The Art Of, err, Frankie (Welcome To The Pleasuredome - Frankie Goes To Hollywood)

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Product:	Welcome To The Pleasuredome - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Date:	14/02/01 (28 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A Classic Album

Disadvantages: Makes me feel old...

In the early/mid eighties, it was common for albums to be around the half hour mark, which would explain why this album is a double when it would easily fit onto a single. That out of the way, here goes with the rest of it...

This great-sounding album would be better described as something like "The Art Of Frankie", as most of the music was preformed by (the then) house band, The Art Of Noise. Guest guitarist was steve Howe, former Yes member when producer Trevor Horn was vocalist of that group. Even Rimmer from "Red Dwarf" (Chris Barrie) appears here to throw in a few of his impressions of a psycotic Ronald Regan and a 'saucy' Prince Charles. Which are quite funny, as are the other cliches intermingled throughout the album.

This album is a classic, although some of the tracks were spliced together to make new ones (the b-side to the original "Relax" has turned into "Ferry" and "Bang!", the final track. Butchery. Bits of the (ZTT) original sixteen minute version of "Relax" ends up as the intro for "The Only Star In Heaven". Very enviromental friendly, all that song recycling. As is the constant re-issuing of "The Power OF Love" every other Christmas.

One of my favouites off this album is the cover version of Springsteen's "Born To Run", which wiped the floor with the original. Real rock - and I'd go as far as saying that The boss himself would have been impressed with this version of his 1975 stormer. Even Hal David's and Burt Bacharac's "Do You Know The Way To San Jose" gets a work over here. A top-notch version of Edwin Starr's "War" (what is it good for...) has another version here. A real mixture of styles on this album that don't sound out of place - testiment to the genius of producer Trevor Horn (even if he couldn't be bothered doing the second album for Frankie).

A lot
of work went into this album (not forgetting the skillfull media and public manipulation by hack/AON member, Paul Morley). Did you know that "Two Tribes" took three months to record (or was it just to bang out another twelve inches)

The Frankies' were only really needeed for the public debaucery and photos for the record sleeves (remember records?)

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