Rocktrospectiva: The Massive And Succesfully "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" Turns 40

 

Released on 29 October 1984 "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" was the debut studio album by English synth-pop band Frankie Goes To Hollywood, the album was a massive chart succesful topping the UK charts, and then coquered the rest of the world including the United States, spawning four singles "Relax", "Two Tribes", "The Power Of Love" & "Welcome To The Pleasuredome". Produced by the giant Trevor Horn, in which he had and active role.

 

It was 1984, and this band was so courageously by declared themselves openly gay, so this stir up a lot of hype, controversy, including a shocking cover art refused to be printed, this helped a lot to increase the sales and the interest on this band, their first singles "Relax" and "Two Tribes" chartered well in the United States, but the album had other curious and nice tracks such as "Welcome To The Pleasuredome", the less-know tracks "Krisco Kisses", "The Only Star In Heaven", the UK hit "The Power Of Love" still sounds glorious this hyper-ballad. 

 

Despite the album is far considered as a Trevor Horn new extension on his catalogue at the time, this affirmation is that the result was catchy and massive and almost a top chart breaker synth rock of the early 80's that still sound fine and refreshing 40 years later, another remarkable tracks are "War" the cover of Edwin Starr, "Born To Run" of Bruce Springsteen, "San Jose (The Way)" and "Ferry (Go)", even though Holly Johnson's voice needs more passion sometimes, this wasn't the case for the album or at least for the fans and listeners back then. 

 

Come critics reviewed the album as an overkill, overjoy and overcompensation sound, almost a guilty pleasure to listen, and superb production, with inteligence, real sexual glamour and certain sense of gun that put them apart of other contemporaries in pop music back then a fun released boosted by Horn's production skills than anything else paving the road for future acts such as Erasure. 

 

Welcome To The Pleasuredome Track List: 

 

1. The World Is My Oyster

2. Welcome To The Pleasuredome

3. Relax (Come Fighting)

4. War (...And Hide)

5. Two Tribes (For The Victims Of Ravishment)

6. Tag

7. Ferry (Go)

8. Born To Run

9. San Jose (The Way)

10. Wish (The Lads Were Here)

11. The Ballad Of 32

12. Krisco Kisses

13. Balck Night White Light

14. The Only Star In Heaven

15. The Power Of Love

16. ...Bang