneously. It's ahead of its time for being a pretty explicit album by 1984's standards (the year, not the book). As for the datedness of the album, that mainly boils down to the sound. It's very 80s. Some might love that, others may hate that, and I'm fine with it. The singing is pretty good. The writing is decent. Though, a large reason for that is because of the decent amount of covers on this album. The album's also pretty long. Overall, while this is far from my favorite album and I wouldn't be too upset if this was cut from the list entirely, I can still see some value in this, as it's a decent, albeit flawed album all things considered. 3/5.

not really got into it

It's not often that a 1+ hour album can pack such a bang for the buck but Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Welcome To The Pleasuredome is such a synth based roller coaster of non-stop thrill. 4/5

FGTH lays the groundwork for an interesting take on the classic synth-pop sound of the ‘70s and ‘80s, but they don’t do enough with the elements that make it stand out to create an overall satisfying album. However, from the lengthy, nearly prog-synth tracks, to the bizarre spoken word interludes, the band’s debut is certainly charming and a commendable experiment, even if several of its tracks fall flat

not as good as I was expecting, had higher hopes. Covered a few prior songs.

Terrible, I tried

This album makes sense for club music, but would make for possibly the most boring live show I can imagine. I've never heard Relax in its full form, and I don't think it needs one; the hook is really all there is, even if it makes you want to kill the prime minister of Malaysia. Definitely wouldn't choose to listen to this again.

Interesting album. I thought it was a bit overlong, and it's brave to start with a 14 minute song (after an intro song). I looked up the album and the background is really interesting. I don't think I would have known there's like 4 covers on there. The songs that hit hit pretty good, but I'm not sure I'd revisit. I do think the production is neat though. Lots going on. 3.25/5

Color me surprised- this is actually quite good. Most of the new wave albums on here tend to disappoint, and I was scared when I saw this was a double LP, but the hits largely pull off the length, and some of the deeper cuts are pretty cool too. Even the lengthy stuff is varied enough to work. B

I can see why people dislike this, it's far too bloated and has a lot of obvious filler (which as the consecutive covers midway through the album), however when it's good, it's really good. I feel like FGTH used all the material they had for this album, some of these songs definitely should have been b-sides.

Started out good then fizzled. Then the covers began. Yeesh. No

I really don't like 80s music..... This is crap

Not too bad.

Excellent start

I knew the singles of this album of course: "Relax," "Welcome To The Pleasuredome," (of which I enjoy the 7" single a bit more than this 13,5-minute album version) "Two Tribes" (of which I enjoy the 9-minute 12" a lot more than this shorter version on the album) and "The Power Of Love." What I didn't know is that these singles were part of the whole album which leans completely on the sounds of these four songs, with a few covers in the mix. Producer Trevor Horn enjoys creating bombastic sounds and incorporating them into a cohesive whole, but this approach only partly succeeds on this album. The rest of the material is just not strong enough. He would achieve greater success with Propaganda and Art Of Noise. This album is an amazing time-piece of the 80s, but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece.

Consists mostly of rambling nonsense. Didn't expect the music video to "Relax" to have such a late-20th-century gay vibe; that almost made that bland, overplayed song interesting, at least for one listen. I like how eclectic it is within the constraints of its overall vibe, but that vibe remains kinda meh. Giving it a 4 is generous, but that eclectic approach earns it a liiitle bit above average.

I had a difficult time getting through this album. I'm not a fan of synth-pop from the 80's, and Frankie Goes To Hollywood has done nothing to change that.

A landmark gay album, not only for being a hedonistic synthpop double album, but for having a leading single about sodomy. Side A kicks off with a behemoth 13-minute progressive pop title track that indulges the listener in the mystique of the Pleasuredome. It's a lot of fun as a it builds suspense and works through its danceable rhythms. More than anything, it's a display of how much fun Frankie Goes to Hollywood can be, setting the stage for the rest of their fun-filled party album. Side B takes us into the big single where Holly Johnson tells us to relax (don't do it). This could easily be considered the centerpiece of the album, but in the context of this tracklist it feels slightly out of place. Relax is followed by War and Two Tribes, both deeply political and atmospheric songs that give an apocalyptic vibe to this party album. This makes the Pleasuredome feel like a reprieve from the hell that is the outside world. You can dance the night away, but when two tribes go to war.... Side C begins with a run of three covers, with the most notable being Springsteen's Born to Run. It matches the energy of the original with some pretty incredible work on the bass, but it's hard to top the Boss. The rest of side C isn't too notable, though it does close out with a sorrowful Ballad of 32 the reinforces the apocalyptic feeling from outside the Pleasuredome. Makes you wish the lads were here. By 1984, the AIDs epidemic had reached the UK and had taken it's first life, Terry Higgins. Higgins was a nightclub DJ and I can only imagine he would have spun some of Frankie Goes to Hollywood if he had lived long enough to hear their first single. I can also assume that the AIDs crisis was on the minds of Frankie Goes to Hollywood when writing much of Pleasuredome. It's an authentic expression of grief and fear through the most devastating time in queer history, and daring to live and enjoy life anyway. The Pleasuredome was there to remind us why we needed to persevere in the face of adversity. Frankly, it's a pretty spotty album in terms of quality, but it's more important for that it represents. I have a lot of respect for Frankie Goes to Hollywood and the Pleasuredome, so I'm glad people get to experience it, at its best and its worst. Relax.

