Nel 1984 un gruppo di musicisti di Liverpool scelse un nome bizzarro per la propria formazione, pare ispirato dal cartellone di un concerto di Frank Sinatra, e "gettò" letteralmente sul mercato l'album doppio "Welcome To The Pleasuredome", che destabilizzò per qualche mese il mondo musicale.
Con questo disco i 'Frankie Goes To Hollywood' scalarono rapidamente le classifiche mondiali, polverizzando alcuni record, e si imposero come fenomeno nuovo nel panorama pop-rock degli anni 80 (anni assolutamente da rivalutare).
I critici si interrogarono molto a riguardo, non avendo mai concesso il loro favore a questo lavoro; essi si domandavano, infatti, il perchè di un tale successo nei riguardi di un'opera, secondo loro, ben confezionata ma che, in fondo, era solo della banale disco-funky.
Il loro stupore aumentava di fronte all'enorme volume di vendite all'interno di un mercato già abbondantemente inflazionato dal genere. Il perchè di quel trionfo, secondo me, è da ricercare nella perfetta miscela di quasi tutti i generi esistenti, allora, nel mondo musicale moderno. È quindi riduttivo collocarlo esclusivamente nella categoria disco-funky.
"Welcome To The Pleasuredome" va dal pop melodico accattivante (The Power Of Love), all'elettronica (Title Track ed altri brani), alla disco (Relax), alle cover più o meno riuscite (War, Born To Run e San José), al rock'n'roll (Krisco Kisses), all'afro (Two Tribes), al funky (Happy Hi e Black Night White Light) e con qualche spruzzatina di progr quà e là.
Inciso alla perfezione, per l'epoca, con una ricchezza di arrangiamenti che in quel tempo non aveva eguali, il disco si impose subito all'attenzione del pubblico proprio perchè trovò adepti fra i fans di tutti i generi. È comunque la freschezza e la voglia di liberarsi dai preconcetti classificatori che la fa da padrone nell'album.
Sembra quasi che i 'FGTH' si divertano a comporre o riarrangiare brani musicali a seconda del desiderio del momento e poco importa che nello stesso pezzo si salti dalla classica all'hard-rock nel giro di qualche nota: l'importante è che tutto segua una sua logica e non risulti sgradevole all'orecchio umano.
Il problema di questo disco fu un altro. I 'FGTH' preferirono confezionare un album doppio (una rarità per le opere-prime) e scaricare tutta la loro voglia di musica e spontaneità in questo piccolo capolavoro, non rendendosi conto di aver prodotto un lavoro copioso ed ambizioso che li portò in poco tempo ad esaurire tutta la loro vena creativa. Dopo "Welcome To The Pleasuredome", infatti, non produssero che un album fotocopia ("Liverpool") che ebbe un successo relativo e li portò all'auto-distruzione in pochi anni, fra litigi e malattie (al cantante Holly Johnsonn fu diagnosticato il virus HIV e si ritirò dalle scene).
Con "Welcome To The Pleasuredome", i 'FGTH' riuscirono nell'impresa di fondere tutti (o quasi) i generi sopportabili dal nostro udito e credo sia giunta l'ora di rivalutare l'intera opera, sperando in un revisionismo storico da parte della critica, che ha un po' dimenticato questo capolavoro.
Se non altro come esempio lampante di una sublime esagerazione che ha, come esatto contrario, una vita breve ma unica ed indimenticabile.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
08 Born to Run (04:05)
In the day we sweat it out
On the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory
In suicide machines
Sprung from cages on Highway 9
Chrome-wheeled, fuel-injected
And steppin' out over the line
Oh, baby this town rips the bones from your back
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we're young
'Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run
Wendy, let me in, I wanna be your friend
I wanna guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet hips
And strap your hands 'cross my engines
Together we could break this trap
We'll run till we drop, baby we'll never go back
Oh, will you walk with me out on the wire
'Cause baby I'm just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta know how it feels
I wanna know your love is wild
Girl, I wanna know that love is real
Beyond the palace hemi-powered drones
Scream down the boulevard
Girls comb their hair in review mirrors
And the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark
And kids are huddled on the beach in the mist
I wanna die with you Wendy on the streets tonight
In an everlasting kiss
Highway's jammed with broken heroes
On a last-chance power drive
Everybody's out on the road tonight
But there's no place left to hide
Together Wendy we can live with the sadness
I'll love you with all the madness in my soul
Oh, someday girl I don't know when
We're gonna get to that place where really wanna go
And we'll walk in the sun
But till then, baby we were born to run
Baby we were born to run
Tramps like us, baby we were born to run
Whoa, ooh
Born to run
09 Happy Hi (04:12)
Oh why in this world must we work life like a deal, sometimes I feel,
Its all make believe.
