Frankie Keeps on Going and going and going....

I grew up in the 80's and "Frankie Goes to Hollywood" was a big part of my life. Each album, each song matched a new phase of that ever changing teenage life. Now, every time I hear one of those songs I am transported back to a day when my hair was as important as who asked me out for Saturday night. I love this album and the compilation of the other albums; however few there are. Enjoy them and RELAX!

More to them than "Relax"...

I just saw the band on VH1's "Bands Reunited". I was glad to see all the band members in the same room still doing well after many years, particularly Holly Johnson. It's a shame that they couldn't do a performance together. Oh well. At least they put out this CD which contains material from "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" and "Liverpool". The combination of synthpop, melodramaticism, and big sound (among other things) is what made the bad so big in their heyday! All the big hits are here including "Relax" and "Two Tribes". Then there are the cover versions of Edwin Starr's "War" and believe it or not, Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run"! But the most prominent track has to be the 13 and a 1/2 minute version of "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" ("Shooting stars never stop when they reach the top! Hoo! Hah! Hoo! Hoo! Hah!") Because of the show on VH1, I knew I had to go out and buy this disc. The disc does not disappoint! Now I really wish that the band did perform! SIGH!

When Two Tribes Go to War.

Exactly twenty years ago, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, led by the flamboyant Holly Johnson, was the hottest band to emerge from the UK. From their hit singles to their "Frankie Say Relax" t-shirts, FGTH was as much an attitude as they were a music group. Their songs, often produced by Tervor Horn, were elaborately produced, highly conceptualized, and had all the subtlety of a hand grenade. Not everyone, it must be said, was pleased with the group. And Johnson's coming out as a gay man did nothing to appease conservatives, either. But that didn't stop the hits from coming. Their debut single, the high-NRG "Relax," was banned from the UK airwaves for its explicit lyrics, despite going Number One and sitting comfortably in the Top Ten for several weeks. That song was unseated from Number One by the band's own followup, the politically charged "Two Tribes," whose video was also frowned upon. The third single, the killer ballad "The Power of Love" also went Number One, as did FGTH's debut album "Welcome to the Pleasuredome." But the success was short lived; 1986's "Liverpool" LP was a relative flop and the band called it a day shortly thereafter. Still, "Bang! The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood," is a great snapshot of FGTH's brief career as a band. In addition to the previously mentioned singles, we get the full-length 13-minute "Welcome to the Pleasuredome," which is far more preferable than the edited single version, "Rage Hard," and their campy cover of Bruce Springsteen's classic "Born to Run." As a bonus, we also get the original, 7-minute mix of "Relax" as well as a 90's update of "Two Tribes." My only complaint is that the liner notes aren't as detailed as they should be. Even so, this disc is worth picking up. If nothing else, it's a welcome trip down 1980's memory lane.