One of my all time favourites. No idea how a band puts this together for their first release. Brilliant.

weird album and not really in the experimental way. i mean the original tracks are fairly experimental and proggy synthpop/80s rock but they aren't much weirder than the average 80s album. i guess it's the covers in the albums middle that destroy Welcome to the Pleasuredome's sound and coherence. dunno, this is more of a mixtape than an album. or maybe its a mixtape plus an EP? if i loved the 80s more it'd be fine but i came away from it remembering the cover of Born to Run the most, yet id much rather just go listen to that song than the cover here. apparently i bought a vinyl of this like 6 years ago? like i said, weird album.

Didn't grab me as much as I hoped it would. As a kid I remember the controversary around Relax being banned, not that I understood at all what the issue was, what's the problem with people wanting to chill??

What a strange audacious and surprising album. One in which I'm really not sure what to make of. I did enjoy this more than I expected, never quite thinking it wasn't for me. Could stand to be shorter and maybe more cohesive.

One of the best albums ever published. Epic.

I was shocked how much I enjoyed this. I was aware of the hits (who isn’t?) but it was cheesy and enjoyable

Good

hahahahaha

Really good album

Ok, so hearing Relax was ok. But I counted at least three covers that were not all that unique. To me, no need to have this on the list. Not denying there may be reasons. Just disagreeing with its inclusion.

boring

The singles were simply huge at the time and haven't gone away. I completely concur with another reviewer's excellent summing up of why it felt so great in 1984 to have queer lads from Liverpool sticking it to Thatcher, but doing it 80s-style, ie with excess. These songs were so good to dance to! Anyway the album was a tad longer than expected and Born to Run was a mis-step for me. But apart from that I loved the basslines and the shininess and all of the "hwaaah!"

Loved it then, love it now.

This was tremendous. I’d never listened to it before. Loved how Welcome to the Pleasuredome was followed by Relax. 16 whole minutes of dance perfection. And ballads and covers and Liverpool. Brilliant.

This is gloriously 80's synth pop cheese. Kinda like Soft Cell, Huey Lewis & the News, or The Human League. This album has everything from rock to synthpop to jazz. Favourite songs: Relax, War, Born to Run, Welcome to the Pleasuredome, The Only Star in Heaven, Wish the Lads Were Here Least favourite songs: The World is My Oyster (Including Well/Snatch of Fury), Tag (Fuck skits) 4/5

nice and relaxing while elden ring hurt my feelings

Mega!!!!!

Well, I enjoyed this a LOT more than I expected! Excellent synth pop with power! It truly is much, much better than I was prepared for! Understandably, this won’t be for everyone but I thought this was pretty good!

This is a weird fucken album. A bit long but I did actually enjoy it a bit. Good synth-work and some hits I can't hate it. Fav songs: - Relax - War - Born to Run - The Power of Love

i liked this

This was really quite good. A nice little 80s-flavored musical mixed bag. I can see myself listening to this one again, but it's missing that extra "je ne sais quoi" for me to give it a 5.

Solid, interesting, a lot of variety

Quite samey but a pleasant trip down memory lane for me.

A stone cold classic :) really shook the music world up

Soundtrack to a generation Still remember all of the words to all of the singles And the album tracks still hold up too Cover of Born to Run is fantastic Such a shame we only got two albums from them before internal conflict broke them But then, something this perfect was always destined to be fragile Ah, relax

One of the defining albums of the 80’s - when I think back to visiting London the number of Frankie says shirts, the videos, the controversy but thankfully the music is also superb. Pleasuredome, Relax, Two Tribes and power of love are still as good now as they ever were. There’s still too many covers padding out the run time (despite the quality of them) and that keeps it from a 5 but the big tacks absolutely justify a 4.

