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Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome Audio CD

A fair review of the Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Frankie Goes to Hollywood reviews here, or go back to the Frankie Goes to Hollywood tabs.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood Band: Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Title: Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Rating:
Release Date: 1998-10-20
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: World Is My Oyster 2: Welcome to the Pleasuredome 3: Relax 4: War 5: Two Tribes 6: (Tag) 7: Fury 8: Born to Run 9: San Jose 10: Wish the Lads Were Here 11: Ballad of 32 12: Krisco Kisses 13: Black Night White Light 14: Only Star in Heaven 15: Power of Love 16: Bang

Missing Tracks

I've been told the Cassette contained songs not found on the LP but need to investigate this further. One thing that irked me when this came out is that the LP contains the tracks, Ferry and The Power Of Love weren't included on the CD. I think the magic of the FGTH's WTTP comes from Trevor Horn's Production. He was riding high with his success producing Yes and The Art Of Noise. An '80's Classic and one of the few CD's I can listen to from beginning to end. .


Confirms what I always suspected...
Frankie madness swept England in the mid Eighties and was literally over before it began. Those Brits will fall for ANYTHING. One dud album later ( the lamentable Liverpool ) and it was all over except for the sobbing. As for "Pleasuredome", pure marketing genius is the strongest force behind it. People were so hyped by the singles Relax and Two Tribes, all those catchy slogans on the tee shirts and the media frenzy, that by the time this bloated beast arrived, it was snapped up by the truckload, apparently with no regard to its contents. If Pleasuredome were pared down to a single album, it would be simply perfect. A double album, however, was not only unnecessary, but criminal, and a complete joke on the frenzied public. The three singles ( the third being the gorgeous ballad the Power of Love ) plus the epic title track and a few of the more understated songs like Black Night White Light and the Ballad of 32 would make it one terrific album. But the covers ( among them War, Born to Run, and San Jose ) are laughable in both their selection and excecution, and spoil what otherwise could have been a pristine and possibly classic album. The same goes for throwaways like Krisco Kisses and Only Star in Heaven. By all means, if you love the eighties ( and lets face it, who doesn't ) get this album. The playing is tight, the production is superb ( take ANOTHER bow, Trevor Horn ) and there are a handful of great songs. But be warned : keep your finger close to the "skip" button on your cd player, you'll need it.


Their finest moment...
"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure-dome decree. . " (Samuel Taylor Coleridge) With a title concept that leans on Coleridge's poem Kubla Khan, and a Ray Bradbury Sci Fi story or two, and a cover that evokes Their Satanic Majesties Request by the Stones, this was one powerful debut album.

The title track alone, which features the mighty Steve Howe on guitar (the album was brilliantly produced by his Yes bandmate Trevor Horn) is a work of art, and being supported by many other stunning songs, including the timeless Relax, Two Tribes and The Power Of Love, the album represents ridiculous value.

Sadly, this 'shooting star' reached the top almost too quickly and never followed through with anything comparable. Still, they left us with a true masterpiece, for which we should be grateful.

.


The music seems to ask, "what's your pleasure?"
The album has its duds, and we all know where this act went after the initial thrill died down, but it's a touchstone for the '80's, and a high watermark it is for the post-glam era. The atonal quality of Holly Johnson's mad-sex-scientist delivery and the dense, false-disco beat should have resulted in a disaster, but just the opposite happens: the grooves inherent in the mix, although nearly cancelled out by the sterile production, are extremely catchy--just try getting "The Only Star in Heaven" outta your head!--and the ballad "The Power of Love" seems to ache in real longing(Johnson should've nabbed an Oscar for this performance, as opposed to a Grammy; it is quite actorly in its grandeur).


Filled with Energy
The album starts off with the powerfull instrumental "The World Is My Oyster (Including Well/Snatch Of Fury)". If you take away the hype around this album, you've got a classic Synth Pop masterpiece. Then comes the 13 minute "Welcome the Pleasuredome", pure listening enjoyment. You would think that a 13 mibute song would get tedious, nope not Frankie. The biggest Frankie hit comes up next, "Relax", which is a good signature song of the 80s. "War" and "Two Tribes" are powerful and could impress anyone. "Wish (The Lads Were Here" is a nice upbeat pop tune. I don't care for the cold and dreary "The Ballad of 32". "The Power of Love" is very uplifting, and "bang" is a great closing intrumental.


You can see a complete list of all Frankie Goes to Hollywood discography, or go back to the Frankie Goes to Hollywood tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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