Just do it. (Bang! Greatest Hits - Frankie Goes to Hollywood)

Member Name: paulhanton

Product:	Bang! Greatest Hits - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Date:	15/10/09 (107 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Iconic.

Disadvantages: Fillers.

Bang!

The greatest hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1993).

For those that read my reviews (and I am grateful) you may have guessed that I am on a bit of a nostalgia trip at the moment, especially concerning, in my opinion, iconic groups and albums of their time.

FGTH spawned T shirts, sayings and debate and Holly Johnson and the boys brought camp pop right up into your face whether you liked it or not, much brasher than say Pet Shop Boys or Erasure.

This album is essentially a re release of 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome' with a few additions and omissions, it was after all their first and best album.

We have all the 'big' ones here starting, of course with, 'Relax'. I cannot stress enough what an impact this song had at the time. It was banned, then unbanned, slated, then revered, but most of all it was played everywhere. I was a young squaddie in Germany at the time and as soon as the first few bars and that iconic opening phrase kicked in, followed by the original 'banging bass' people were on the dance floor.

The next offering, 'Two tribes' was just as iconic in its own way, at the height of the cold war, a pop song with some meaning. Like the last track, this song has an instantly recognisable opening sequence and to say it is fast and frenetic is an understatement, quite simply brilliant.

Never been too sure about 'War' but one just have to love track 4, their rendition of the Marsden classic, and it is actually very good, at least as good if not better than the original in my opinion.

Unfortunately tracks 5, 6 and 7 are not worthy of being called 'greatest', though Welcome to the Pleasuredome is quite a cool, underrated number, if a little long here.

Track 9 is a strange offering to me. Musically it is quite competent and vocally Johnson actually 'sings' more than his general shout. It has a touch of Marc Almond about it...it promises much in the opening bars and phrases, then kind of goes nowhere, not great.

Track 10, Frankie sings Springsteen, really, and you know what, it is actually really very good. I would recommend watching the live video on Youtube, camp Americana, fab.

'Rage Hard' is a somewhat enigmatic number. We get a much deeper and lower vocal from Johnson and I'm not sure it works at all...then I listen again and think, well, maybe...or maybe not...after all these years I'm still not sure if I like this track or not.

This can not be said for 'Power of Love'. This is by far my favourite track on this album, and from FGTH period. From the opening chords we have a classic. This is so angst ridden and 'torch' in style it is delicious. Every single word sung is wrung from his throat. The use of strings is inspirational. This is one of those songs that transcends the limitations and talents of a group and singer and truly, truly leaves you gasping the first time it is heard. There are many double entendres within the lyrics that are not immediately evident and that only strengthens the song for me. This, for me, is one of those songs that I am glad exists.

'Bang' is a great finish to this album, competent and triumphant it really could not be camper.

Overall, a great introduction to Frankie for those that have never heard them, and I have to remember that it was over a quarter of a century ago now that they were big...a fact that astounds me and gives away my age.

An album well worth owning, only the addition of a few middle fillers spoils this, but overall a 4 star offering as far as I am concerned.



~~Full Track Listing~~
1. Relax
2. Two Tribes
3. War
4. Ferry 'Cross The Mersey'
5. Warriors Of The Wasteland
6. For Heaven's Sake
7. The World Is My Oyster
8. Welcome to the Pleasuredome
9. Watching the Wildlife
10. Born to Run
11. Rage Hard
12. The Power of Love
13. Bang

Summary: FGTH.