Yikes more 80s. Wow there is a lot of courts and filler on an album with 3 number 1s. Half baked. Massive input by Trevor Horn

It's fine, but I don't see how it could hold your attention for that long. I found it uninteresting.

Surprisingly good

Covers were weird but overall decent

expectation: a bunch of big hits reality: a bunch of big hits and tons of absolutely bonkers stuff in between. amazing.

Favorites: Relax, War I definitely enjoyed the album overall, but feel they could have tightened it up a bit by dropping Fury, The Ballad of 32 and San Jose, which though a great song, didn't add much to the album. I'm surprised they didn't get an explicit content warning just for Krisco Kisses. The Born to Run cover is great, it seems out of place on the album, but is a great cover.

So it’s two hits, a bunch of electronic dance music and then some weird synth pop covers that make no sense? It seems as if Frankie Goes to Hollywood was more of a fad to sell T-shirts than an actual band. “Two Tribes” is pretty decent but this album is a mess.

# 253 : Relax : I don't love it. I don't hate it, it is ok but it's not particularly exciting and doesn't have anything catchy enough to make me want to give it a second listen. I feel like sometimes this list mistakes "you must listen to this ALBUM before you die" with "Hey this was popular during 20xx, or had a couple hits on it" with importance.

It's hard to rate when the album is mostly covers.

Veislan! Gjörningurinn! Stríðið, lífið og ástin! Vampírur við dyrnar! Þessi plata hefur það allt. Elska hana frá upphafi til enda. The world is my oyster muahahahaha!

Raucous gay synth fun. I saw a couple of documentaries recently referencing FGTH, and Soft Cell (of all bands) said that Frankie was too outrageous for the sake of being outrageous. That's a pretty bold statement from a band who's also known for their strong themes of sexual encounters and bondage. The second documentary noted that the lead singer, Holly Johnson, was outright gay in the 80s. This was bold & dangerous for the time, but Holly gave zero fucks. There are multiple video versions of Relax, but one shows guys in bondage gear getting doused with ejaculate - it's wild. Aside from the obvious homosexual theme in Relax, Two Tribes is a fantastic anti-war anthem and is accompanied by an equally stimulating music video. Welcome to the Pleasuredome is the perfect name for this album because it felt like physically entering a space where erotica & angst roam free. Side note, Holly Johnson was also in the band Big In Japan. This is wild & I'm "coming" back again. 5 stars.

Theatrical ….. Unfortunately, I’m not a big theater fan…

So I knew the hit Frankie songs, but never listened to the entire album before, and I will say that it’s actually pretty interesting… Not sure what “The World Is My Oyster” song was that opened the album, but “Pleasuredome” was pretty well done – perhaps a bit bloated, but intriguing… Obviously “Relax” & “Two Tribes” are the best songs on the album, and the covers in the middle of the album were unexpected, but again – very interesting… Hadn’t heard “Ferry” in over 40 years, so that was pretty cool, and the version of “Born To Run” – while not top -shelf, was still ambitious for sure… Also enjoyed the “San Jose” cover – but really, all 3 of those tracks – along with “War” – just really seemed out of place compared to the rest of the album – but they were definitely fun… Not sure it needed to be a double album – but hey, I thought it was pretty well done all-the-way around… Would probably give this a 2.50 if I could, but I’ll bump it up to a 3, as I enjoyed it more than I thought I would…

Some classic songs but would need more listens as not overly familiar. Still very much liked it

The album cover makes me uncomfortable. If my mom knew what the lyrics to Relax were saying, she'd never let me watch that music video, and I wouldn't blame her - they are disgusting. The album as a whole is generally annoying. They were a one-hit wonder in America, so I never heard anything but Relax. The other singles were noth0ing to write home about. The covers don't seem to fit with the rest of the album, but I kinda liked Born to Run. The album is too long too. Frankie say "no more" and frankly I have to agree with Frankie.

Welcome to the Pleasuredome is the debut studio album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, originally released in 1984. I'm already not a synth-pop fan, so seeing that this was a synth-pop double album made me want to cry. It wasn't as bad as I thought, but it still wasn't good. It was kinda diverse sonically. The band makes cool use of synths to create atmosphere in many of the songs. There was also an interesting Born To Run cover on here, along with some skits that were surprising. Not something I'd really listen to again, English synth-pop just doesn't hit for me.

Un himno, buenas vibras, agradable sujeto.