Put glory in your heart and never say die,
forget your troubles go where hearts are Happy hi,
so Happy hi, yeah!
And why in this world is life like a train, never stopping at stations.
If I could freeze time under the starry sky, never questioning why.
And what in this world is achieving perfection,
We may not get there but boy do we care,
Don't be scared.
Put glory in your heart and never say die,
forget your troubles go where hearts are Happy hi,
so Happy hi yeah!
Put glory in your heart and never say die,
forget your troubles go where hearts are Happy hi,
so Happy hi yeah!
Put glory in your heart and never say die,
forget your troubles go where hearts are Happy hi,
so Happy hi yeah!
10 Wish (the Lads Were Here) (02:48)
Y' talking to me buddy
Well way - ow way - ow whoah
Now
I' out the street
And I dance to the beat of the, Cheers
I'm on the road and it's so nice
To meet ya, meet ya
Wait
*Love is on the run
Wish you were here
My love has got a gun
Wish you were here, here oh
The people I meet
There a treat
Wish you were here
Dance to the beat
With your feet on the street
You were here
Wait
*(REPEAT)
Oh now now now oh
Way - ha way - ha whoah oh
**Blow it down
The portrait of love
Blow it down
Heaven's above
Blow it down
The club of love
Blow it down
Glory of love
Tell me, why no talk to me, man
Tell me while I drown
Tell me, why no talk to me, man
Tell me while I drown
Dancing to the dance floor
When you fall I'm gonna pick you up
**(REPEAT)
Way - ha way - ha whoah oh
I' out on the street'
I dance to the beat of the cheers
I'm on the road and it's so nice, so nice E
Nice-YEAH
*(REPEAT)
11 The Ballad of 32 (04:49)
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12 Krisco Kisses (02:59)
Hunger Hunger!
I love like thunder- yeah
Hunger hunger
You feed my hunger - yeah
Hunger hunger
Take it to the top my love
Let's take it to the top
With a fist way past the rest
Take it to the top
You fit me like a glove, my love
You fit me like a glove
Kick right back now, be-bop
Take it to the top my love
Krisco kisses, kisses
Never misses, misses
Krisco kisses, kisses
You can take it take it up, up and up
Hunger Hunger!
I love like thunder- yeah
Hunger hunger
You feed my hunger - yeah
Hunger hunger - yeah
Take it to the top my love
Let's take it to the top
Take it to the top my love
Let's take it to the top
You fit me like a glove my love
My little puppet glove
Kick right back now, be-bop
Take it to the top, my love
Yeah
Krisco kisses, kisses
Never misses, misses
Krisco kisses, kisses
You can take it, take it up, up and up
Higher, higher
I love like thunder
You feed my hunger
Higher, higher
I love like thunder
You feed my hunger
Hunger, hunger
Hunger, hunger
Hunger, hunger
Be bop do wop my love yeah! be bop do wop!
Be bop do wop my love yeah! be bop do wop!
You fit me like a glove my love
You fit me like a glove
Kick right back now, be-bop
Take it to the top, my love yeah
Krisco kisses, kisses
Never misses, misses
Krisco kisses, kisses
You can take it, take it up, up and up
Up, take it take it up!
13 Black Night White Light (04:09)
We are the leaders and nothing can beat us
It feels so good the angels can take you there
You better beware of devil may care
Tell me where you want to go
We are the leaders
Heaven's above and Hell's below
We are the leaders
Oh sing hallelujah sing hallelujah
Giving it to you
We are the leaders
Black night white light
The other side of midnight
The pleasure seekers are dyin' to meet you
They need young blood the devil may take you there
You better take care he's every where
Tell me where you want to go
We are the leaders
Heaven's above and Hell's below
We are the leaders
Oh sing hallelujah sing hallelujah
We're giving it to you
Chasing the dragon
Get off that wagon boy-yeah
Rub your body up
Rope it up,
Soak it up,
Got to get on up,
Throw it up,
Show it up - yeah!
Black night white light
The other side of midnight
Black night white light
The other side of midnight
We're on a journey into the light
It feels so good your mind can take you there
But why does it go your body and soul
Your body and soul
15 The Power of Love (05:32)
I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
Ayayayay
Feels like fire
I'm so in love with you
Dreams are like angels
They keep bad at bay-bad at bay
Love is the light
Scaring darkness away-yeah
I'm so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
*The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on burnt desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
When the chips are down I'll be around
With my undying, death-defying
Love for you
Envy will hurt itself
Let yourself be beautiful
Sparkling love, flowers
And pearls and pretty girls
Love is like an energy
Rushin' rushin' inside of me
*(Repeat)
This time we go sublime
Lovers entwine-divine divine
Love is danger, love is pleasure
Love is pure-the only treasure
I'm so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
The power of love
A force from above
A sky-scraping dove
Flame on burnt desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
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