Description

Frankie Goes To Hollywood: Holly Johnson, Paul Rutherford (vocals); Brian Nash (guitar); Mark O’Toole (bass); Peter Gill (drums).
BANG! THE GREATEST HITS may have presented its compilers with a bit of a conundrum: how do you put together a greatest-hits package for a band that made only two albums? Fortunately, they kept it simple, and included more than half of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s blockbuster debut album, WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME, in all its stadium-size glory. Sure, the tracks from the follow-up album, LIVERPOOL, and the assorted singles can’t quite compete, but they contextualize the former nicely, offering a more complete Frankie experience than simply being bludgeoned with “Relax” over and over on oldies radio.
BANG fills out the picture for those who only know the U.K. pop sensations for the aforementioned smash and perhaps “Two Tribes.” While it may be an unexpected surprise to hear Frankie singer Holly Johnson gently caress a ballad, it’s nothing short of revelatory to witness the de/reconstruction of both Gerry & the Pacemakers’ ’60s chestnut “Ferry Cross the Mersey” (Frankie was from Liverpool after all) and yes, Bruce Springsteen’s American rock anthem “Born to Run.”