Welcome to the Pleasuredome is actually better than I expected, it’s fun, mostly but it’s a lot of covers. There is a lot of weird shit too and it’s way too long. Born To Run is such a great song but I think Bruce deserves that credit over Frankie. 4.8/10

A bit of a groovy thing. Pretty generally enjoyable to listen to without any real kick to it. 3.5

Love it - from start to finish

Relax is fun, but the rest wasn’t really my thing.

Loved this. Very fun. Never thought I'd enjoy the song 'War'.

What an album. I already knew the classics on this album (though i didn't realise they were all from the same album) But the covers were amazing on this, and the whole album was pieced together extremely well. An absolute delight to listen to. A lot of fun with some hard hitting emotion thrown in at the end. One of my favourites so far on the list.

Second song is a vibe. The rest is okay.

Super over the top, needed to cut like 20 minutes off this album

A classic, but not really my thing.

In the year of Orwell's dystopian imagination, the sound of a nation belonged to a band largely propped up by advertising and publicity, bringing together scandalous imagery and not so subtle innuendo and turning them into iconic statements. Frankie Goes to Hollywood may have turned out to be one of the more obvious one trick ponies in all of 80s pop but Welcome to the Pleasuredome is chock full of unexpectedly outward and out there diddies that would have one questioning what the motive is. From the 13 minute long tome that is the title track to the big hits to the beguiling yet bizzare stabs at Edwin Starr and Bruce Springsteen, this album is quite the potpourri; once dug in, the experience would be worth the time. Favorites: Welcome to the Pleasuredome, Relax, War, Two Tribes, Born to Run, San Jose, Krisco Kisses, Black Night White Light, The Only Star in Heaven, The Power of Love.

Giving this a two just out of respect for how chaotic it was. Definitely didn't land for me but I can't say it was boring. First two tracks I felt like I was being indoctrinated into a cult. The singles are there, not a fan of "Relax" though. Not sure when I would listen to any of this again, but good for them for just putting out something very original

It’s okay, eighties synth pop.

Welcome to the Pleasuredome the song rocks, great use of 12 minutes

Groovy but not a replay for me.

Relax

pass. basically a cover band album from the 80s? I don't get it.

Meh

How can it be I only recognized half of the chorus of Relax? Can a band be a half-hit wonder?

Yeah, not bad.

I think I only know Relax (and who doesn't know Relax?) by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. This should be interesting. And it was... There's some stuff here that is just kind of weird (the covers) but I think that was kind of the point. We're here, we're queer, and we're weird and we don't give a fuck. Highlights of course include Relax, which has been featured heavily in pop culture despite its raunchiness. Krisco Kisses also gave me a bit of a chuckle. Black Night White Light is musically maybe one of my favorites. Great synth sounds and funky 80's bass grooves. There were a couple others that grew on me but it was a bit hit or miss. Relax hit it big for them, but it's obvious why the rest don't seem to be as well revered.

Never listened to this before but I probably should have considering I'm from Liverpool. I forgot how many of their songs I already knew, so along with the covers I was familiar with most of the tracks. All in all, really good 80s pop album. Fav tracks: Two Tribes, Relax, The Power of Love

Son los de Relax y The Power Of Love. Normales.

Some very good tracks but a bit iffy on the middle especially some of the covers.

Started strong but a bit hit & miss overall

This is great. The singles are bangers, but there are too many wack covers in there.

Ein Klassiker der 80er. Vor allem Power of Love ist bis heute in der Weihnachtsschleife, obwohl es gar kein Weihnachtslied ist. Beeindruckt hat mich das 12 minütige "Welcome to the pleasurdome". Insgesamt hat das Album einige starke Momente, überwiegend ist es etwas eintönig. Einige Hits, passt schon.

Very nice sounds.

Wasn't sure what to expect going into this album, the only song I knew from this band was "Relax". It's definitely the height of 80s new wave, but it included a cover of "War" as well as a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run". Born to run was close to the original, while they definitely put their own spin on War. Overall it wasn't a bad album

Fun. Didn't realize they did covers as well. Enjoyed the album.

Strange album. A few fun 80s jams on here. The only song I knew was Relax, famous for being played when Derek Zoolander tried to kill the prime minister of Malaysia.

Technically a Trevor Horn album. Overblown, overhyped. Ultimately it fails on the strength of the ambitions alone. But woh, aim high. Four stars for those four singles alone. Still yet to be bettered as a run of debut releases. The animals are still winding me up.

This is the album that made me realize I'm ready for a threesome. That a threesome would be therapeutic. It reminds me that no one deserves a threesome more than me. The Pleasuredome is filled with Springsteen and Dionne Warwick cover songs that work better than they deserve to work. Repeat listens give me the impression that an orgy is in my future. I'm not even sure what I'd do when I walked into an orgy. Jazz hands, probably.

Love The Ballad of 32 Are many of these covers? some basslines remind me of Duran Duran Love The Power of Love

Good album with some classics on it and some cool ad libs 6/10

Þetta er fjölbreytt og sæmilega skemmtilegt, productionin er níundatugartöff en mér finnst hún samt ekki eldast sérlega vel. Verst er samt að coverlögin eru andlaus og lögin sjálf eru bara of löng, þessa plötu hefði mátt stytta um 45%. Ágætt, en ekki æði.

"Welcome To The Pleasuredome" is the debut album from Frankie Goes To Hollywood. A combination of catchy themes and overly explicit homosexual innuendo made this synth-pop album successful and controversial in the 80's when it was released. Frankie say relax!

Relax is a great song otherwise this album did nothing for me.

In a sea of mediocrity, Frankie Goes To Hollywood tried to do something special.

Quite good actually. Relax is an all time banger. It should be on every 80s playlist. I actually didn't mind the Born To Run cover even though no one will top the Boss's version. More guitars than your typical dance album. Trevor Horn's production is top notch. This one surprised me a bit in a good way.

Pleasuredome is a great pop track. War? Born to run? These are great spins on these tracks. What a great band. This was a really fun album. Great songs. Good for a party

Interesting, energetic, just not my thing. "Relax" is an all time classic though.

The man lived a lifetime of mess, but boy could he make music.

Liked the start but it really dragged on near the end. Some of the covers were pretty meh. Todd in the Shadows did an interesting video about this band which helped put them into context. Still feels like you had be there to understand as nowadays it's just overly long 80s stuff.

At one point during this album I was unable to turn left. It was pretty good, style seemed to hop around a bit. I liked the more chill sounding songs

This album screams 80s and bad covers....not my style

Pretty standard fare 80s brit pop.

So very 80s.

A very enjoyable concept album with lots of familair sounds and even a fake Ronald Reagan cameo. In the end though the 80s production and repetitiveness just did me in a bit.

But why make models? Well apparently because of the pleasuredome. This was definitely an album that would fit some coke filled 80s club. If it wasn’t for I would’ve never heard any of this band before. And relax is really only good because of Zoolander. The born to run cover was pretty brutal too. This album is only slightly palatable but at least understandable why it’s on the list. 5.4/10

Trevor Horn sucks.

Most of this record is just trying to recapture the magic of Relax, with mostly middling results. There were a few tracks that turned out alright, but this project is nothing without Relax frankly.

This is just the absolute worst of 80s schlock. Garbage all the way through with a literal handful of half-decent moments. Do not listen to this, ever.

'Relax' is a true classic, that's for sure a good song, but the others are just not up to par for me, not a fan of the album overall

It's an

Favourite tracks: welcome to the pleasuredome; two tribes; relax; power of love

Much more interesting and variable than I was expecting. Probably not something I go back to, but worth listening to.

Really straight cover. April fools.

idc

Least homoerotic album cover

This is the closest to a 5 that an album can be without me rating it a 5

Tracks released as singles are great, & cover of Born to Run is good, rest of album is ok

Необязательный диско синти поп, есть альбомы гораздо более интересные

This is a goofy, very 80s album. A lot of variety here, all over the place. 3* because not fave album territory. Highlights: relax (zoolander!), born to run (sounds like something out of a musical), bang

Not only does Frankie say Relax, he also goes HARD. Loved this way more than I expected to. It’s a bit long, but still strong!

More controversy than substance. Iconic and a band of an album. Too much Horn for me.

Quite enjoyed revisiting this album after many years of not hearing it. I don’t feel the need to rush back to it, though.

A reasonably pleasant trip down memory lane, but the production and publicity that made it stand out at the time have faded badly.

Remove all the covers and the instrumentals and you'd have a great single album, instead of this bloated double album.

Not at all what I expected but really enjoyed it, walked a good like between experimental and earworm

So… we start with a 13-minute concept track that could’ve easily been a very good 3- to 5-minute song. Understandable if there is a stage performance to accompany it, but leave the extended version for the live show please. Next we have the banger “Relax”, then back to experimental stuff for a while, then a Bruce Springsteen cover?!? A very odd and wild collection, indeed! As an album, not great. But highlights will definitely bring me back to several tracks. Low 3

Frankie goes to Coverland!

I just felt ehh. It’s not bad. But I wouldn’t say it’s good…

Actually pretty interesting. I've always had a soft spot for silly 80s synthesizers and sampled sounds. This is right up that alley.

3.4 reminds me of the wedding singer. 80’s covers.

Fun

this album sounds like the 80's in sonic fom

Relax // Born To Run // The Power Of Love //

Damn this was the pleasuredome. 9/10

If you told me this was Genesis I would believe you without a doubt. A bit funkier than Genesis which I think does help differentiate it. Couple absolutely huge songs like “Relax” and “War” sprinkled with a bunch of perfectly serviceable songs. “San Jose” was completely random compared to the rest of the album and I loved it. Pretty great album. 9/10

Flashes of genius synthpop mixed with what occasionally sounds like terrible cruise muzak. I generally think that double albums should be left as they are warts and all, this one however is a perfect example on one that would have been so much better as a single album. Best Tracks: Relax; Two Tribes; Wish The Lads Were Here

I listened to this album 3 times, and I can’t figure out what to rate it, so I guess it’s getting a 3. I knew a lot of songs on this album! And I do tend to have some bias in favor of albums I’m more familiar with. But all in all, this album was too long and not cohesive. The songs didn’t sound like they all belonged on the same album.

Honestly, this was extremely refreshing. Obviously with Relax, the Zoolander classic but welcome to the pleasuredome was also insane. Ejaculation track was funny. Overall, I feel like this album was a well rounded album and just a refreshing shift from what we’ve been listening to.

No thanks

kinda cool and weird

awesome, incredibly 80s (thx trevor horn), so gauche and risque. what fun!! scott and scott are always talking about these guys. i was fully expecting the power of love by huey lewis and the news to start playing rather than the song that did. love the eclectic cover choices- edwin starr, bruce springsteen, and burt bachrach! i think born to run is basically uncoverable but all three were very fun. love that song that is just a bunch of moaning with synths and drums. now i want one of those shirts that says "frankie says relax." 7.5/10, fav tracks: welcome to the pleasuredome, war, krisco kisses

Prince Charles just told me about orgasms. Perfect score, no notes. 5/5. Someone tell my parents that raising me on 80s music has broken my brain.

In my strongest Barnsley accent: “Welcome to the Metrodome” I don’t think this was great, but lucky for them it came just after watching All of Us Strangers, which ends up moving it up to a 3.

"1984 English synth-pop band" does not create a whole lot of excitement from me. Honestly this was perfectly fine, it's not my favorite but I had low expectations and I liked it a bit more than anticipated. It's super' 80s sounding, heavy synth use throughout. The pace is pretty high though, they keep it interesting enough, and there's a couple of strong songs and decent covers to keep me invested. My biggest issue is that this is way too long (64 minutes), there's a ton of filler in here. It actually starts reasonably ok (though the second song doesn't need to be 14 minutes long). But then "Relax" is solid, and there's two anti-war songs that are both interesting enough (including a cover of "War"). The Springsteen "Born To Run" cover in the middle is nice, I liked "San Jose", and then it's mostly very uninspiring synth-pop until "The Power Of Love" near the end. It's perfectly ok with a few good moments, and that's praise enough for this genre. Favorite song: Relax Other: War, Two Tribes, Born To Run, San Jose, The Power Of Love 3/9/24

Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Every song had something different. Standout songs: Welcom to the Pleasuredome War The Ballad of 32

Great album, so many fanstastic tracks and some good covers Nothing bad at all on this album

Niezła

Trevor Horn wrote an entertaining, fascinating, and (I suspect) rather partial memoir a little while ago. Worth having a look at what he has to say about Holly, the rest of FGTH, and *that* court case (the big one before George Michael V Epic Records) (Someone should write a book about the Law/Entertainment interface. Anyway, it's amazing what studio wizardry and commercial nous can do with a fundamentally sound starting point. Horn (and Paul Morley, and Anne Dudley, and everyone else who was hands-on at ZTT) did not create WttP; but they did fill in a lot of gaps in what, ultimately, became the album of 1984. (ps: 'Album of the Year' does not mean best album of the year. Just to be clear.)

Some of this sounds like when I was a teenager and bought my first drum machine and started programming sounds using the step counter randomly and not knowing how it was actually going to sound until I hit the play button. The singer is very annoying as well, sounds like he is trying to mimic people like Bowie at their most eccentric, but he lacks natural charm and charisma. The cover songs are sometimes cringe-worthy. 80's-as-fuck in bad way.

not exactly what I was expecting from a eurovision band. i recognized "relax", but the rest were either covers or meh

Son los de Relax y The Power Of Love. Normales.

Weird but fun 80s album. Relax. Dont do it.

Very good album with some cracking songs

2 - Some of the earlier songs annoyed me, like Relax, but some other songs were alright, so I feel that it balances out to a 2 star rating. At the end of the day, it's just not a very memorable listen for me. I was admittedly a bit distracted listening to it at points, so maybe it'll need a relisten at some point.

This album slams hard! 5

The name sounds real familiar...I just read the wiki thing on it. Relax is probably the one I've heard most if it's the one I'm thinking. Yeah it's definitely the same band. They finally started singing. Reminds me slightly of Oingo Boingo. That second track was 13min! I like how it has kind of a dark goth feel to it. Relax is on now. I'm really enjoying this Album Generator thing. I've been exposed to sooooo many bands and so much music I never would have otherwise played. The Ballad of 32 is cool. Just instrumental but vey Floyd like. I like that the singer was openly gay in a time when it wasn't completely supported yet. There's a overall sexual tone to the whole album. I guess 4 stars on this one.

On appréciera l'optimisme du chanteur qui s'essaiera à une reprise de The Power of Love sans disposer d'un début de bagage technique pour réussir son entreprise. Les pieds dans le tapis.

En plus d'etre un gros crado, Bruce Springsteen était aussi un gros copieur.

Wasn't familiar with Frankie Goes to Hollywood at all but recognized 2 or 3 songs. Overall enjoyed it!

My wife enjoyed this far more than I. She gave it a second listen, which forced me to consider my options; suffer another round or clean the gutters. I chose the ladder.

Would revisit. Didn’t have a great deal of time with it.

The ambition is impressive. It’s almost like prog synth pop. But I don’t know… I find it kind of grating and pretentious. Wow, the cover of “Born to Run” is a surprise. But I don’t like it. The mostly instrumental “The Ballad of 32” is pretty good. It’s like a Pink Floyd song but with sex noises. I’ve never heard an album quite like this before, so points for that. But I mostly found it annoying.

This album is way bigger and epic than I thought it would be. I've heard parts of "Relax" hundreds of times throughout my life- in commercials, in 1980's era callback videogames (like Grand Theft Auto: Vice city), and in movies too, I think. But I had only heard parts of the song, and never really paid attention to the whole thing. It's got so much more going on and so many exciting elements that I never would have guessed were present after only knowing the super catchy chorus. Unfortunately, beyond that there's not so much I like. "Born to Run" was really a shock, and I didn't even process it as possibly being a cover after reading the title. It only took about two chords to realize what was going on, and I'm not really impressed by it. It's way too close to the original, without anything added, and notably less energy (specifically in the vocals). I just think it doesn't really fit. I like the album cover. It's like a flamboyant 1980's Guernica that's easier to read. This is also a downside though, as I can stare at Guernica for a while and try to decipher it and this is one big interesting part of the experience, and looking at this album cover is devoid of that idea of being interesting beyond a first or second glance. I don't love the record, but I don't hate it. It's like a 2.8 and I'm feeling generous so I'm rounding up.

Is this considered a rock opera or concept album? I was pretty surprised by how good it was, and how much I enjoyed it.

Not a fan of cheesy synth sounds - not then and not now. Also slightly strange how it just randomly turns into an album full of covers

The '80s were a strange time. Frankie was huge for about 1 year. Relax, War, and Two Tribes are great and represent the genre, mid '80s dance music, pretty well.

listening to the title track feels like a side quest. pls let me out of the pleasuredome now.

So dramatic. I am pretty sure this could have been cut in the first edit of the book. They really should not have covered the Boss. Too many covers to be influential.

A ton of British pop on this list. Not my bag, Relax was my favorite....

J'ai trouvé que l'album partait vraiment en forcee, je m'attendais à découvrir un album qui allait m'épatter outre le fameux single Relax. Malheureusement plus l'album avançait et plus je le trouvais ininspiré. Loin d'être un mauvais album, mais pas tellement consistant. 6/10

Boo no

Wish I could give this 6 stars. Honestly perfect album. Covers did so well they sound like originals. Wowsers.

Wow, this is a diverse album! The first tracks don't give away anything for this album Some of the biggest hits of the 80's and listening to the album in full makes me appreciate it even more! Very fun listen and will for sure remember this album. Standout tracks: Welcome To The Pleasuredome, Relax, Two Tribes, Born To Run, The Ballad Of 32, Black Night White Light, The Only Star In Heaven, The Power Of Love, 8 out of 10

nicely varied, very fun listen

Terribly disappointing. True one hit wonders. Relax…don’t listen….

There are some gems in here beyond the hits!

Highs and lows on this one. Overall a solid album and somewhere between a 3 and a 4.

Mid

the "Born To Run" cover was good, but there were too many covers overall. covers belong on b-sides, not albums.

"The power of love" is one of the best power ballads from the eighties, and the only song on this record i wouldnt mind hearing again.

Pop, Disco, 1984 -> 4

This album surprised me from beginning to end. Originals that I know, 11 min lead in to Relax, covers that are well executed. I haven't read on this album but it sounds like a concept album and ironically reminded me of the Weeknd's Dawn FM. Really enjoyed everything here. Highly recommended and a very nice surprise.

Awfully full with Pathos à la carte. Extra points for both Singles. Except for those there‘s of course a certain penchant for making „real“ music, but it’s Not „real“ly good. Sorry

This was a random album. Maybe too long for an album and idk???

yikes, grew up in the 80's, "Relax" a bit overdone.

Welcome To The Pleasuredome had no right to be as good as it was. The singing was good but it was mainly the bass, synths, and drums that steal the show for me. I also liked how the songs hopped around between different moods quite a bit from groovy and fun, to mellow and somber. I even liked the longest track in the album because it knew how to remain interesting. This album was quite a good listen. Best Song: Wish The Lads Were Here Worst Song: Fury

The Power of Love!

Geile Reise zwischen Pink Floyd und dem Kika-Typen mit der blonden Igelfrisur und Maaßen-Brille

💖 two tribes 🗣️ 9️⃣

I really dig the unique sound of this record while also sounding like classic 80s. Good covers here but I don’t really connect with the skit tracks. Surprised at how well everything flowed together though.

Very odd

Should have been billed as a synth-pop opera about a sex club. Despite that oversight, it was actually pretty good overall. Well, better than expected anyway.

This was a really good album, but I di6care as much for the latter half. That being said, the bombastic first half is more than enough to make up for that. Favorite song is a run-off between "Two Tribes" and the title track.

Pääsin aika hyvin mukaan tähän 🤌🏼 alku oli hyvä , muutama coverikin sieltä löyty sekä yks klassikko Relax 3.5/5 Jep aika kiva albumi, covereita oli jep esim Fury :p 3.7/5

Relax is still a fun song! …the rest is not very fun.

All right, very 80s. Surprisingly many cover songs

Creative. Wish I could like it more, but only “Relax” works for me.

Phantastic Brit 80's album. Unfortunately a kind of 'One Hit Wonder'

very pleasant surprise! i think my big criticism would be directed at the length; personally i feel that there are very very few hour long albums that earn it, and there's a handful of songs here that could be dropped and they wouldn't be missed, but otherwise color me impressed

Relax kennt man ja. Aber warum nicht auch das restliche Album. Großartig!

cool

I tried to get through it but it was too long and bombastic. Relax was fun but I think it's nostalgia more than anything else.

irgendwann geht dem Doppelalbum die Luft aus

Frankie Goes To Hollywood's 1984 album, "Welcome to the Pleasuredome," is a flamboyant journey into the excesses of the '80s. The iconic hit "Relax" serves as a bold overture, encapsulating the band's bold and provocative approach to music - no wonder the BBC banned it from being played on their radio stations. The album, known for its high camp aesthetic, ventures into realms of hedonism and decadence, mirroring the spirit of the era. However, the inclusion of "San Jose" struck me as out of place, which disrupted the overall thematic coherence. The album takes a daring turn with "The Ballad of 32," a track that pushes boundaries and is decidedly NSFW. Listening with headphones becomes a discreet necessity, as the song delves into explicit audio territory. Meanwhile, "The Power of Love" provides a contrasting note of timelessness amidst the extravagance. This heartfelt ballad showcases the band's versatility, revealing a more tender side that resonates beyond the flashy exterior of the album. Overall, "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" showcases Frankie Goes To Hollywood's audacious and multifaceted musical identity, offering a mix of exuberance, daring experimentation, and a touch of timeless romance.

Very synthy. Gets better after the long second song. Don’t think I’ll play these guys again

It was weird

Relax

Gøy at de har med andre kjente sanger, men er ikke like bra cover som orginalene

Some of it was great. It lacked coherence and cohesion. The cover versions were great, especially the Springsteen one, but seemed out of place Love the Trevor Horn production.